Practicing the Presence of God
Where there’s no God, no Practice but this: Presence
A common misinterpretation within Christian theology lies in the perceived dichotomy between humanity and the Divine. This perspective positions God as a separate entity, residing in the sky area called the heavens, yet paradoxically omnipresent like he enveloped all of matter and existence. We, in contrast, view ourselves as these individuals who have a body and mind. In truth, we believe that we are the body and mind, confined to our physical and mental boundaries. This dualistic viewpoint not only fosters a sense of separation but also misrepresents the essence of who we really are. It’s no wonder we see God as this separate individual with eyes like ours, hands like ours. I mean, if he has hands, he definitely has thumbs — thumbs to grip something physical. Of course, he must have butt cheeks too. After all, he sits on a throne. This anthropocentric projection reduces the Infinite to the finite and the Unbounded to the tangible. But why not? We take ourselves, the infinite to be finite.
The crux of this misunderstanding always lies in our identification with the body and mind, seeing ourselves as distinct entities subject to judgment. We see God as this symbol of judgment, and we are the judged. We, always the subject, God the object.
The transformative realization comes when we recognize that God is not separate from anything and everything. And with the illusion of separation broken, we can begin to see that the ‘us’ we claimed ourselves to be is not as real as we thought it to be. What this mysterious ‘us’ experiences, is nothing but a transient manifestation of energy, taking form through perceptions, sensations, and thoughts. This recognition reveals that God manifests as ‘you’ — and even at that, not as a separate entity but as the entirety of consciousness itself. You are not merely a part of consciousness but its totality, embodying the Divine in every moment and experience. Not a part of consciousness but the whole whole of consciousness.
With this clear seeing, there is no longer a dichotomy between the creator and the creation. We do not see ultimate reality and some other realities. Everything, not as solid but as an appearance — a splendid illusion.
When we examine the profound insight offered in the Christian texts about Jesus’ saying that that the kingdom of heaven resides within “you,” we’re invited to explore a dimension of existence that transcends physical location. This “within you” isn’t confined to a specific place outside ourselves. It isn’t even a “within the body”. This ‘within’ pervades everything, signifying that our true essence is omnipresent. While the body, which we often misidentify ourselves as may occupy a particular spot in space and described in time, the essence of who we are, Consciousness, extends beyond the illusion of spatial confines.
This understanding shifts our perspective from seeking divine connection in the external world to realizing that such a connection is inherent within us (once again not within a body). By bringing awareness inward, to the very core of our being, we engage with the essence of Presence. This Presence is not just a facet of the divine; it is the divine — God in the most intimate sense. It is within Presence that we discover ourselves not as separate entities but as expressions of the whole, unified by and immersed in the boundless consciousness that is God.
To live in awareness of this Presence is to experience life from a place of profound joy and completeness. Oh, no wonder Christian text would say ‘in His Presence, there’s fullness of joy’. Where is that Presence if not the here and now? Where is that Presence if we don’t literally(in a way that’s more literal than literal) open our eyes? In this Presence, the duality of inside and outside dissolves, revealing that we are, in essence, everywhere and everything. This realization brings a transformative understanding of our existence, where the kingdom of heaven is not a distant realm but an intrinsic part of our very nature, accessible in every moment.
And so, somehow, as we delve deeper into this recognition of the self as an expression of God, a profound humility emerges, dissolving any notions of superiority. For superiority presupposes the existence of inferiority, yet how can there be anything inferior when all is a manifestation of the Divine? Every individual, every rose petal, every bee, and even the most mundane or overlooked aspects of life, such as a trail of turd, are divine expressions. Everything! This perspective shifts our relationship with the world around us, recognizing the divine spark within everything.
With this understanding, everything becomes less serious. Everything becomes an exploration. An exploration of God, as God.
With this understanding, our approach to life changes. The heavy burden of taking everything too seriously begins to lift, making room for an existence marked by curiosity and discovery. Every encounter and every moment is seen as an opportunity to explore the infinite facets of God. Life becomes a grand exploration of the Divine, by the Divine.
Oh, what it is like to practice the Presence of God! There’s no practice! There’s just Presence!
