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place we really are is the place we’ll be forever. There’snothing missing in the experience we’re in.”It’s also important to realize that the Great Perfectionof awareness in the present moment can only transformour lives and liberate our minds from illusion if we learnto apply it in the active “doings” of daily life as well asin the still “non-doing” of meditation. Otherwise it’s justa formal exercise that ends with each meditation sessionand has no practical value in daily life. Even when thebody is busy doing something, the mind should experiencethe activity with the instant presence of awakenedawareness. The whole point of cultivating awarenessin the non-doing stillness of meditation is to bring theawakened state of presence into the doings of daily activity.“In order to realize the inseparability of meditationand daily activities,” states Dzogchen master NamkhaiNorbu, “we must apply thepractice twenty-four hoursa day.”This means, for example,practicing instantpresence while frying afish, pouring a cup of tea,driving a car, or embracinga partner in sexual union.To do this, you must keepyour attention fully focusedon the nature of the activityyour body is doing in thepresent moment and beaware of how your energyis manifesting in that activity,here and now, on thespot. Feel the sizzle of thefrying fish in the handle ofthe pan; observe the hydrodynamicsof the tea pouringfrom the pot; be alert to themanifold mechanics of operating the car; experience theenergy of your partner in sexual embrace rising like atide on the sea.While meditation allows us to experience our energyin its still state, the activity of daily life lets us experiencethe way our energy manifests in movement. Both aspectsare equally real and equally important, and instantpresence is the key to experiencing the nature of both asthey manifest in the perfection of the moment. “A truepracticioner,” writes Namkhai Norbu in The Mirror, “canappear to drink and laugh like others in a pub, but we canbe sure that, without assuming the meditation posture,he is continuing in his state of presence.”Both Taoist and Dzogchen teaching include specificmethods that help the practicioner learn how to maintainthe state of instant presence in the midst of ordinaryactivity. Often refered to as “moving meditation,” thesepractices are designed to integrate inner stillness of mindwith outer movement of body, and to unify the states of“being” and “doing,” awareness and action. In TaoistIn Western religions,people generallydisdain their bodiesas obstacles tosalvation and viewthe world we live in asa sink of sin andcorruptiontradition, various forms of chi-gung such as EightBrocades, Tai Chi, and Pa Kua are practiced to harmonizebody, breath, and mind in smooth rhythmicmovements of the body synchronized with the naturalflow of the breath, all balanced by presence in a meditativestate of mind. Chi-gung develops the ability toengage naturally in the external activities of daily lifewhile remaining in a calm state of awareness inside.In Dzogchen, yantra yoga is practiced as a form of“moving meditation” to bring body and mind into abalanced state of awareness that fuses inner stillnesswith outer movement. Chi-gung and yantra yoga trainpracticioners to integrate stillness with movement, andto experience the mind’s essential emptiness as well asits intrinsic energy, without getting distracted by either.Moving meditation should be applied to ordinaryactivities “until,” as NamkhaiNorbu notes, “there is no longerany distinction betweenmeditation and life.”“The PreciousHuman Existence”In Western religions, peoplegenerally disdain theirbodies as obstacles to salvationand view the world we live inas a sink of sin and corruption,far removed from a futureparadise to which they hopeto gain entry after death bybehaving in a way prescribedby clerics during life. This viewrejects our own experience oflife in this world as a validsource of truth and insteaddemands faith in unprovendogma in exchange for a dubiouspromise of eternal bliss inan uncharted heaven that canonly be reached in death. This is not a good bargainand a highly risky investment of our faith.Better by far to work with the resources life hasgiven us, here and now. Never dismiss your body asa viable vehicle for reaching the goal of enlightenedawareness, for without it you don’t stand a chanceof success. Your body is the only anchor that keepsyour mind grounded in reality and lets you to learnthe lessons life has to teach you. By paying close attentionto your body and its experience of the world,you prevent your mind from wandering off into falserealms of fantasy and dissipating your energy in illusorydistractions. Always utilize your breath as abridge to keep your mind and body linked togetherin the present moment by breathing consciously at alltimes, not just while practicing meditation, chi-gungor yoga. Breath is the most effective tool we havefor keeping our minds aware of what our bodies aredoing in the present moment, and for synchronizingthe microcosmic pulse of our personal energy with44 Summer 2011