SPIRITUAL: LIVING FOR NOW

There is no 'problem' as such in getting excited about the future, but it is a bit like playing a broken record. We're always getting excited about the future. We're always looking for that quick fix to make us happy. I'm writing this on a Saturday night (I have lots of work to do) and I'm already thinking about my parents coming over to my house tomorrow.

Just think about all the quick-fixes for happiness or entertainment we have in our lives that we wait for. This is just a short list but there are many more things that we commonly look forward to:

Sex / Porn
Holidays
Meeting Friends
Fridays
Weddings
Births

There is nothing wrong with any of these, and nothing wrong with the nature of looking forward to things. I'm sure you all agree that it's nice to know enjoyable events are coming up in our schedule. The thing is, once this event we've been looking forward to is upon us, we're already on the lookout for the next one; the next high.

Once the baby is born, we look forward to the Christening or Birthdays
Once it's Friday we can't wait until Saturday to hit the beach


If you look closely at your current life situation, you'll probably be able to relate to the points above. If you're 'lucky,' it's also likely that you have some awesome event that just can't come soon enough. Chances are though – just like the examples above – once it has arrived, your attention won't be there to enjoy it.

I don't think anybody could say this better than Zen Buddhist, Thich Nhat Hanh:

In the United States, I have a close friend named Jim Forest.  When I first met him eight years ago, he was working with the Catholic Peace Fellowship.  Last winter, Jim came to visit.  I usually wash the dishes after we've finished the evening meal, before sitting down and drinking tea with everyone else.  One night, Jim asked if he might do the dishes.  I said, “Go ahead, but if you wash the dishes you must know the way to wash them.” Jim replied, “Come on, you think I don't know how to wash the dishes?” I answered, “There are two ways to wash the dishes.  The first is to wash the dishes in order to have clean dishes and the second is to wash the dishes to wash the dishes.”  Jim was delighted and said, “I choose the second way–to wash the dishes to wash the dishes.”  From then on, Jim knew how to wash the dishes.  I transferred the “responsibility” to him for an entire week.

If while washing dishes, we think only of the cup of tea that awaits us, thus hurrying to get the dishes out of the way as if they were a nuisance, then we are not “washing the dishes to  wash the dishes.”  What's more, we are not alive during the time we are washing the dishes. In fact, we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life while standing at the sink. If we can't wash the dishes, the chances are we won't be able to drink our tea either.  While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands.  Thus we are sucked away into the future and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life.