' Presence is needed '...

Presence is needed to become aware of the beauty, the majesty, the
sacredness of nature. Have you ever gazed up into the infinity of space on a
clear night, awestruck by the absolute stillness and inconceivable vastness
of it? Have you listened, truly listened, to the sound of a mountain stream
in the forests? Or to the song of a blackbird at dusk on a quiet summer
evening?


To become aware of such things, the mind need needs to be still. You have to
put down for a moment your personal baggage of problems, of past and future,
as well as all your knowledge; otherwise, you will see but not see, hear but
not hear. Your total presence is required.


Beyond the beauty of the external forms, there is more here: something that
cannot be named, something ineffable, some deep, inner, holy essence.
Whenever and whenever there is beauty, this inner essence shines through
somehow. It only reveals itself to you when you are present.

Could it be that this nameless essence and your presence are one and the
same? Would it be there without your presence? Go deeply into it. Find out
for yourself.


~ Eckhart Tolle
Excerpted from Practicing The Power of Now