I was the future and shell be the past - I am timeless everlasting Now, so short I have no end, so long I have no duration.
There is inherent special ambiguity about the "present" as an existent, which it does not seam to share with the past or the future. Someone argue that the present has no duration, being simply a surface between past and future, while others talk of it's duration, though they can't agree on what length it ought to have and take specious refuge in a "spacious present". Without paying particular attention to these two views I find the mere fact that they are asserted indicates that the notion is elastic in the minds of other people and so too I find it in my own. Also the "present" seems to me admissible both for "what I am doing now" (extended) and for "what is present to me now" (instantaneous). And the first (subjective) may be "the shortest thought flash conceivable", or "my whole life I am living" or "eternity of past and future in the now". In the last (objective) all temporalization in its three "orthogonal dimensions" of past, future and present "appear present" as follows: the past was (present), the present is (present), the future will be (present), and (this is an important point) all three together eternally may be. Again, concern with the past (taken as probable) gives us historians (and Hegel), concern with the future (taken as possible) gives us scientists, politicians, and astrologers (and Hegel). The Buddha recommends concern with the present in the Bhaddekaratta-sutta, and this is only possible by introspection, which reveals the ambiguity, absurdity and contingency of eternity in time. Again, perhaps , the past is the legitimate field of knowledge (which comprehends), the future is the legitimate field of faith ( faith being ignorant man's instrument for groping beyond where knowledge extents), the present is the legitimate field for describing in terms of 3 times, and for what one hes described. Nanamoli Thera
'I was' is not for me, not for me is 'I shall be';
Determinations will un-be: therein what place for sighs?
Pure arising of things, pure series of determinants—
For one who sees this as it is, chieftain, there is no fear.
There is inherent special ambiguity about the "present" as an existent, which it does not seam to share with the past or the future. Someone argue that the present has no duration, being simply a surface between past and future, while others talk of it's duration, though they can't agree on what length it ought to have and take specious refuge in a "spacious present". Without paying particular attention to these two views I find the mere fact that they are asserted indicates that the notion is elastic in the minds of other people and so too I find it in my own. Also the "present" seems to me admissible both for "what I am doing now" (extended) and for "what is present to me now" (instantaneous). And the first (subjective) may be "the shortest thought flash conceivable", or "my whole life I am living" or "eternity of past and future in the now". In the last (objective) all temporalization in its three "orthogonal dimensions" of past, future and present "appear present" as follows: the past was (present), the present is (present), the future will be (present), and (this is an important point) all three together eternally may be. Again, concern with the past (taken as probable) gives us historians (and Hegel), concern with the future (taken as possible) gives us scientists, politicians, and astrologers (and Hegel). The Buddha recommends concern with the present in the Bhaddekaratta-sutta, and this is only possible by introspection, which reveals the ambiguity, absurdity and contingency of eternity in time. Again, perhaps , the past is the legitimate field of knowledge (which comprehends), the future is the legitimate field of faith ( faith being ignorant man's instrument for groping beyond where knowledge extents), the present is the legitimate field for describing in terms of 3 times, and for what one hes described. Nanamoli Thera
'I was' is not for me, not for me is 'I shall be';
Determinations will un-be: therein what place for sighs?
Pure arising of things, pure series of determinants—
For one who sees this as it is, chieftain, there is no fear.
Theragāthā 715, 716
“When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple has clearly seen with correct wisdom as it really is this dependent arising and these dependently arisenthings , it is impossible that he will run back into the past, thinking: ‘Did I exist in the past? Did I not exist in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been what, what did I become in the past?’ Or that he will run forward into the future, thinking: ‘Will I exist in the future? Will I not exist in the future? What will I be in the future? How will I be in the future? Having been what, what will I become in the future?’ Or that he will now be inwardly confused about the present thus: ‘Do I exist? Do I not exist? What am I? How am I? This being — where has it come from, and where will it go?’ “For what reason ? Because, bhikkhus, the noble disciple has clearly seen with correct wisdom as it really is this dependent arising and these dependently arisen things.” SN 12: 20
Let not a person revive the past
Or on the future build his hopes;
For the past has been left behind
And the future has not been reached.
Instead with insight let him see
Each presently arisen state;
Let him know that and be sure of it,
Invincibly, unshakeably.
Today the effort must be made;
Tomorrow Death may come, who knows?
No bargain with Mortality
Can keep him and his hordes away.
But one who dwells thus ardently,
Relentlessly, by day, by night –
It is he, the Peaceful Sage has said,
Who has one fortunate attachment.”
M 131-134
When the Blessed One was living at Rajagaha, a bhikkhu called Thera lived alone and recommended living alone; he went into the village for alms alone, returned alone, sat in private alone, and walked up and down alone. Then a number of bhikkhus went to the Blessed One and told him about this. The Blessed One sent for him and asked if it was true. He replied that it was. The Blessed One said: "There is that kind of living alone, Thera, I do not say that there is not. Nevertheless, hear how living alone is perfected in detail, and heed well what I shall say."
“When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple has clearly seen with correct wisdom as it really is this dependent arising and these dependently arisenthings , it is impossible that he will run back into the past, thinking: ‘Did I exist in the past? Did I not exist in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been what, what did I become in the past?’ Or that he will run forward into the future, thinking: ‘Will I exist in the future? Will I not exist in the future? What will I be in the future? How will I be in the future? Having been what, what will I become in the future?’ Or that he will now be inwardly confused about the present thus: ‘Do I exist? Do I not exist? What am I? How am I? This being — where has it come from, and where will it go?’ “For what reason ? Because, bhikkhus, the noble disciple has clearly seen with correct wisdom as it really is this dependent arising and these dependently arisen things.” SN 12: 20
Let not a person revive the past
Or on the future build his hopes;
For the past has been left behind
And the future has not been reached.
Instead with insight let him see
Each presently arisen state;
Let him know that and be sure of it,
Invincibly, unshakeably.
Today the effort must be made;
Tomorrow Death may come, who knows?
No bargain with Mortality
Can keep him and his hordes away.
But one who dwells thus ardently,
Relentlessly, by day, by night –
It is he, the Peaceful Sage has said,
Who has one fortunate attachment.”
M 131-134
When the Blessed One was living at Rajagaha, a bhikkhu called Thera lived alone and recommended living alone; he went into the village for alms alone, returned alone, sat in private alone, and walked up and down alone. Then a number of bhikkhus went to the Blessed One and told him about this. The Blessed One sent for him and asked if it was true. He replied that it was. The Blessed One said: "There is that kind of living alone, Thera, I do not say that there is not. Nevertheless, hear how living alone is perfected in detail, and heed well what I shall say."
"Yes, Lord," the venerable
Thera replied. The Blessed One said:
"And how is living alone
perfected in detail? Here, Thera, what is past
is left behind, what
is future is renounced, and lust and desire for the
selfhood
acquired in the present is quite put away. That is how living
alone
is perfected in detail."
So the Blessed One said. The Sublime
One having said this, the
Master said further:
A sagely all-transcender, an
all-knower,
Unsullied in all things, renouncing
all,
By craving's ceasing freed: him do I
call
A man who lives alone and to
perfection.
S. 21:10
Standing there the devata said:
The Lord replied:
Standing there the devata said:
Those living in the forest,
Peaceful and calm, of pure life,
Eating but one meal a day:
How is it they appear so radiant?
They sorrow not for what is past,
They have no longing for the future,
The present is sufficient for them:
Hence it is they appear so radiant.
By having longing for the future,
By sorrowing over what is past,
By this fools are withered up
As a cut down tender reed.
SN 1: 10
