The Buddha’s Awakening — What It Means to Be Here Now

We often live unknowingly in the world of thoughts—constantly thinking, labeling, and letting our minds wander through past and future. But the truth is, we are only ever truly alive in this very moment, in the “now.”

When the Buddha sat quietly beneath the Bodhi tree, he realized something profound: beyond thoughts, everything is already here. True peace begins with the recognition that outside of thought, there is simply being—just this moment, just this presence.

In this article, I would like to quietly reflect on the essence of that awakening, the meaning of zazen (zen sitting) in our daily lives, and what I call the “sonomama” practice—the practice of being just as we are.

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After six years of intense ascetic practices, the Buddha came to understand that such efforts would not lead to the truth. He then let go of striving and sat in stillness under the Bodhi tree, free from thought. What became clear was this: even before we think, we are already sustained by the natural functioning of the six senses—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. This is the state of “this very moment.”

For example, sound is already heard before we have a chance to think about it. It is only afterward that thought assigns meanings like “pleasant” or “unpleasant,” “liked” or “disliked.”This mental layering gives rise to confusion and suffering. But before thought intervenes, we are simply living through the pure activity of the senses. In that natural state, a stable and unshakable way of being leaves no room for delusion.

The Buddha teaches us that the first arrow refers to the unavoidable facts of life—birth, aging, illness, death, and other inevitable experiences. These are simply part of being human; they happen whether we want them to or not. The second arrow is the mental and emotional suffering we create in response to those facts—getting caught up in worry, anger, fear, resistance, or delusional thoughts. This second arrow is optional, and it is here that freedom begins.

When we stop using the second arrow, we begin to notice how we are already in direct contact with the world through the six senses—seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking—functioning just as we are, without needing to add or subtract anything. This is what is referred to as the state of now. In truth, there is no room for conceptual thinking to interfere in this immediacy.

This truth cannot be grasped by the intellect alone. It must be experienced directly, through one’s own body and being. And this is why zazen—sitting Zen—is essential.

Zazen is to remain just as we are, rooted in the natural functioning of the senses. It means “doing nothing,” “not engaging with thought,” and “leaving everything just as it is.”By not getting involved with the thoughts or feelings that arise, by not adding or subtracting anything, we allow ourselves to rest in the reality of now simply. In that, a quiet and unshakable self begins to reveal itself. This is exactly what I call the “sonomama” practice—being with what is, without interference or judgment. It’s a practice that anyone can do, and yet it is a deep and transformative path of awakening.

By nature, all of us are already living within the heart of awakening. It’s only our thoughts that obscure this fact. And so, the path of practice is not about adding anything new but about clarifying what’s already here by integrating zazen into our daily lives.

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Being here now is not something attained through special techniques or knowledge. It is open to anyone—just by sitting and entrusting yourself to the reality that is right in front of you.

Birds are in the moment as it is.

Words and Photo by K E I K O