It is a curious thing that we hardly ever note or speak of existence. In everyday life, our attention seems more naturally drawn to exist-ents: other people, places, things, and the relationships between them. Indeed, it is likely that we spend most of our time attending to our favorite existent—ourselves, and our fears, concerns, plans, and so forth. Our attention is so caught up in our own thoughts that we scarcely notice the outer environment, except
when something dramatic is happening. A strong clap of thunder, an electrical outage, a person hollering, and there we are: attending to something besides our inner concerns. But only for a short time.
All the while there is existence, the first and greatest miracle. . . the fact and context of everything that we will ever undergo. Unnoticed. More common than the weather. Taken for granted! We would all be more grateful people if we did not take the fact of our existence for granted, and stop on occasion to attend to the fact that things are.
But what’s to pay attention to?
Fair question, and also one that is difficult to answer. For existence is not one thing among other things that you can single out and notice. It is more a background ambience that
makes it possible to be and to do anything. Like the fish that inquires where the ocean is, or the bird where the atmosphere is, existence surrounds us in much the same way. It is everything and everywhere.
