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There is only now

betaboybetaboy Veteran
in Buddhism Basics
I know this sounds like cliche, but there is only now. But there is more to it. We often project into the future. This is a bigger problem than thinking about the past, because at least the past really happened. But the future hasnt even arrived yet, so speculation/imagination is more dangerous than brooding over the past.

So the real obstacle to the now is the future ..... Past also, but only to an extent. The mind creates all kinds of scenarios and makes us act according to some imagined reality. This destroys the power of now.

Comments

  • BeejBeej Human Being Veteran
    the past is not a static thing thats only constructed from your memory. it is heavily influenced by your current thinking, and therefore is a dynamic cooperation with the now. same for the future. the past is projected, re projected, and continues on in this itertion in a way that distorts it. its placed in frames and colored by your desires, not much differently than an abstract of the future. their common bond is the ever changing reference point of "now"... now is ever changing, past is ever changing, future is ever changing. change is the now.

    so @betaboy is the real obstcle for you "change", not the "future"?
    Kundo
  • howhow Veteran Veteran
    edited January 2014
    @Betaboy
    Thinking of the past or future is innately benign when all the other sense gates are given equal status.
    It is only where a dominance of one sense gate (in this case, a thinking mind) obscures the incoming data from the other sense gates (sight, hearing, smelling, tasting & body awareness), that actually becoming isolated from the present becomes possible.

    I think this is true in daily activities as in formal meditation.


    JohnGLiilobsterjae
  • anatamananataman Who needs a title? Where am I? Veteran
    The only thing we can be certain of in the future is our death - that can be quite a grounding contemplation in the present.
    DandelionKundo
  • chariramacharirama Veteran
    It certainly helps a lot when we finally give up on trying to change the past (regrets).
  • TheswingisyellowTheswingisyellow Trying to be open to existence Samsara Veteran
    There is only the rising and falling away of phenomena.
  • robotrobot Veteran
    I think the precepts are aimed at trying to manage the future.
    At least you can know that you did your best when everything goes to shit.
  • CittaCitta Veteran
    What made you think that there is a now ?
    Zero
  • anatamananataman Who needs a title? Where am I? Veteran
    Can't remember where I got this little gem from in the past but it often pops into my head like a mind virus - sure someone will remind me:

    The past is history
    The future a mystery
    Now is a gift
    That's why we call it the present
  • banned_crabbanned_crab Veteran
    Exactly, because we always believe that we can progress for the future. If we lived in the Now we would understand that progress does not exist.
  • LiiLii Explorer
    I understand what you are saying about thinking of the future destroying the now. Both past and future can destroy the now. The most valuable skill is to destroy anxiety. The past has happened and cannot be changed. Make peace with it. Do not become attached to outcomes in the future. Stay on your path and control your mind.
    Jeffrey
  • anatamananataman Who needs a title? Where am I? Veteran
    Is this just a random thoughts thread, or could someone take time and connect the dots so I understand what's going on.
  • BeejBeej Human Being Veteran
    anataman said:

    Is this just a random thoughts thread, or could someone take time and connect the dots so I understand what's going on.

    oh sorry.... i mis-read the topic category when i first responded. i thought the category was Trolling for Beginners.
    TheBeejAbides said:

    the past is not a static thing thats only constructed from your memory. it is heavily influenced by your current thinking, and therefore is a dynamic cooperation with the now. same for the future. the past is projected, re projected, and continues on in this itertion in a way that distorts it. its placed in frames and colored by your desires, not much differently than an abstract of the future. their common bond is the ever changing reference point of "now"... now is ever changing, past is ever changing, future is ever changing. change is the now.

    so @betaboy is the real obstcle for you "change", not the "future"?

    :clap:
    Kundo
  • wangchueywangchuey Veteran
    Is a wise resolution.
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    betaboy said:

    I know this sounds like cliche, but there is only now. But there is more to it. We often project into the future. This is a bigger problem than thinking about the past, because at least the past really happened. But the future hasnt even arrived yet, so speculation/imagination is more dangerous than brooding over the past.

    So the real obstacle to the now is the future ..... Past also, but only to an extent. The mind creates all kinds of scenarios and makes us act according to some imagined reality. This destroys the power of now.

