When I first heard the term experience I related it to having learned something as in acquiring knowledge about a particular subject. Also, to build up a level of skill such as a golf swing by practicing and playing for some time. Or a person becomes an experienced speaker, writer, parent etc. In order to gain that experience you must have done something in the past or if you want to acquire that experience you will have to do something in the future.
The key here is that you can only do something now in the present. Thus every accumulation of experience is a collection of the repetition of the experiences of these moments. Right now you are having an experience of whatever it is you are doing. Actually you are reading right now. Therefore reading is your experience. Is reading 100% of your attention right now? The experience you are having right now may be made up between your attention thinking about something that you will be doing later or yesterday, along with your reading. The more focused you are on whatever you are doing, in this case reading, the closer you are to having a direct experience.
What is a direct experience?
Our main ability to experience comes from our senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, smell and thoughts. A direct experience is the perception of one of the senses as it is occurring without any interpretation. Suppose you are lying on a blanket at the beach and you hear a noise. As you sit up you are struck with view of a clear blue sky and the setting sun. For a moment you are just “seeing” the sun setting. There is nothing else in your mind, nothing else in your awareness except for the viewing, the “seeing” of the setting sun. Usually within a few seconds or less you start to evaluate how wonderful you feel about watching the setting sun. Or, possibly who you would like to share this with or even to stop and take a picture to “capture” the moment of beauty.
The direct experience is gone as soon as the interpretation or evaluation begins. Most of the time we are living life and along with each experience, along with each moment is our interpretation and evaluation of what is happening. We lose the direct experience and live with the second hand interpretation and evaluation. It is like listening to a lecture in a foreign language with an interpreter translating the words and thoughts of the speaker. How much is lost by not being able to hear the speaker in his or her own language?
Life speaks to us in the language of direct experience. Are you able to hear it directly or are you hearing the translation ? How much of your life’s experience is being missed?
Return to the wonder of a child
with beginner’s mind. Close your eyes and right before you open them again drop the assumption that everything will be just the same as when you last saw it. See more with the expectation of the dawn in each moment.
Imagine lengthening the direct experience of the sun set. Imagine extending the awe of the sun set to the experience of the next moment and the next and the next.
Imagine continual direct experience.
What would that be like?
Spiritual Gravity 