Hold on to Memories, or Let Them Go?

Telly03

Going somewhere interesting has always presented a dilema for me... do I spend my time viewing the moment from behind a camera so that I can have precious memories? but that comes at the price of not fully experiencing the moment without camera distractions.

So contemplating this took me to this thought; Is it good to hold on to old memories such as pictures of previous loves, my daughter's first hawaiian dress that we have numerous photos of her in, my son's first baseball card, and so on? or is it a waste to spend time reflecting on the past since it no longer exists? as I seem to interpret from Buddhist teachings... or perhaps I am wasting my time thinking about this stuff?

zenmyste

If the buddhist answer to your question is to let them go then I definitely no longer want to be involved with buddhism!

But I don't believe buddha would tell u to do that.

Of course u should keep your pictures and memories of your childrens first 'this' and first 'that' etc etc..
It would actually be unhealthy if you did get rid of them.

Why the hell would u want to do that?
What what reason really??

Im interested in reading some of the other comments.
But I'd be very surprised if anyone told you to get 'rid'

how

Taking pictures is a pretty neutral action. You are the one, through your practise that can have it stay a neutral action,
manifest
compassion, love & wisdom
or
greed, hate & delusion.
For some photographers I know, this has been a life long Koan.
Zen says that the only place you can practise is in the present but that present can also include looking at the past. If your viewing of the past, detracts from your experience of the present, then Zen would say its time to wake up. The same applies about the future but that is not yet a photographers problem.

karasti

Knowing where you come from, helps kids especially to learn how to grasp who they are. It's not necessarily dwelling on the past, but if we were to completely forget everything from the past we'd never make any headway, either. The key, as in everything I think, is to not cling, to not dwell, to not live in the past or the future to the point you aren't living in the present. I don't see anything wrong with reminiscing, as long as you aren't sleeping with pictures under your pillows and wishing you could go back in time. I appreciate everything of mine that my mom held onto from when I was young. It helps me understand a lot about myself and explain to my kids what I was like. And it'll be fun for them to share those things I hold for them, to their children one day. Remembering isn't the same as obsessing.

Zero

Is it good to hold on to old memories such as pictures of previous loves, my daughter's first hawaiian dress that we have numerous photos of her in, my son's first baseball card, and so on?
or is it a waste to spend time reflecting on the past since it no longer exists?
perhaps I am wasting my time thinking about this stuff?

Good or bad, they're your memories - if you dont hold onto them and enjoy them then who will? I suspect there isn't a rule that will cover all - like, pictures of previous loves may bring about a different set of effects than your son's first baseball card!

If reflecting on the past and thinking this stuff doesnt cause you or others suffering then where's the harm?

DairyLama

or is it a waste to spend time reflecting on the past since it no longer exists?

I think memories are fine in moderation, but too much time spent in the past or future probably means we are missing what is happening in the present.

lamaramadingdong

The question is, how would you deal with losing all of your photos?

Tosh

"If you have your feet in the past and your head in tomorrow, you'll shit on today!"

I don't think there's any problems with photos and memories, but if we overly dwell on them; if we compare our 'glorious past' with our 'mundane present', 'now' will never be good enough. "Compare to despair" as they say.

Telly03

The question is, how would you deal with losing all of your photos?

I never thought about "losing" all my photos, I guess the original thought I was questioning was the effort put into perserving the moments... for example, if you were to witness a special event, let's say a birth of your child, or a special ceremony, would you rather be there fully absorbing the moment, or behind a camera capturing the moment to relive later? Is it just me that thinks it is difficult to do both?

lamaramadingdong

Not just you. I used to take a ton of photos and don't take many any more just for this reason. I'd rather just experience the moment.

DairyLama

for example, if you were to witness a special event, let's say a birth of your child, or a special ceremony, would you rather be there fully absorbing the moment, or behind a camera capturing the moment to relive later? Is it just me that thinks it is difficult to do both?

I think it is difficult ( unless you get someone else to take the pictures! )

Zero

if you were to witness a special event, let's say a birth of your child, or a special ceremony, would you rather be there fully absorbing the moment, or behind a camera capturing the moment to relive later?

Is it just me that thinks it is difficult to do both?

Loving the thought of capturing the special moment of a birth papparazzi style...!!

I know what you mean - I've tried to find a balance - when it's every day stuff with its profound subtleties then I tend to not keep picture momentos - that said, I use them in art so I will sometimes just snap away and sift later - dont feel it detracts from being mindfully present.

If it's something I have sought to see (say on holiday or visiting a site) then I tend to be in the moment as a photographer - that way there is no conflict between observing, living, capturing.

I know the feeling though as now and again I will be in a moment and either I will stop and put everything down and just go in a different direction or I will stop pick everything up and go in a different direction.

Guess now that I think of it, it depends on how you relate to the photos and the moments.

pegembara

So contemplating this took me to this thought; Is it good to hold on to old memories such as pictures of previous loves, my daughter's first hawaiian dress that we have numerous photos of her in, my son's first baseball card, and so on? or is it a waste to spend time reflecting on the past since it no longer exists? as I seem to interpret from Buddhist teachings... or perhaps I am wasting my time thinking about this stuff?

Holding on to old memories whether good or bad is clinging. Clearly holding on to past resentments and hurts leads to suffering. What about pleasant memories?

Bad memories are painful when they come up and good memories are painful when they are lost. Imagine losing all traces of the past in a fire. What do people value most when their houses go up in flames?

Rodrigo

The question is, how would you deal with losing all of your photos?

I've been through this. After the initial pain, it was quite liberating.

PrairieGhost

Great song about old postcards.

David

I'm likely a bit odd but I think we can enjoy them and let them go at the same time. They won't last and will pop up again to be enjoyed or ignored by mindfulness practice.

If they are hurtful memories that keep popping up I think exploration could be useful to find the cause of their seeds being watered.

If it is grief from losing a loved one, it will be sweetened by the joy of loving them.

I think if we know something is temporary and we don't let it define who we are, it could be very rewarding to enjoy it while it lasts.

Like a cup of coffee.

I'm not exactly sure how to respond about the photos. Except that I guess too many could obscure the here and now.

lamaramadingdong

the memory is not within the photograph

DairyLama

The question is, how would you deal with losing all of your photos?

I've been through this. After the initial pain, it was quite liberating.

I go to a certain age and just stopped taking photos - it hasn't ruined my life or anything.