David Kundtz - Being Present: A Book of Daily Reflections

Awakened Mind How often have you gone through a task, or even a day, without thinking about what you were doing or the consequences thereof? Suddenly you realize that your life is passing you by without much meaning in it. This book will change that. ALLEN KLEIN, MA, CSP, author of The Healing
Power of Humor and The Courage to Laugh I have been a fan of David Kundtz for many years. Awakened Mind is his most profound work ever. In it, he calls us to our highest selves. Read it and be inspired.

MJ RYAN, author of Attitudes of Gratitude, The
Power of Patience, and several other books Delightful treats. One-minute nutrition for your spirit.Mary Anne Radmacher, author, artist, trainer/coach, speaker Kundtz's book is a great way to begin or end a day. I most highly recommend it. KAREN CASEY, author of Change Your Mind and Your
Life Will Follow and several other books Quiet Mind Delightful teachings that embolden us to find essential refuge and nourishment in the fabric of our daily lives. WAYNE MULLER, author of How, Then,
Shall We Live? David Kundtz has written a gemthe rare book that illustrates the mystical possibilities of our daily lives. a thought-provoking reminder of the beauty that surrounds us if we will slow down long enough to pay attention. a thought-provoking reminder of the beauty that surrounds us if we will slow down long enough to pay attention.

SAM HORN, author of Tongue Fu! and ConZentrate This edition first published in 2015 by Conari Press, an imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC With offices at: 665 Third Street, Suite 400 San Francisco, CA 94107 www.redwheelweiser.com Copyright 2015 by David Kundtz All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, llc. Reviewers may quote brief passages. ISBN: 978-1-57324-644-6 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request. Cover design by Jim Warner Cover photograph Andy Roberts/Getty Interior by Maureen Forys, Happenstance Type-O-Rama Typeset in Monotype Garamond Pro and Proxima Nova Printed in Canada. MAR 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 www.redwheelweiser.com www.redwheelweiser.com/newsletter

M any thanks to Robert Stenberg and Brendan Collins, who read the text and made valuable and appreciated comments.

Thanks and special appreciation to Jan Johnson and Rachel Leach, publisher and editor, and all at Conari Press for their support and help in preparing the text.

We shall not cease from explorationAnd the end of all our exploringWill be to arrive where we startedAnd know the place for the first time. T.S. ELIOT T he goal of this little work is clear: to encourage and facilitate your capacity to be more mindful and awake to the present, and thus achieve the peace that comes only from living in the moment, being present in the now, as you live the cycles in a year of life. This is a work about increasing your ability to attend, to pay attentionbeing mindful, being present. As I consider what to say about mindfulness, I experience a challenge: to express in words what is so utterly simple, neither a magic quick fix nor a miracle cure, but rather a deep well of possibilities worth a lifetime of exploration. Also, I like the phrases being aware and being awake because they are more commonly understood and, unlike what often befalls mindfulness, avoid the categories of buzzword and clich.

Here are a few descriptive statements, culled from my own experience as well as the masters.' Mindfulness is

• Paying full attention to what is going on right now by staying in the present moment
• A balanced observation of what is, without criticism or judgment
• Noticing the changes happening in and around you
• An awake and aware participation in life

We all have experienced mindfulness, but chances are those experiences are fairly infrequent because of the constant state of distraction in which we live. Some examples: Mindfulness is the moment when you're out walking and suddenly see a deer, before you react, when it's just you and the deerno thinking, no fear, no judging. It's an uncontaminated moment of attention. You are mindful. Another example, from Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, who spoke so eloquently about washing dishes: When you are washing the dishes, simply wash the dishes, noticing the warm soapy water, the hardness of the plate, the act of cleaning... That's all.

Attend to what you are doing. Mindful. There is the moment of mindfulness when you look into the eyes of the woman behind the counter as she gives you change and you smile and say thank you. At that moment you are present to her, acknowledging a relationship, even if it's fleeting; your attention, your appreciation is on her. In that moment you are mindful. Mindfulness is noticing the subtle change in your spouse's demeanor this morning as you look across the breakfast table, and not just continuing to eat your cereal or read the papernot noticing, or worse, pretending not to notice.

Mindfulness: Being aware of and paying attention to the present moment as much as possible, non-judgmentally, in order to notice changes and be awake to its true meaning. Mindfulness prevents us from missing life, from reaching life's end with the sad realization that the deepest human experiences have passed us by. Now is all we have; the past is gone, the future is not yet. Just now.

The 365 reflections in this book are based on the cycles of life: the big one, from youth to old age; the four seasons and twelve months of the year; and the many other phases of daily life, such as work, family, health, and so forth. We'll open in the age of youth, in the season of spring, and in the month of Marcha time of new life and beginnings. We continue with young adulthood and summer, middle age and autumn, and old age and winter.

Each month focuses on specific aspects of life, which are named at the beginning of the chapter. I suggest that you begin with the meditation for today's date and continue through the year. Of course, use the reflections in any way that works for youthey are designed for those who are experienced in meditation as well as beginners. Each daily meditation is meant to be experienced as a two-part process. The first part consists of a quote and my brief comments. It is focused on thoughts, feelings, mind wandering, and ideas.

The second and longer part is the mindfulness phase, the part that you create. This is an open awareness, a calm abiding, a receptive process of becoming still. Each meditation is designed so that the first part brings you into the present moment with some quiet consideration and so leads you to the second part. I suggest the following: Read the quote and comments slowly, perhaps twice. Then quietly consider what you've read. Think about it for a moment or two.

Any feelings? Agree or not? Hang out with the idea, let your mind wander with it a bit. This first part should help you become quiet and focused and still; it can be brief. Then allow the symbolic swirl at the end of the written reflection to be your sign of invitation into the second part, the mindfulness part, the part you createspend most of your time