Reflection on "The Sacrament of the Present Moment"

After taking the time to read the short commentary "The Sacrament of the Present Moment" by Richard Rohr, an American Franciscan friar who often provides daily meditations and advice on his social media and in his works, I feel more awakened about where I stand in my life currently. Rohr encourages people to stray from the typical dualistic method of thinking that we are so often predisposed to, claiming that "only unitive, non dual consciousness can open our hearts, minds, and bodies." He explains that the dualistic pattern causes people to see reality only as it is, dousing the mind's capability to step outside its comfort zone and admonishes one from fully experiencing God.

Although I agree with Rohr that it is important to allow the mind to be open to everything and all possibilities, I feel that it is equally fundamental to see reality simply as it is. I have taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test on multiple occasions within the past five years, and have always received the same personality type: INTJ. The "N" stands for intuition, and means that rather than always focusing on evidence and practicality, I prefer to envision ideas and the global concept before adhering to details. Likewise, I think being able to remain open-minded in life's experiences - being able to envision 'the big picture' - is an aspect that is beneficial to everyone, allowing one to understand perspectives different from their own and ultimately experience paradigm shifts.

Rohr states in his commentary, however, that "reality cannot be seen with any dualistic operation of the mind," and this is where my opinions differ from his. I agree that non dual consciousness is more mature, but I think that dualistic mindsets are useful as well. To me, the formal is more significant when it comes to ethical interpretations, but when it comes to more practical applications, I feel that the latter is more important. Ultimately, I feel that establishing an equal balance of being able to see reality as it is, while also being able to keeping their mind open to new experiences is crucial.