Do Not Grasp Flowing Time; Rest in Wakefulness
We often say that the past has already gone and the future has not yet come, so we should live well in this present moment. These words are a great help in daily life, because they keep us from being pulled along by worry and regret and help us care for the body and mind of now.
Yet if we look a little more deeply, even this present moment is not something fixed that we can hold. Even in the moment we call it now, it has already flowed on, and another instant follows.
From a Buddhist view, past, future, and present are not seen as absolute entities. Time and space too may be concepts that the mind grasps and sets up; when seen deeply, all things are empty and ceaselessly changing.
This does not mean we should neglect our life today. Rather, while caring well for body and mind in each moment, we need awakened awareness that does not grasp even that moment.
Today too, try setting down for a while regret over the past, worry about the future, and even attachment to the name present. May this be a day of looking into a quiet mind that is not shaken within flowing time, an awakened mind.
Because the past has passed and the future has not yet come, it is important to care well for now. Yet looking more deeply, even this present moment is not fixed and keeps flowing. Rather than grasping past, future, and present, may this be a day of resting in the awakened mind that notices the whole flow.
