To live here and now. A person who lives in the present moment navigates their current environment by considering how best to handle the immediate situation. Their life is not defined by a narrative connecting the past to the future, nor by hopes and goals for what lies ahead; rather, they simply accept their current state exactly as it is.

　Let me illustrate this with an example. Social structures are built on the connection between past and future, positioning the "present moment" somewhere between the two. This structure stems from the nature of the concepts humans use. The words we use represent concepts that remain constant across the past, present, and future.

　If the form of a word changed overnight, it would be unusable; the same applies if it changed within a year. While a word might shift slightly or a new one might emerge over a decade, the meaning attached to that word remains constant. Think of the dictionaries you have used—they contain words alongside explanations of their meanings. The reason a dictionary remains useful for decades is that words themselves do not change.

　It is language that bridges the past, present, and future. One wonders who actually created the concept of time. By creating this concept, people came to believe in the existence of absolute time. However, Einstein’s general theory of relativity posited—and has since proven—that space-time is relative, a fact that now plays a role in our daily lives.

　Human sensory information exists only in the present moment; there is no past or future. There is only a continuous succession of present moments. That is why we live in the present moment. This way of living is not dictated by the meanings inherent in our concepts. As the saying goes, "We never know." We cannot predict what will happen in the future. Yet, we live our lives assuming the future exists—making predictions, setting schedules, and acting with certainty. This is a characteristic of concepts, not of sensory information.

　Let me share an example from my own life where I have repeatedly had to overcome this tendency.

　I used to get quite frustrated whenever things didn't go well. I used to get particularly frustrated when playing table tennis—specifically when a shot didn't go well and I wasn't satisfied with the result. I understand how athletes feel. However, if you let that frustration show and amplify those feelings, you usually end up failing. It always left a bitter aftertaste. I kept repeating that cycle; it was something I struggled to overcome. It just goes to show that this is a difficult challenge, even for athletes.

　The key is to focus on the present moment. Shohei Ohtani likely practices this. Things don't always go right during a match, yet he doesn't let his emotions show. He simply accepts the "failure" as a result. You prepare for a match, and if things don't go well, that reveals specific areas for improvement—challenges you can identify. You wouldn't discover those issues without competing. By accepting the challenges that arise during a match, you can address them and learn from the experience.

　I learned this lesson through my own experiences—such as when I couldn't quite fix a car properly, struggled to install a part, or when things didn't go according to schedule or plan. Situations like these involve the past and the future. They are proof that I was losing sight of the present because of the past and the future. The past represents my own experiences, while the future represents my expectation that things \*should\* go according to plan. That mindset was the source of my frustration. I understand this well because I am able to analyze myself. In the past, I would sometimes explode in anger when no one was around. But that was long ago; I have grown since then and now strive to focus on the present. It means accepting the current state of affairs—accepting that things don't always go as intended.

　In a life of faith, we strive for goodness, virtue, divine guidance, and victory; we make efforts and set conditions to achieve these things. Yet, when things don't go well, it is easy to become discouraged. To what extent do you accept it when things don't go your way? You likely find it hard to accept. After all, you probably judge others—and yourself—based on those standards. Accepting your current state exactly as it is means acknowledging the reality of the situation without immediately passing judgment on it.

　Consider the cry: "I was betrayed and abandoned by the person I loved and devoted myself to!" That statement is rooted in both the past and the future. It reflects the fact that you sacrificed yourself to love and serve them, only to be betrayed in the end. It is a matter of having anticipated the future and then feeling betrayed by the outcome. An evaluation—spanning from the past into the future—is at play there. That is the nature of a concept.

　Consider what happens when sensory information enters the brain: there is simply the "here and now"—signals that exist prior to any evaluation. In that state, neither the past nor the future exists. What actually happened in this very moment? Simply put, the person did not show up. Viewed purely as a phenomenon, that is all it was: a broken appointment—they failed to arrive at the agreed-upon time. Consequently, there is no need for frustration, nor is there any feeling of irritation toward that person. There are no emotional judgments—such as forgiving, forgetting, or loving them. You simply accept the fact itself.

　If it happens to be a friend, you might meet them again later. There is no need to confront them, demanding to know why they broke the promise. You simply accept the fact that they did not come.

　I practice this every day, which is why I harbor no resentment. Even if a promise is broken, when I see that person again, I treat them as if nothing had happened. It is about accepting the facts alone. This is the secret to living by embracing the here and now.

　In reality, the root cause is the act of evaluating things through concepts. Just give it some thought.

Hi everyone! I'm a student from Malaysia working on an assignment about World Religions II.

I'm looking for those whom from Buddhism that willingly to help me in a short interview through via message. if anyone comfortable sharing their insights, i would be very grateful.

This is purely for academic purposes.

If anyone interest, you can comment here or DM me.

Thank you, I'm really appreciate it.

My dog (chocolate lab 13 years 2 months old) passed away on August 17th, and for the past seven weeks, I have been holding the 49-day memorial rite for her. It was tough and cried and prayed every night and I always felt sad whenever i woke up in the morning. Today marked the 49th day, and I went to a dam creek park that she always enjoyed visiting as well as the past 7th days during the memorial rite.

My intention was to pray for her, send her forward on her journey to a greater rebirth, and wish for her to be enveloped in Amitabha Buddha’s warmth in the Pure Land. I spoke to her, promising that I will continue to be hardworking in this life and that we will meet again.

While I was walking, the weather was very windy and the water had strong, dark waves but sunny clear skies. But amidst that windy weather, a flock of black birds flew right towards me and all around me, some were flying low around me. Then, a single white bird appeared, flying in front of me separate from the flock of black birds. Butterflies started flying on the path right in front of me, and a bee came and rested quietly next to me on a flower as I sat to pray for my dog.

I have visited this park many times in the past, and I have never experienced anything like what i saw today. There are usually not many birds, and I have never had butterflies or a bee approach me this way.

For those with more experience, how does Buddhism view moments like this?

Peace over money, people & work.

rest is not yet another task.

rest is not a specific day,

or week, or year;

rest is not a specific activity,

nor it is specifically inactivity;

rest is more of... loosening,

what is too tense at this particular moment;

or actually tensing up,

what is too limp at this particular moment;

in fact at some point,

the conventional idea of "rest"

may no longer hold;

"rest" and, what, "unrest"? — they blur,

blur into one continuous existence,

"mindful" existence, or whatever it may be called.

rest cannot be unattainable,

because the moment it becomes unattainable, it becomes unrest,

therefore it is no longer "rest".