The Now

I have been periodically trying to achieve Zen enlightenment. The book I've been skimming through called "Buddhism is not what you think" says that an attempt at achieving something is precisely opposite to the notions presented by Zen Buddhism, namely, that there is nothing to "achieve" per se, but rather something that need only be seen (the italics meaning a different, more dimensional type of sight). Yet, we all do desire, so we should be okay with that and eventually we will reach enlightenment when we have finally forgotten that we really wanted to.

Now, this sounded all very familiar--rather a lot like pre-intellectual awareness from Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintainence...and this doesn't surprise me. I mean Pirsig certainly was not coming up with this idea on his own. So, I've been "trying" to see the world in the here and now, without any judgment, thought, or analysis. Just...intake, like sevants who can recreate masterpieces of art, not because they have an inner desire or interpretation of the work, but because they have perfect recall of the image. They see the "now" without distortion.

I started to see the now as I drove home from the library today. I became a bit meditative as I curved gently along with the road. Today the weather was gorgeous, and things seemed mroe harmonious than usual. I glanced off at the university-owned cow pasture on the side of the road when something started to happen. I was not really trying very intently to be in the now. I just kinda started to think about it, and then...then the pasture, for a split second seemed beautiful, more epic and pastoral than it has ever been. Like an Italic field I passed from Rome to Florence, it suddenly had a perfection about it, like I was seeing it for the first time.

Then, very quickly, it ended. I realized that, seeing in the now is something I am very interested in (however anti-Zen that may be). For me, I feel like it revives your sight, brings novelty to that which we have become jaded towards. It was a surprising experience.