| In this month's main talk, Eckhart considers the difference between conceptual knowing and one's direct, present-moment experience. He evokes visiting a beautiful historic site such as a temple or cathedral where you rent an audio tour. Such a tour might add to your knowledge, but it also distracts from the direct sensory experience of the historic site as it unfolds in the moment. Thus, Eckhart encourages everyone to approach new experiences with Presence—a devotion to taking in that experience without preconceived opinions or the desire to accumulate knowledge.
During this month, try approaching a new experience while rooted firmly in Presence and without any predetermined opinions about how the experience will go. Whether this is taking a new route to work, tasting an unfamiliar food, or simply examining an object from a different angle, take in this novel experience as if you are a very young child perceiving it without any signifiers to describe it. Use any of Eckhart's "portals into Presence"—such as focusing upon the breath or the sensations of the inner body—to ground yourself in the present moment, and then give your entire attention to the felt sensations of the new experience as they arise.
What does it feel like to have a new experience without attaching any kind of conceptual meaning to it? When you approach an unfamiliar situation without mind-made assumptions or judgment, how does this affect your actions in the moment? Consider these questions as you encounter anything new and novel during the coming month. | 
