Repartee of the Wise

In a question and answer session, a disciple asked Hazur: “How much capacity do we have in planning our future? Is it set for us when we’re born?”

Hazur replied: “We have only one future: to go back to the Father. There’s no other future.”
_{Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. III}

The Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh describes enjoying a good cup of tea. You must be in the present moment, mindful and aware, to enjoy the tea, to savour the sweet aroma, to taste the flavour, to feel the warmth of the cup. If you are ruminating about past events or worrying about future ones, you will look down at your cup and the tea will be gone. You drank it, but you do not remember, because you were not aware. Life is like that cup of tea.

Live in the present, not the past or the future. The past is over; learn from it and let it go. The future is not yet here. Plan for it, but do not worry. Worry only wastes your time and energy.

When you are not experiencing the present, when you are absorbed in the past or worried about the future, you bring great heartache and grief to yourself.
_{Brian Weiss, Messages from the Masters}