Acharya Prashant explains that the common understanding of living in the present is flawed because sensory perception always operates with a time lag. He points out that by the time light reaches the eyes and the brain processes information, the object being perceived has already changed or may no longer exist. Therefore, focusing on sensory objects and calling it 'living in the now' is superficial and materialistic. True presence is not about being fully focused on an object or a person, but about being with the truth or the core essence, regardless of external circumstances. He describes living in the present as the 'art of absent-mindedness,' where one's physical body and intellect may be engaged with the world, but the core consciousness remains detached and centered in the truth. He uses the examples of Gautam Buddha, Kabir Saheb, and Nanak Saheb, whose half-closed eyes symbolize an absence to the objective world and a presence to the divine or the void. Unlike the common man who looks at objects with desire and creates stories around them, a realized being sees things with 'suchness' or 'tathata'—seeing them exactly as they are without adding personal meaning. Acharya Prashant clarifies that being absent to the objective world does not mean ignoring physical reality or falling into potholes. Instead, it means relating to objects without the threads of desire or fear. He compares the world to a market of fake goods where one should walk through without making a deal. By remaining detached and not seeking fulfillment from the world, one can look at things objectively. This state of absence regarding stories, meanings, and desires is what constitutes real presence and spiritual beauty.