Not being caught in the past or the future Dharma Talk by Thich Nhat Hanh, 07/26/2014

There is the habitual energy to run in all of us. We tend to run towards the future in search of happiness, peace and fulfillment. Many of us get caught up in our regrets and sorrows about the past. You may have suffered a lot when you were a child, when you were young. The mark of suffering is very deep within us and there is a dark corner in our consciousness. The memory of suffering is stored there. In our daily lives, we tend to go back and watch the movie again and again. We experience the suffering of the past again and again. We know that it is not good to go back to the past and experience the same kind of suffering over and over again, but it has become a habit. The past becomes a kind of prison. We are trapped in it and we are not able to come out and be in the present moment, to get in touch with the sun, the blue sky and the wonders of life. We are not free. There must be a way out of this prison. Practicing mindfulness can help us.

Many of us also tend to race toward the future. We have a lot of fear and uncertainty about the future. We are gripped by the energy of fear, uncertainty and worry. The future also becomes a prison. We are so preoccupied with the future, we worry about the future and we are not able to live in the present moment. The blue sky, the beautiful hills, the trees, the flowers, the sun, the children, all the wonders are there in the present moment.

In fact, life is only available here and now. The past is already over and the future is not yet here. Life is only available in the present moment. It's very clear.

Practicing mindfulness helps us not to get caught up in the past or the future and to live deeply in the present moment. We need freedom to live our lives, free from sorrows and regrets about the past, as well as worries and uncertainties about the future. Practicing mindful breathing and walking can help us be free.

When we practice walking meditation, we cannot walk too fast or too slow. While inhaling, you can take two or three steps. Each step brings us back to the here and now. I have arrived, I am at home. Joy and love are possible. Breathing in, I take a step and arrive here and now. As I exhale, I am at home, at home. With every step we arrive at the Kingdom of God.

We can use words to help us practice walking meditation:

I have arrived, I am at home.
Here Now.
I am solid, I am free.
Ultimately, I live.

(This is the first Dharma talk given by Thay for the 4th week of the 2014 Summer Retreat at Plum Village.)

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