Be here now - Ram Dass

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 21 June 2004, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

EXPLANATION OF THE GLOSSING SYSTEM
(to understand how I describe the signs in this translation).

FOCUS 1-HERE NOW. FOCUS B-HERE PLACE. ENJOY, CHERISH OUR MOMENT. FEEL SPIRIT COOPERATE. STRUGGLE, HIGH-GOAL++, HURRY PUSH-ASIDE. ALL YOUR"all" ENERGY ACCEPT RIGHT-NOW. LATER MEAN LATER. OTHER PLACE, OTHER PEOPLE, DIFFERENT REASON, FINE++. BUT RIGHT-NOW, FOCUS 1-HERE NOW. OUR MOMENT VANISH WILL. RIGHT-NOW CHERISH ENJOY, BEFORE GONE. MOMENT WE SHARE RIGHT-NOW BECOME OUR GIFT. MOMENT"each", TOTAL OUR LIFE. MOMENT"each", SHOULD CELEBRATE. EACH PLACE WE V:-CL'set ourselves', BECOME OUR B-HERE. THINK-ABOUT DEEP 1-HERE NOW. WHERE? 1-HERE. WHEN? NOW. SEEM SIMPLE NOTHING-TO-IT. NOT-THAT. HARD. WE LOOK-BACK'frantic', LOOK-FORWARD'frantic'. BETTER OVER-THERE-left. BETTER OVER-THRE-right. YESTERDAY BETTER. TOMORROW BETTER. (2h)STOP! FOCUS 1-HERE NOW.


Notes: 1-HERE - (2h)[1^], POs down, FOs away, move down to indicate this exact place.

B-HERE - (2h)[B], POs up, FOs away, circle symmetrically in a plane parallel to the floor.

HIGH-GOAL++ - Like GOAL, but the NDH is held high and the DH moves in a circle perpendicular to the floor as if working its way to this high goal.

PUSH-ASIDE - (2h)[B], with DH higher, palms are pressed against imaginary wall that is pushed to one side.

RIGHT-NOW - NOW which moves slightly up and down with the DS of mouth drawn down exposing teeth as in the sign RECENT.

MOMENT - The sign SECOND (1/60th of a minute).

VANISH - (2h)[5^], DH PO down and above the NDH which is PO up, both have FO away. The two hands separate quickly while hands close to (2h)[O^].

V:-CL'set ourselves' - Like SIT but the DH is a [V:] and it descend slowly and deliberately.

NOT-THAT - (2h)[5], POs away, FOs up, wave from side to side symmetrically.

OVER-THERE - [B], PO up, FO > whereever you want to spatialize this.

WE LOOK-BACK'frantic' . . . TOMORROW BETTER. This entire section can be signed with a frantic look on the face as if one were stressed out.

(2h)STOP! - (2h)[B], POs away, FOs up, move forward like the hearing gesture for "Stop!" or "Talk to the hand."

Text:
Be here now.
Be here in this place.
Be here in this precious time.
Be here with this particular company.
Let us for a moment forget where we have to be
And when we must be there.
Let us for a time invest all our energy in here and now.
There is a time to be somewhere else
And with some other company
And for some other reason.
For this moment, be here now.
Focus on the moment before it flits away,
Pay attention to this treasured instant of time
Before it is gone.
These times of here and now are really all we have;
This is the pattern of our lives - these successive instants of being.
Celebrate these intervals of time we call now
And cherish these places of being we call here.
Contemplate the here and now - here and now.
It seems so simple, but it is so hard,
We are so distracted by then and there.
It is so tempting to live somewhere else,
To think of some other time.
Be here now, and be glad.

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