<p>Sayings often speak volumes. One of them goes, ‘There are two days one can’t do anything about – yesterday and tomorrow’. It is clear enough that ‘yesterday’ refers to the past and ‘tomorrow’ stands for the future.</p>.<p>This is so because the past is gone and nothing can be done to change it; the future, on the other hand, is yet to come and is completely unknown. What we have is the ‘present’ and therefore we should make every effort to make it useful and worthwhile.</p>.<p>By and large, it must be said, that most of us cling to the past, bring it alive in our minds, wallowing in it at times. This is specially so if we have been misunderstood, abused or otherwise treated badly. It needs strict discipline to look only at positive moments and take courage and encouragement from them. Others immerse themselves in building a rosy future. They become workaholics, are busy making money, even though they have to ride roughshod over others They do not realize that their plans can backfire without any warning.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The past and the future are only inventions. Both of them are quite out of reach and neither can be changed. We are left with what we call the ‘present’. What, however, is the ‘present’? The Dalai Lama has answered this question with characteristic simplicity and beauty. He has pointed out that when we are able to think of the present, it has already become the past and when we think about a point of time even slightly ahead, it is the future. We may reduce this difference into very small units like nanoseconds, but it still remains the future.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Going by this logic, we are forced to conclude that there is no ‘present’. <br />In terms that are perfectly logical, there is only ‘timelessness’.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those who claim that they are living in and for the present are actually living in ‘timelessness’. They do not care about the past, or the future and indeed even the present. They live in uprightness; they value the opportunity that they have to live Life honorably. They raise themselves from the worries of the past, present and the future. For them, the ‘present’ is indeed a great gift! </p>
<p>Sayings often speak volumes. One of them goes, ‘There are two days one can’t do anything about – yesterday and tomorrow’. It is clear enough that ‘yesterday’ refers to the past and ‘tomorrow’ stands for the future.</p>.<p>This is so because the past is gone and nothing can be done to change it; the future, on the other hand, is yet to come and is completely unknown. What we have is the ‘present’ and therefore we should make every effort to make it useful and worthwhile.</p>.<p>By and large, it must be said, that most of us cling to the past, bring it alive in our minds, wallowing in it at times. This is specially so if we have been misunderstood, abused or otherwise treated badly. It needs strict discipline to look only at positive moments and take courage and encouragement from them. Others immerse themselves in building a rosy future. They become workaholics, are busy making money, even though they have to ride roughshod over others They do not realize that their plans can backfire without any warning.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The past and the future are only inventions. Both of them are quite out of reach and neither can be changed. We are left with what we call the ‘present’. What, however, is the ‘present’? The Dalai Lama has answered this question with characteristic simplicity and beauty. He has pointed out that when we are able to think of the present, it has already become the past and when we think about a point of time even slightly ahead, it is the future. We may reduce this difference into very small units like nanoseconds, but it still remains the future.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Going by this logic, we are forced to conclude that there is no ‘present’. <br />In terms that are perfectly logical, there is only ‘timelessness’.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those who claim that they are living in and for the present are actually living in ‘timelessness’. They do not care about the past, or the future and indeed even the present. They live in uprightness; they value the opportunity that they have to live Life honorably. They raise themselves from the worries of the past, present and the future. For them, the ‘present’ is indeed a great gift! </p>
