James Wood:
“Resisting what happens now is stress. Accepting what happens now is peace. Although what flows through the Now changes constantly, the Now is identical to consciousness – the Great Space in which all things live, move and have their being…
The past is not a problem unless you live in it. Living in the past means you derive a sense of self from past events, such as family history. Anything in the past is not the essence of who you are. If you find yourself dwelling on painful memories, you are giving them a power that they don’t have. Of course, like a physical wound, emotional wounds take time to heal. If you lose a loved one, grieving is natural and appropriate. In the awakened state, you grieve; you just don’t derive a sense of self from it. Feelings pass through you, but you don’t judge them.
Another way to live in the past is to indulge in fantasies about pleasurable past events, reliving scenarios that have already happened over and over again because there is an emotional payoff, but not enduring satisfaction, in doing so. If you do this you are perpetuating your suffering.
Living in the future usually takes the form of anxiety or hopefulness. Either one of these is a form of pain. Anxiety usually turns out to be unfounded, and hopefulness at best leads to a gratified desire that quickly fades.”
– from Ten Paths to Freedom by James Wood
Svaha 