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Mindfulness and Living in the Present.
So if Buddhists are supposed to focus their consciousness on living in the present moment...do we plan ahead for major future events? How about look forward with happiness to something exciting at the end of the week? By the same note, do we try to completely force the past out of our minds? If that's the case, how does one learn from his mistakes and past experiences to build a better present?
With Metta,
SteadyBlue
With Metta,
SteadyBlue
0
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we need chronological time (Calendars, timetables, dates, anniversaries) to provide some kind of order in our day-to-day lives. It's how the world functions.
Plan ahead, of course, but take nothing for granted. look forward to great times, occasions, dates... whatever. but know that they come, happen and pass.
The past only works if we use it to build our present, not demolish it.
However, I've been meditating for over a year now; I have what I think is a good regular practice; and somehow this tends to leech into my day-to-day life and I feel much calmer. I still have difficulties in life, but now a problem seems to be less 'in my face', there's a little distance between it and me, and this helps me not to ruminate about all the bad possibilities the future holds for me; thereby stopping me living in the future.
I also try to be mindful, and (when I remember), I try put a little bit of consciousness into my body during day-to-day tasks - to mindfully check how I feel - and this seems to be a good tool for keeping me present.
I'm far from being anything like being accomplished at this stuff though; I'm still very much learning how to do this.
This is the object - to hold both the relative reality and the ultimate reality in the mind simultaneously so that the subject, you, and the object are fused. And the way to do this is by developing the altruistic motive of wishing to reappear to help others.
So one can plan all they like but unless the right motivation is employed and the right concentration along with having all obscurations obliterated one will inevitable be consumed by the duality of it all.
Unfortunately it is our pride that undercuts our best intentions.
So the best move is to generate the desire to become a Buddha - they can see all things simultaneously as they really are.
How to do this - following the six perfections and remove obscurations.
Both can cause you to suffer but if you're concentrating positively on appropriate ways to improve a situation then that's ok.
Mindfulness of the body can let us know how our body feels. It can cue us in to how certain behaviors mental and physical are affecting our body. We have the potential to learn to relax more and feel better.
The alternative is to just gulp those 3 raisins and never taste them. As you day dream or worry or whatever. You end up dreaming instead of awake. Remember 'buddha' means awake.
If you don't want to wake up then buddhism may not be apealing right now for you but keep it in mind as an option should you suffer and wish to try to wake up.
But use common sense and not force. If something feels bad its probably a wrong understanding.
This is how I deal with the issues you raise. But I can't really say if it is the Buddhist way.... Yes, we plan ahead for future events and diarize it so our minds are free to get on with other things. This planning and diarizing are present-moment exercises. This is not day-dreaming about the future. This is not worrying about the future. This is not dwelling in the future. It is a task at hand, now. This is quite a tough one, at least for me. We should try, as much as possible, not to get too exited about future events. The future is not always certain. If things don't go as expected, suffering follows. But still, thoughts about exciting future events will keep arising, and the best we can do is to acknowledge them and let them go... And come back to the present moment, the here-and-now. Remembering certain things about the past is very important. Say we are replacing the cam belt in our car. We have done this job before, you recollect how you did it previously, become aware of the do's and dont's, and thus are able to do the task at hand efficiently and successfully. The thing here is that we are not dwelling in the past, we are actually engaged in a task in the present moment. But we shouldn't constantly think about the past if it has no benefit to what we are doing in the present moment. If we do that, the present moment experience will be lost for ever, we cannot get it back. It's like wasting a part of our lifetime.
I'm not sure if this is of any help to you... if not, just ignore.
Yes, because planning ahead always happens in the present moment and only in the present moment.
Yes, because looking forward always happens in the present moment and only in the present moment.
No, because contemplating the past always happens in the present moment and only in the present moment.
By contemplating the past and the mistakes you have made and why you made them, in the present moment.
The problem is our attachment to the past is so strong and our fear of the future is so irrational.
It is the source of much unnecessary suffering.
Turn on the mindfulness. You will find that there is excitement in the mind along with the thoughts of soccer. But if you look closely there is also misery! Paying attention to the misery will train your mind to not fantasize, because it will help you let go of the excitement.
I ended up getting injured at practice...coincidence?
But no it's not a coincidence. The things of the world are problematic. It makes sense that you would have a problem with one. I hope your injury didn't cause any permanent damage. I have some very minor but permanent damage in my right knee from trying to impress a female with a bicycle.
Hi SteadyBlue,
This Dhamma Talk from Ajahn Sumedho (a highly respected abbot in the Theravada Forest Tradition) called "Collecting the Mind in the Moment" might be helpful.
http://www.dhammatalks.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=139:collecting-the-mind-in-the-moment&catid=34:dhammatalks&Itemid=61
Kind wishes,
Dazzle
The ball did strike my "personal" area, moving at a speed of no less than 30mph I would estimate. Ouch. I'll be more mindful next week.