Now

Yutang Lin

Staying in the present, not knowing what to do;
Only when guided by Bodhi will it go through.
Past and Future are not periods we can cut off;
Concurrence of all periods is harmony realized.

Comment:

Some Buddhists would emphasize "Now." However, due to lack of understanding of what to do if one were to stay in the present, it is usually very difficult for common people to accept this. In order to return to direct experiences of the totality at the present, ordinary people still need to rely on aspirations and activities that are guided by Bodhi so as to gradually escape from the bushes of sorrows.

Emphases on "Now" could go to the extreme of denying Past and Future, and becoming complacent with staying in the transient rest and peace of a brief moment. Now is not an instant as set apart and defined by concepts, rather it contains the continuous and uninterruptible Past, Present and Future. Furthermore, it cannot be limited by the concepts of past, present and future, but directly transcends the framework of Time and Space, and returns to the original limitless-oneness.

Written in Chinese on October 20, 2002
Translated on October 30, 2002
El Cerrito, California

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