THE THIRD NOBLE TRUTH with Noah Levine

August 9, 2021Right Now It's Like This.

Ajahn Sumedho said, “you know after 40 years of doing this stuff it's really quite simple: mindfulness, liberation is understanding that, ‘Right Now It's Like This.’”

Whatever is happening. All of Buddhism is boiled down to the practice of understanding what's happening in the present moment.

It's like what Ram Das’s famous book, ‘Be Here Now.’

There's the whole Dharma in these words.

Be Here Now.

Right Now It's Like This.

There's all you need to know: Right Now It's Like This.

When you really understand this, you understand it's impermanent. Whatever it is, is changing. The rising and it's passing.

Whatever it is, is being perceived as pleasant or unpleasant or neutral.

Whatever it is, you can suffer about it if you don't accept it this moment, totally and completely, as an impermanent process that's unfolding.

If you're attached, you suffer.

It's not enough to just say, “it's like this.” It also calls for what Ajahn Sumedho referred to as, “unentangled participation with reality.”

Unentangled participation with your emotions.

Do you know the difference between being entangled in an emotion?

I don't know if you've had the experience yet of having an emotion, but you're not entangled in it. It’s the difference between, “I'm afraid I'm ******* terrified.”

With mindfulness, with ‘Right Now It's Like’ you have the experience of like, “wow there's a lot of fear present” without being entangled in it. You'll notice, “my hands are tight, getting sweaty. My thoughts are racing”… but there's a real unentangled relationship to a strong emotion. Right now it's like this. Fear is here, or even craving, and rather than, “I have to have,” you just notice, “wow. There's my mind telling me I need this or need that or I'd be happy if” Anytime your mind is telling you you'll be happy when you get... this is craving.