What does it mean to “be in the now” for Buddha?
For the Buddha, “being in the now” is not just life advice, but a state of radical awareness of the nature of existence. This concept is informed by the Buddhist understandings of mind, suffering, time, and self. Let’s examine this concept in detail below, from its philosophical and psychological perspectives:
🪷 I. What is “Being in the Now”?
According to the Buddha, people suffer because they do not live in the present moment. The mind:
Either wanders into the past: with regrets, anger, and longings,
Or is thrown into the future: with expectations, anxieties, and desires for control.
This transforms the mind into a being in constant flight. The Buddha said:
“Thoughts come and go. You are the awareness that watches them.”
Being in the now is returning to this awareness itself—
being able to observe the birth and passing of a thought, emotion, or bodily sensation without judgment.
🧠 II. The Mind and Dukkha (Suffering)
One of the central concepts of Buddhist philosophy is “dukkha”:
“Dissatisfaction, pain, restlessness, mental tension.”
The main source of dukkha is the mind’s inability to remain in the “now.”
The mind is constantly craving (tanha), comparing, and resisting.
Example:
– Reliving a past trauma over and over
– Painfully imagining a negative future possibility in the “present”
This process mentally pollutes the “present.”
Buddha said that the mental reactions we develop to pain are more destructive than the pain itself.
⌛ III. Perception of Time: The Past and the Future Are Illusions
According to the Buddha:
The past is a construct of memory.
The future is a mental scenario.
Both are unrealistic mental constructs.
All that exists is the “now”—that moment when you breathe, blink, and take a step.
Therefore, in Buddhist practices, especially mindfulness, focus is on objects that “exist in the now,” such as breath, body, and sound.
“The past is thought. The future too. Only now is life itself.”
🧘 IV. Meditation and Staying in the “Now”
Meditation is a tool for training the mind in the Buddhist tradition. The goal is not to suppress the mind, but to learn not to identify with it by observing its nature.
In this process, one:
When a thought comes, one says, “It’s just a thought,”
When an emotion arises, one realizes that “It’s just a feeling.”
This, in turn, develops one’s “witness consciousness”—that is, the state of being present without identifying with one’s own mental content.
💫 V. The Philosophical Dimension of Being in the “Now”
The Self Disintegrates:
According to the Buddha, there is no permanent “self” (Anatta).
What we call the self is a constantly changing process consisting of thoughts, desires, and memories.
🡪 Remaining in the Now is also the way to escape this false self-illusion.
Pain is Temporary:
Everything is momentary and temporary (anicca).
Pain is also not permanent; it becomes permanent only if we hold on to it.
🡪 Coming into the Now makes it possible to observe and transform pain.
Freedom Is Here:
True freedom is not external; it lies in a compassionate and open relationship with the present moment.
📜 VI. Comparison with Western Philosophy
Descartes: “I think, therefore I am.”
Buddha: “I observe thoughts, therefore I am not them.”
While the West focuses on the thinking subject; Buddha teaches being the witness of thought.
In this sense, being present is a transition from subject-centered consciousness to a deeper state of consciousness.
📌 In summary:
“Being present” means:
– Clearing the mental clutter,
– Anchoring in awareness,
– Observing suffering without clinging to it,
– Releasing the self,
– And establishing compassionate contact with all of existence.
For Buddha, this is not just a technique; it is the key to enlightenment.