hi Amor, I don't think I am having a problem understanding " the now ", that seems quite clear. The confusion, I think is in the illusion idea, just not quite grasping that. The past and the future cannot be illusion, what happened happened, granted it has now become a memory, but fact is ... once upon a time it WAS the now. Same with the future, it WILL BE, eventually the now, we just don't know it at this moment in time, and when it does come, it will be the now.
If I recall, Yogananda also speaks of this life as being just a dream, kind of a similar concept to the illusion idea, as it is not real - we just think it is.
Ok, so if I am understanding the basic concept of the now, WHY is it so important to be in the now ?
other than to be aware of what is going on at that moment in time, and to appreciate all that there is
Into Blue
Let's see if I can help you understand this "now" business. For starts how can the future not be an illusion. Well it hasn't really happened so there is no future. Nor do we know how that will pain out so in thinking of the future we can create undue suffering in ourselves wondering what if's. and what could be's. What happened yesterday only happened in the now, for you were in the now when it happened. It can, and only will happen in the now. No matter how much you think that it's already happened. It only happened now.
As to your question of why should we be focused on the now. For starters focusing on the future, and yesterday creates anxiety, fear, panic, turmoil, and a whole lot of other emotions that you feel are a result of what happened in the "past" and what could happen in the "future." When you are focused on those time periods you are not concentrating on the most important time, now, and you can end up missing out on things because you are afraid of past failures, or what may happen.
Another very crucial part of the now is if you know of the power of affirmation, and manifestation. Those tools we are capable of only happen in the now. You can't create something to happen yesterday, or something that happens tomorrow. You can only create it now.
