Acharya Prashant explains that the present is not a specific moment in time but is the ultimate truth and the source from which everything emanates. He clarifies that the present is untouched and unchanging, whereas time and the mind are in constant flux. The present is the very essence of existence, derived from the Sanskrit root word "Vartaman," meaning that which is. It is not a point within time but the foundation that gives rise to time itself. The speaker describes the present as an impersonal, unlimited, and mystical state of mind rather than a sensory experience or a physical location. Acharya Prashant uses the metaphor of a great container or cauldron to illustrate that the past and the future both reside within the present. While movement and change appear to happen within this container, the container itself remains stationary. He asserts that nothing truly happens in the ultimate sense because the base of time is timeless. If one is attached to the mind, they perceive movement and change, but the base of the mind is the timeless present which does not move. Realizing that nothing is happening is the true state of being in the present. The speaker further explains that the self is not a product of time; rather, time is born within the self. He emphasizes that being in the present means realizing that the core of existence is unchangeable and unaffected by the flow of time. To live rightly and address the future, one must be deeply rooted in this timeless source. Only from this non-dual seat can the duality of time and memory be experienced as enjoyment rather than suffering. He concludes that the present is the absolute reality, encompassing all that is, without anything existing beyond it.
