Novice Buddhism and Daoism Questions

[LoneTiger108]

I just wanted to say hi and to commend the contributions made on this thread as I think most practitioners of any Chinese Martial Art will be aware of this subject matter. Especially if they have learnt from within a Chinese 'family'. It is a relief to actually find a discussion of any sort within this Forum.

I'm a Wing Chun student too, and I was kinda drawn into Taoism through constant contact with my Sifu and my own personal questions on life. As a Martial Artist I feel that the alchemic approach to studying our physical transformation is paramount to our overall understanding of what it 'is' we actually do with our chosen art/s. Spiritually, I have seen massive improvements in some students, but not many.

Personally, I'm not so keen on any 'worship' practices and my daily 'ritual' is interrupted far too much with work for me to take on anything too seriously. Although I have to say I didn't have a fiancee and 2 kiddies when I was studying with Sifu...

[couch]

The kiddies and family sure make the difference in everything in life. It really humbles me and makes me realize it's not about me. It's about them. And it is a constant mind-battle to make myself understand it's not their time...it's part of my time as well.

Question for all:
As Buddhist, etc practices go - is there any use for the past?

Eckhart Tolle talks a lot about how there is no past and future - only now. I get it and I actually use this idea and certain tools to overcome my own anxieties and fears...but is there any use for the past at all?

Unfortunately, reminiscing (I feel) often has "shoulda/coulda" energy around it which can bring a person down or bring up other emotions.

Just wondering. Some layman interpretations would be appreciated!

Best,
Kenton Sefcik

[Scott R. Brown]

The kiddies and family sure make the difference in everything in life. It really humbles me and makes me realize it's not about me. It's about them. And it is a constant mind-battle to make myself understand it's not their time...it's part of my time as well.

Question for all:
As Buddhist, etc practices go - is there any use for the past?

Eckhart Tolle talks a lot about how there is no past and future - only now. I get it and I actually use this idea and certain tools to overcome my own anxieties and fears...but is there any use for the past at all?

Unfortunately, reminiscing (I feel) often has "shoulda/coulda" energy around it which can bring a person down or bring up other emotions.

Just wondering. Some layman interpretations would be appreciated!

Best,
Kenton Sefcik

Hi Kenton,

Past and future are a part of the world system we live in. There are serious negative consequences to avoiding reflecting on the past and planning for the future. It isn’t that we should avoid being concerned with the past or the future it is that we should avoid attachment and preoccupation with the past and the future. Constant worrying about what has past and what may come robs from us the experience of where we ARE at the moment, but total unconcern would be foolish! If we avoided thoughts of the past we could never learn anything. All knowledge would have to be relearned with each person and the lessons we learn in this life would have to be constantly relearned.

Can you imagine having to relearn that fire burns over and over and over again? Teachings of any kind including the teachings of Buddha could not be learned if we avoided awareness of the past. One of the goals of Buddha was to assist others in “reaching the other shore”. He taught others in order to assist them in this process. This demonstrates Buddha’s concern for the future. If he had no concern for the future he would not have taught anything to anyone.

When we let go of our preoccupation with the errors of our past, or even the successes of our past, it frees up emotional energy and unloads emotional burdens we carry with us. That energy then becomes available for more productive uses.

When we plan for the future we provide ourselves with a purpose to work towards and we plan for a means of achieving that purpose. If I choose to learn the martial arts that is a purpose to work towards in order to achieve a perceived benefit in the future. However, if I have an unreasonable attachment to that goal I may miss out on other important experiences in life or I may feel unduly burdened should obstacles get in my way. The future always remains malleable due to unforeseeable circumstances. It provides a benefit, when we set a goal, to allow for some flexibility, that is, to avoid being overly attached to achieving the goal in a firmly defined manner. Then, when obstacles occur that interfere with our goals, we are better prepared to navigate our way around the obstacle as opposed to wasting energy fretting over the obstacle.

This is just a general recommendation however. For those who choose to succeed in their field of choice to a very high caliber a certain amount of focus and sacrifice is generally necessary. High caliber athletes and actors tend to fall into this category of person. The question becomes, is the sacrifice worth the overall benefits gained in the end. This determination is a highly personal decision. What is worth it to one person is not necessarily worth it to another.

Past and future exist within a specific context and should be appreciated according to their proper contexts, but as with most things moderation is generally the best method of approaching anything, having said that, it is also of benefit to approach the maxim, “Moderation in all things” or as the Buddhists say, “Follow the Middle Way” with moderation as well. Therefore, at times it may be appropriate to overdo it! To truly be moderate in all things we must accept that overdoing it at times is part of being moderate; we must also be moderate in being moderate.

It is also important to consider that to worry over the past or to be preoccupied with the future may have something to teach us that we would not learn had we never done so. When we feel burdened by the experience it is a sign that we may want to change the manner in which we approach the past and/or the future.

Nothing in our past is entirely bad if we learn something from it that will benefit our future. Just remember that where you always ARE is RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!! That means every NOW moment is actually a fresh start. There is no reason to burden yourself with your past or feel discouraged about your future. However, to avoid reflecting about them at all is not necessary.

[mantis108]

I believe the 'here and now' does not refer to the empirical spatial-temporal continuum, which we are a part of, per se. It would seem the person who used the term 'here and now' in question did not clarify (may be he did and we didn't realize it from the post) that it is logical not empirical when we try to approach it from a philosophical or rational POV. So I agreed with Scott that the context should be clearly stated when using the term. Having said that it is important to remember that Buddhism is not just philosophical in nature, it has solid grasp of empirical behavioral practice of 'here and now' that is mystical in nature. In a way, the philosophy and the practice are one and the same. This is the reason that many people tend to blend the philosophical with the empirical usage of the term but it's usually cause more confusion then being helpful. So we must be clear that in what sense are we referring of the "here and now." Otherwise, we aren't really helpful to those who seek the wisdom of Buddhism.

Just a thought.

Mantis108