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When we come across the phrase “The Three Times” while
reading contemporary translations of
ancient Buddhist texts,
what are they talking about?
The three times are:
#1 Past,
#2 Present and
#3 Future.
In the ancient Madhyamaka Shastras of Nagarjuna we
read that one really can not occupy either the past or
the future but only the present moment.
Of course we have the capacity to recall or
even confabulate the past that
we might learn, and
like wise, we have the ability to
imagine the future of either our dreams or nightmares, that
we may plan accordingly.
Are these necessarily bad things?
Of course not; it
depends on how they’re used.
Our resistance to move forward can
be directly proportional to both our lust for the past and
our dread of the future.
In the movie “Strange Days” the
leading lady explains to the protagonist who’s
squandering his present,
by obsessing about the past, that,
Our greatest fulfillment is NOT found in
the past’s glories or tragedies, nor
in our future’s pleasures or torments, but
in what we do with THIS present moment.
Can you remain centered, in this moment, even
when memories assail you?
Can you be resourceful, in the here and now, even
while planning for your future.
Nope, Buddha is not the fiend Hannibal Lector, who
wishes to remove the top Ray Liotta’s skull that
he may feed upon his brains.
Come, let us not confuse Shakyamuni or Gautama with
Hannibal Buddha who
wishes to dine upon our
recall or anticipation.
Buddha does NOT invite us to perform a home lobotomy, so
put down the running power drill, and
no one will get hurt.
What then are we to do with our natural capacity to
recall and plan?
Are they our foes?
Must we arm ourselves against them as
Homer J. Simpson would fend off his common sense?
No, not so much.
Come let us simply notice when they assert themselves.
Rather than fight or indulge them, let’s
bring them into the paths of:
• Devotion,
• Awareness,
• Compassion and
• Letting-go.
Come let us consider this process:
#1) – First, the spears of recall or anticipation pierce the
sphere of our perception {awareness}.
#2a) – if the memories or fantasies are painful then we
apply our teachers instructions and
invoke the Buddha of Compassion {devotion} to
take away other’s similar sufferings {compassion}.
For instance, if our memory fills us with anger then we
metaphysically take away other’s anger and it’s causes.
#2b) – if the memories or fantasies are pleasurable, we can
use the teachings and invocations to
give that pleasure to others {love}.
If our fantasies bring us joy then we
can use Buddhas mental-yoga to
lavish all others with vast amounts of
joy and it’s causes.
#3 we can then use Buddha’s wisdom practices to
deconstruct the memories or fantasies and truly let-go of them {wisdom}.
And that, my friends, is how we coexist with the past and future with out
allowing them to pull us off our center;
that is how we can actually use the past and future to
reinforce our present moment application of Buddha’s yoga of mind.
When could you learn his techniques?
You could register now .
May you and yours be
happy and healthy!
Om Mani Padme Hum,
NON-sectarian Buddhist: Monk, Teacher, Healer and Tantrika
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