“There is … Abiding.”

There Is Abiding, Finding peace in presence.

 

“There is … Abiding.” is a very strong and beautifully simple practice form.

It has two movements:

“There is …” — recognizes what is actually present, without immediately judging, explaining, fixing, or identifying with it.

“Abiding.” — gently shifts from the content of experience into the capacity to remain present with it.

So:

There is fear.
Abiding.

does not say, “I am afraid and I must get rid of this.”
It says, in effect: fear is here, and awareness can remain here too.

This could work with almost anything:

• There is fear. Abiding.
• There is sadness. Abiding.
• There is anger. Abiding.
• There is pain. Abiding.
• There is wanting. Abiding.
• There is uncertainty. Abiding.
• There is Andrew. Abiding.
• There is this memory. Abiding.
• There is breathing. Abiding.
• There is quiet. Abiding.
• There is joy. Abiding.
• There is love. Abiding.

I especially like the period or pause between the two parts:

There is fear. … Abiding.

The pause matters. The first phrase acknowledges the experience. The second does not argue with it; it simply establishes a wider relationship to it.

Three closely related forms

1. “There is fear. Abiding.”
Very spacious and non-personal. Perhaps the cleanest form.

2. “There is fear … and abiding.”
Emphasizes that fear and peaceful presence can coexist.

3. “Fear. Abiding.”
The shortest version. Useful when distressed and you do not want many words.

There is also an important distinction between:

“There is fear abiding.”

and

“There is fear. Abiding.”

The first can sound as though fear itself is abiding or remaining.
The second says something subtler: fear is present—and I rest in abiding awareness around it.

So I would recommend the two-beat form:

There is ______.

Abiding.**

And perhaps, after several breaths:

There is ______.

Abiding.
For now, this is enough.**

This seems very consistent with the direction of PURE MIND Abiding: less fixing, less struggle, less deciding whether an experience is good or bad—more recognition, space, allowing, and gentle presence.

“There is GOD”