Thought and Memory

~ By Ajahn Jayasāro ~

We sometimes hear that we should let go of the past, let go of the future, and dwell in the present moment. In fact, we have no choice in the matter. The present moment is all that we have ever had and ever will have. During our long wanderings in samsāra the present moment has been the only constant. In our direct experience the past is simply a memory arising and passing away in the present moment, and the future a presently arising thought.

Our tasks as meditators is then not so much to let go of attachments to the past and future, as to attachments to memory and imagination. Thought and memory are part of nature and play indispensable roles in life and learning. But it is easy to become entangled by them. Dhamma practice emphasises knowing memory as memory, thought as thought, as they occur. We learn how to see the space around them, into which they arise and fall. By doing so we can become the master of memory and thought, rather than their playthings.

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"Food for the Heart", a series of Dhamma teachings handwritten weekly is posted on the Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives page with Ajahn's kind permission.

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For other teachings by Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro, please visit the Panyaprateep Foundation website.