Ever Shifting. . .
To live on this shifting ground, one first needs to stop obsessing about what has happened before and what might happen later. One needs to be more vitally conscious of what is happening now.
This is not to deny the reality of past and future. It is about embarking on a new relationship with the impermanence and temporality of life. Instead of hankering after the past and speculating about the future, one sees the present as the fruit of what has been and the germ of what will be.
The Buddha did not encourage withdrawal to a timeless, mystical now, but an unflinching encounter with the contingent world as it unravels moment to moment. The key, taught the Buddha, lies in not taking our moments, our days and our past and future as concrete moments – they are simply reflections of our personal states and minds at those times. When it it seen as a natural reflection of the chaotic universe of which we are a part, it loses its edge and can become a deeper object of mindfulness.
If we can be open…we find that life’s unpredictability is full of interesting and invigorating challenges. These challenges engage us in unexpected and unanticipated ways and allow for the freedom of unscripted responsiveness. Right Action is more than just a reaction. It springs from tuning in to the moments that have collected to form a life, memories, time – We are much more than such simple concepts. We are in a new world and moment. The sooner we recognize this, the better it will be for all.
Peace and Love, Jim
#evershifting #thedailybuddha
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