--- In [email protected], akasha_108 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > [comments out of original order] > > Being In the Present: > > > But neither 'better' nor 'worse' has ANYTHING to do > > with enlightenment. Enlightenment, as I understand it, > > revolves around that magic word that keeps coming up > > in Tom's writing here -- appreciation. If one is > > capable of appreciating one's own eternal nature, > > eternity is present in every moment, right here, > > right Now. > > > Thoughts of Past and Future: > > > Maybe. This is a source of endless fascination for > > me, this longing in spiritual traditions for either > > the future ("Everything will be rosy when <supply > > your own 'when' here>") or the past ("If only things > > were as rosy as they were <again, supply your own > > 'when' here>"). It seems completely contradictory > > to the experience of living in the Now that has been > > presented as one of the primary characteristics of > > life in enlightenment. > > Can one have thoughts and/or maintain activity when absorbed > in the present? If so, does the content of the thought matter? > Does the content of "past" or "future", or any thought content, > affect the ones degree of absorbsion in Now?
The issue I'm talking about is not having sporadic thoughts about the future; I would assume that the enlightened have such thoughts. :-) What I'm speaking about is *focus*, the *predominant* nature of one's thoughts, the ones that occupy the mind the most. Think of it in terms of this board -- certain people have certain themes that they talk about over and over and over and over and over. Those are the things they focus on in life. The *focus* that they give these thoughts is what makes the difference, IMO. Someone else could have the same thoughts and they're no big deal for them; they just come and they go. But when the thoughts tend *not* to go, and come up over and over and over and over and over again, then IMO the issue of focus comes into play. Focus is a big thing in Buddhist thought, because it is assumed that one has a *choice* in what to focus on. One is not a victim to one's thoughts or their content; one has the ability to choose which thoughts to entertain and which to ignore as unproductive. In general, *dwelling* on either the past or the future is viewed as unproductive. What is seen as most pro- ductive are thoughts of how to act -- right here, right now -- in such a manner as to *create* the desired future. Spending a lot of time thinking about the desired future is not the same thing as acting to bring it about. Right? Also, there is the issue of *attachment* to the desired future. If the "rosy future" is seen as so strong a goal that one puts off enjoyment of the present until the goal is achieved, then IMO such a focus can also be seen as unproductive. For example, all know people who believe that they won't be happy until they're enlightened. And, as such a focus tends to be self-fulfilling, they're not. :-) > Can one be full of thoughts about the present and not be > absorbed in Now? Absolutely. It's called the state of ignorance. :-) > > And as such, it's not really about a dream for a > > "better world." It IS that, of course, but at the > > same time it's a rejection of the *current* world, > > a kind of attachment to the way things "should" be, > > as opposed to an acceptance of and appreciation for > > Things As They Are. > > Are you diminished when having the thought that some > people a reject the *current* world, and have a kind > of attachment to the way things "should" be? Nope. I think that sometimes the people who *are* attached to the way things "should" be are diminished by that focus, however. > Are you absorbed in the present when having this thought? Since my answer was Nope, this question is irrelevant. :-) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
