Presence

2026, June, Issue 206

Present in Awareness,

in this moment,

in all that appears,

Instantly Present,

Awakening is at hand!

Here we are,

no longer distracted,

by this great illusion,

no longer thinking about past,

which is gone completely,

no longer obsessed with future,

which cannot happen,

no longer deluded

by those things not real,

in this present moment;

We are present!

We have found awareness!

It is time to Awaken!

A poem by Robert Aho © 2026

If we are to Awaken, we must remain present, we must pay attention to what is happening now, we must pay attention to mind. If we keep looking outside of ourselves, remaining distracted by all the obscurations and embroilment of the world, then we will simply remain in cyclic existence, maybe forever. This world is not real. This great dream we call daily life is just a figment of our imagination, something that can never be real. Unless we are present, we can’t even begin to fathom the nature of the world around us. It will continue to bind us, and we will continue to suffer.

Being present is not the same as being mindful; although, that is closely related to what being present means. Being present, in the sense that I am using it is more like remaining in awareness, more like looking at mind, being aware of our internal condition and what is obscuring our View. Mindfulness is more like being aware of what we are doing and our surroundings. It’s very superficial by comparison.

In the Dzogchen sense, Instant Presence means that we are liberating all appearances in each instant by our own realization of the Nature of Mind. When we first step onto the Spiritual Path, this is the same, even though we haven’t yet achieved any sort of realization, other than the realization that Awakening is supremely important. If you are a beginner, you look at that initial spark of your Aspiration to Awaken, you look within, you remain present in that Aspiration. This helps you to increase your capacity.

On the first step of the Spiritual Path, you do not need to believe that life is like a dream, you only need to be aware of your own Aspiration to Awaken. If you can do this, then you can remain on the Spiritual Path. If you are careless with your Aspiration to Awaken by not remaining present in that, then you will simply go back to where you were—and that place where you were is an eternal mess of tremendous suffering that has never helped you in the least!

Remaining present means that you are generating Bodhicitta. It means that you are remaining in awareness of that which cannot be fully understood until you achieve full enlightenment; and, when that happens, you won’t be able to explain it to anyone in a way that can be understood. When Buddha Shakyamuni achieved enlightenment, he almost walked away into obscurity, simply because he knew at once that there was no way to explain what enlightenment truly means. Since it is not conceptual, since it is beyond what we can imagine, there’s very little point in trying to explain it to anyone. Enlightenment is something you must discover by remaining present, by examining your own mind, by investigating all that appears.

Presence is at the essence of our Enlightenment Mind, this spark that I have mentioned repeatedly, this most precious thing that we can ever possess, which is our Aspiration to Awaken, sometimes called Bodhicitta. When we are present, we are present in Bodhicitta, which is much more important than mere compassion. It is this precious jewel that we hold in our heart center. When we have Bodhicitta, even if it is just the fragile understanding of what that is that we discover on the first step, we have something that will unlock all doors. Remaining present in Bodhicitta means that we begin to develop true compassion, not just something superficial that can easily become destroyed by seemingly external factors or various difficulties in life.

Presence keeps our Aspiration to Awaken safe. It keeps us on the Spiritual Path. It helps us to discover this great illusion, without creating additional obstacles, which are demons related to attachments, aversions, and delusional thinking.

We focus on this spark, then watch it grow. This is what presence offers us in our spiritual life. Even the worst tragedy in life cannot wipe away Bodhicitta, if we have sufficiently and genuinely cultivated our Spiritual Path. People who do not hold this Aspiration to Awaken as most precious are easily discouraged from becoming enlightened. Their Spiritual Practice soon falls by the wayside, as if it were a piece of garbage, something sent away, then forgotten. Even people who have spent decades practicing meditation find themselves right back where they began, simply because of a little bit of hardship, simply because they never made the commitment to awaken in the first place, simply because they did not remain present with each step on the Spiritual Path.

I have no doubt that each and every person who genuinely approaches the Spiritual Path with Bodhicitta will awaken. What this looks like is simply remaining present in that aspiration, meditating often, living peacefully with growing compassion. It is simple.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

Robert Aho is the author of Timeless Luminosity and The Frog: A Spiritual Autobiography, Spanning Many Lifetimes. Both books, written after his death experience, give advanced spiritual advice regarding the complete Spiritual Path, inspiration for living each day and words of encouragement, with the intention of helping people to stay committed to their Spiritual Path, as well as preparing for death. This ultimately leads to discovering your own power within, which leads to Awakening. Both books are available on Amazon, Zenith Bookstore, as well as various other sources.