    On a subjective level, that's how it can appear, and it's a good perception to use to help refocus our attention on the present and not get lost in memories of the past or dreams about the future. Although I think it should also be said that there can be valuable lessons to be learned contemplating the past and it can be wise to spend at least some time planning for the future.

    On a more objective level, however, that may not be the case. The NOVA episode "The Fabric of the Cosmos: The Illusion of Time," for example, seems to me to be agreeing with the ancient Sarvastivadin idea of past, present, and future phenomena being simultaneously present or existing from the point of view of modern physics (an idea that's highly contested by some Buddhist schools, especially Theravada), or as Albert Einstein put it, that "the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."

    Who knows, maybe the Sarvastivadins (along with Parmenides and the Eleatics) had it right after all.
    Zero
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    The three times: past, present, and future are dependently co-arisen. Since that is the case there is no essence to any of them including the now.

    The now or 'the Watcher' is just a layer of conceptual thought.
    pegembaraCittaZero
  • pegembarapegembara Veteran
    edited January 2014
    Without remembering the past, one cannot plan for the future. Yet the past can be the cause of pain and a barrier to a happier future. It's a double-edged sword.

    One should not live in the moment at all times. The Buddha advised not dwelling (living) in the past or future. In fact there is not even a "now".
    "And how, monks, does one chase after the past? One gets carried away with the delight of 'In the past I had such a form (body)'... 'In the past I had such a feeling'... 'In the past I had such a perception'... 'In the past I had such a thought-fabrication'... 'In the past I had such a consciousness.' This is called chasing after the past.

    "And how does one not chase after the past? One does not get carried away with the delight of 'In the past I had such a form (body)'... 'In the past I had such a feeling'... 'In the past I had such a perception'... 'In the past I had such a thought-fabrication'... 'In the past I had such a consciousness.' This is called not chasing after the past.

    "And how does one place expectations on the future? One gets carried away with the delight of 'In the future I might have such a form (body)'... 'In the future I might have such a feeling'... 'In the future I might have such a perception'... 'In the future I might have such a thought-fabrication'... 'In the future I might have such a consciousness.' This is called placing expectations on the future.

    "And how does one not place expectations on the future? One does not get carried away with the delight of 'In the future I might have such a form (body)'... 'In the future I might have such a feeling'... 'In the future I might have such a perception'... 'In the future I might have such a thought-fabrication'... 'In the future I might have such a consciousness.' This is called not placing expectations on the future.

    "And how is one taken in with regard to present qualities? ..........
    http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.131.than.html
    Jeffrey
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    betaboy said:

    The mind creates all kinds of scenarios and makes us act according to some imagined reality.

    But they happen in the now too, don't they?
  • footiamfootiam Veteran
    betaboy said:

    I know this sounds like cliche, but there is only now. But there is more to it. We often project into the future. This is a bigger problem than thinking about the past, because at least the past really happened. But the future hasnt even arrived yet, so speculation/imagination is more dangerous than brooding over the past.

    So the real obstacle to the now is the future ..... Past also, but only to an extent. The mind creates all kinds of scenarios and makes us act according to some imagined reality. This destroys the power of now.

    The past would not be an obstacle if you'd use it as a lesson, a yardstick to plan your path to the future. The present could be an obstacle if you are not living the life.
  • LiiLii Explorer
    how said:

    @Betaboy
    Thinking of the past or future is innately benign when all the other sense gates are given equal status.
    It is only where a dominance of one sense gate (in this case, a thinking mind) obscures the incoming data from the other sense gates (sight, hearing, smelling, tasting & body awareness), that actually becoming isolated from the present becomes possible.

    I think this is true in daily activities as in formal meditation.


    This is a very good way to explain it. Thank you.
  • lamaramadingdonglamaramadingdong Veteran
    All we have is now, just like it's always been and ever will be.
    Vastmind
  • lobsterlobster Veteran
    There is only now
    :)
    What and how can we know, what there only is?
    The experience of being in the zone, here and now, very nice thank you . . .
    is a jhana/samadhi experience. Not that uncommon.

    Can you remove the experiencer from the Now?
    'Not now' of course . . . :orange:
    how
  • LiiLii Explorer
    Well, all we can experience or actually have is not only now. We experience and have all in our past. We can only behave in the present. The good and bad of it is that we have the past to help determine the behavior. This is why we have objects of meditation to make determinations of how we will behave in the present.
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