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A quote from Thanissaro.
jll
Veteran
just found this recently. makes a lot of sense to me. what about you?
"Some people complain about the Buddha’s teachings on past lives and future lives, that
they’re a distraction from the present, but when he talks about past lives and
future lives he keeps coming down to the principle of kamma: that all the past,
all the future—everything—is shaped by your choices.
Okay, what choices are you responsible for right now? The ones in the present moment. He gives you
the teachings on what shapes the past and future in order to bring you back to
the present with an even greater sense of its importance." - Thanissaro Bhikkhu
4
Comments
Ultimately it all boils down to choices.
Skillful choices? Unskillful choices? You are responsible. It's up to you. Moment by moment. Every second of your life.
Your life is a mess? Your life is fantastic? How did you help create it? And if it does not depend on you (seemingly, at least), what can you do about it? How do you choose to react to it?
No past, no future, rather: 'What can I do now? How can I live a better life now? How can I make a better life for others now?'
Never give in to despair. Never give up your responsibility and blame someone else. Just sit down, breathe in, breathe out, and think hard.
You can always come up with an alternative. Here and now.