presence

[kamalamala1]

Dear Hari
I was just thinking how to manage to live in present moment ,and find out several problems.
First of all since i am responsible for many things i have to plan for future and for planning i have to analyse the experience of past.
So it s mean that past have value and future also should be planed, but usually i read in some books many times that one should not care about future and past for living in present moment,i think that like that only can live either really renounced person or completely irresponsible one.
Can you say your opinion how one should live in presence simultaneously taking care for future and not neglecting past?

[Hari]

I disagree that one should not care about the future. To not care about the future means to live without making a plan, without any consideration of one's economy, or what one eats, what one does, who one hurts and so on. Even animals are better than a person who has no plan or concern for the future.

When I truly live in the present, the past resides within each successive moment. I am continuously the sum total of all my experiences. My experiences reside within the present and thus my stock of building blocks with which I can take my next step, make my next act, or discover my next experience, ever increases. If I were to neglect my past experiences, I would be foolish. A person who previously felt pain when touching fire yet touches it again anyway, will probably suffer again and again in life because they cannot learn from their experiences.

When I am aware of the world around me and strive to find the best way through life's complexities, I will continuously endeavor to make the best choices I can. These choices determine the course of my life. I choose to act according to the ideals I hold dear and thus I create an increasingly superior version of myself and my world. Whether or not the future turns out to be what I think it should is not totally up to me. Even though I may act as if I am in control of what I create, I should know full well I am not. Regardless, I strive to do what is right and aim for the best result. Whether I am attached to the course of events or not depends on my consciousness. If I get what I thought I should, fine, and if not, I shall deal with that.

This is superior to not caring, both for myself and for those I care about.

[Vajra]

Dear Hari but in this regard
farmore questions arising .
One should care about future as you said and i agree, but future is not only this life, this life only 100 year, future is also after so called death/.
WE really dont know much about after death period althought we read many books. Should we care for us and our dependants about that period of existance and how we can do that in the best way?

[Hari]

Awareness comprises both the experience of the moment and the possible future consequences of our choices and acts.

A person living in ever present existence is not bound by death. His or her consideration of the future is not limited to one lifetime. Considering this, if you love and care for someone, you will love and care for them continually. True love is not lost simply because the body looks different in your subsequent lives. You do not cut all ties to people when you change your body. These connections always remain. How they manifest in the future depends on our fate and plan.

The best way to care for those you love is to always do what you think is best. Act with care and make choices considering all the factors you can. More than this you cannot do. Give your loved ones the tools for them to build their own lives while living in their awareness of the moment and their own future.

[kamalamala1]

Thank you dear Hari
for your answer
Continuing this isue i want to note that actually as i understand all modern "jass" about living in present moment is just to not continuously lament for mistakes and faults and not live in the future dreams forgetting about beauty of present moment. Otherwise one should plan his life and make goals as everybody does.If i proparly understand.
But still a question arise should we make goals for after death period i mean let say the goal to go to spiritual world or heaven ?or it is better
to find the spiritual world or heaven just now in present moment and that all without any goals to go there in future,?

[Hari]

Oh am I replying late! So sorry. Big work here, no time, exhausted and no brain power to reply, but your question is easy!

or it is better
to find the spiritual world or heaven just now in present moment and that all without any goals to go there in future,?

Yup! Because if you do not get it together right now, you are not going to get anything better later on!

[kamalamala1]

Great explanation of this topic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuzaAaFlMN0#t=117