Can We Live in the Present

A prevalent view within the Buddhist community today advocates living in and seizing the present moment. Yet, can we truly access the present? The forms we see, the sounds we hear, the odors we smell, the tastes we savor, the tactile sensations we feel, and the mental objects we cognize—none of these constitute the direct perception of the present moment; they are all shadows of the past. It is akin to watching television: what we perceive are individual frames of film rapidly played in sequence, producing a series of moving images. These images arise and cease instantaneously; each single frame is itself static. Because the playback is so rapid, the resulting imagery appears continuous, and the people, events, and objects within seem to be moving continuously. Superficially, it all seems real, yet in truth, it is all shadows—shadows, and even shadows of shadows.

What our six sense faculties encounter and what our six consciousnesses perceive are all shadows of the past. There is no present moment, much less anything real. Although it is said that the five consciousnesses perceive what is called the direct perceptual state, what they perceive is by no means the true direct perceptual state; it is also the shadow of what has already passed and ceased—illusory, neither real nor present. Similarly, what the five sense faculties contact is likewise not the true direct perceptual state. The five types of information—form, sound, smell, taste, and touch—reach the five sense faculties only after having arisen and ceased countless times as particles of the four great elements. These are not the original appearance of the particles, nor the form, sound, smell, taste, or touch as they initially occurred and appeared. Even these particles are still not the most real.

For example, sound, starting from its point of origin, propagates through a medium, its energy gradually diminishing. By the time it reaches the ear faculty, its amplitude and energy have already weakened. The greater the distance it travels, the weaker the energy upon reaching the ear faculty. Then, after transmission through the auditory nerves to the subtle sense faculty at the back of the brain, the particles of the four great elements may have altered yet again. The sound thus formed is neither the original sound nor the present moment of the sound. The other sense faculties operate similarly.

Therefore, the present moment we seek to grasp is always the present moment of the past; relative to the present instant, it has already occurred. Moreover, even as we speak of "this present moment," it has already passed. Each present moment, thought after thought, does not linger; like flowing water, it passes and does not return. What we do in each present moment can only influence the trajectory of the future; it cannot affect the present or the past. What is called real, what is called the present moment, is all contacted by the eighth consciousness. However, the eighth consciousness does not engage in discrimination and cannot articulate it, leaving us unable to know it. Given this, how should we correctly approach the present-moment forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, and mental objects? We must no longer regard all these dharmas as real, nor should we generate strong attachment to them. Of course, it would be even better if one could achieve complete and thorough non-attachment—then the mind would be liberated.