The present moment can be a place of not knowing

The practice of meditation trains the mind to rest in the immediacy of the present moment. Upon entering this moment, one can let go of past stories and imagined future stories—both of which give the illusion of a sense of control—and enter a space of not knowing. 

The father waiting for his teenage daughter didn’t know why his child was late; he only knew that she was late. The woman in the hospital emergency room didn’t know the outcome; she only knew she needed medical attention. Both individuals called on their meditation practices to remain in the immediate experience of the present moment rather than lost in anxiety of imagined future outcomes. 

The practice of “not knowing” 

“Not knowing is most intimate” is an important concept in meditation practice. Intimacy in this sense means the direct awareness that brings you closer to both the immediacy of the present moment and to your true self. By not imagining outcomes based on fears, judgments, memories, and the like, you can remain open and present to what is. Consider the following scenario: A woman takes a taxi to the airport in near-blizzard conditions. Snow falls steadily, and cars spin out of control, yet she remains in a space of “not knowing” and remains calm about what will happen next. Will the car spin out? Will they get into an accident? Will she miss her flight? As each anxious thought begins to arise, she reminds herself that she doesn’t know, and the thought loses its power.

All she knows for certain is that snow is falling and accumulating, and drivers are struggling with poor road conditions. She finds it freeing to notice her stories without getting lost in them—and instead, live in the immediacy of the present moment. She simply notices when she wants to make an assumption about the future, and then she reminds herself that she doesn’t know. If you could listen to her thoughts, you might hear: Will I get to the airport? I don’t know. Will the weather be okay to fly? I don’t know. Being comfortable with not knowing can bring enormous freedom and with it, awareness of the moment as it really is.