Magic Now and Then

I want to live a magical life, and by magical I don't mean exciting or fabulous. What I do mean is that I want to feel as if every moment truly matters. Living like that would indeed seem magical, especially because it's very hard to do, and takes a lot of practise to achieve. Real mages and sages practise their respective disciplines for their entire lives.

Some people might also say that I'm trivializing spiritual disciplines such as Zen by comparing them to magic. But magic is a spiritual discipline. It's not trickery or sleight-of-hand; that's stage magic, and not the same thing at all. Magic is about creating reality according to your will. That requires focus, awareness and sensitivity to one's physical and emotional environment.

When I feel "in tune" with my environment, I notice details without losing sight of the big picture. My physical senses are heightened. If I am genuinely attuned to all that's around me, my sixth sense kicks in and I open myself up to the unseen world. And though it may seem incongruous, these are the times when I feel as if I'm living fully in the present, in the Now.

When actors are described as "on," they are completely engaged in the moment. They exhibit a powerful "presence." It's the same characteristic demonstrated by enlightened individuals, no matter where they are or what they are doing. Although I've never had the honour to meet the Dalai Lama, I've read and seen interviews of people who have, and without exception they will comment on the extraordinary presence of this great man.

Enlightened people live in the light. They are able to see everything clearly, including the tiniest details within the vastness of the Cosmos. They are able to see unity amid diversity, and find, or create, order out of chaos. (Cosmos is derived from the Greek word kosmos, meaning "order.")

The most profound and beautiful moments I experience are on those uncommon occasions, which happen more often as I mature, when I'm completely at peace with myself in whatever circumstances I may be. If someone were to ask me to describe these sacred moments in my life, the first word that comes to mind, whether it's right or wrong, is magical.

- G. P.