Mind exists only in the past. We can also call this mind our ‘ego.‘ This is the place where our false self image is created. We search the past and find who we are. This definition is not a positive, empowering definition either. It is negative and self destructive.

We allow the mind to control our lives by it’s living in the past. Even as we dream of the future this is done with references to the failures of our past.  We wonder why the Law of Attraction disappoints us, let our references and points of attraction are all wrong.

The Only Moment that Matters is this one, right here and now.

Some will say this is an unrealistic view of life. I say the opposite. Looking at the past is unrealistic, it is gone and will not return. If you bury the past, and a great part of the ego with it, you will have a wonderful future.  Mind can only exist in the past. It shuffles though thousands of memories, most of which are inaccurate and distorted.  Even pleasant memories will cause pain and suffering because we want those times to return. All the while life is passing in front of our eyes, but we have a do not disturb sign on our doors.

All the suffering that is being experienced on our planet is the result of poor thinking.  This groups hates that group because you hurt us 500 years ago. Get over it! Wars are created with type of political controlling thinking.  What is the solution? People need to focus on the present.

You cannot be angry in the present. To be angry you must reference a past event. You cannot be depressed in the present either. The only emotion that can be found in the present is joy.  Joy, happiness and contentment need no past references.  So if you empty the mind and let go of the past and therefore the ego who are you? You are awake! You are the same person as always, you are also no one.  What is the most important thing? That you are the CEO of XYZ company, with a million dollar house and a Ferrari? Or that you are happy? Experience will show that EGO Centered People are not happy. But there is great news in this also. You can be CEO of XYZ and have all that, but still live in the present. The difference is you will love the experience!

I am not saying this is easy and does not take work. The resulting change in your life will make it worth while.  As I write this it is not something I am been studying, this is experience. It has changed my life in far less time than I ever imagined.

Whenever we think of freedom the status of our countries come to mind. Living in Canada and and the United States the freedom of the nations is well known. But this is not this freedom I am referring to.

External freedom is one thing, and it is an important thing, but far more important is internal freedom, a freedom that can only come when the mind is the slave and not the master.  For most people on this earth the mind is the master and it is running wild.

You find yourself awakened in the middle of the night with the mind running wild. Sometimes it is going over the events of the previous day, other times it is thinking about an event coming in the future, worse yet it is worrying about this, that or the other thing. Totally undisciplined and out of control.  Yet we allow this to continue, either because we believe it cannot be changed, or we are just too lazy to do it.

Imagine being in a very hot room. The temperature is unbearable.  You go over to the thermostat and turn on the air conditioning. You wait and wait but it just does not seem to be working.  It seems to be getting hotter so you remove some article of clothing and compensate for the temperature increase, you learn to tolerate the conditions. The real solution is to leave the room, and you can always leave the room!

This is just like the way we are with our minds. We learn to tolerate the way things are, then the mind will naturally accelerate it’s behavior and things will be worse again.  The only solution is to quiet the mind and silently take control. Note I am saying silently. You cannot beat the mind into submission, you must dominate it will deliberate thoughts, and not acknowledging the trash thoughts that come into existence.

The mind loves to play VICTIM. Victim almost seems to be it’s natural state. It will reflect on the past to give you a 1000 reasons why the future will be do different. You create a desire in your mind and something inside says “don’t be stupid, you can’t do that. ” The problem is you listen to this mind and not your heart.

There have been many Buddha’s in our world since the time of the historical Buddha Gautama. Many enlightened men and women have lived and do live on our planet. A Buddha is not born they are self created by disciplining the mind, thus finding peace and understanding within themselves. This is within reach of every person, if they will take the time and effort to start the journey.

So many people make other peoples lives their mission and ignore there own life. We are famous in the west for interfering with other countries who are happy within themselves and don’t want our help. We look at their ways of life and decide we need to fix them. Yet we ignore ourselves, thinking we can change the world without changing US first.  You cannot give something you do not have. We love to make judgment about others happiness, never reflecting on our own lives. This is not being selfless it is being egotistical.

Like all people on this Earth you create your reality. If you are tense, stress, overwhelmed and unhappy it is of your doing and no one else’s. You create your world and your reality with your dominate thoughts, and you do it every moment of every day.

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.”

Are you happy with your reality?

An old monk calls in his students for a meeting. He tells them “soon my time will past and one of you will carry on my teaching, you must prove to me you are ready.  He who feels they are enlightened should write something on the black board to prove to me you are.”

The students all look at each other, alarmed that the master will be gone, but wondering who will be the successor. One boy shines above the rest. He is a born leader, confident and proud. He looks at his fellow junior monks and states, “tonight I will write on the board.”

That night the young leader returns to the class room and writes “The mind is a mirror with dust settled on it. Clean off the dust and you become enlightened.” The next morning as the students and the Master return to the classroom the boy proudly shows his teacher what he has written.  The monk frowns and says, “you are wrong, you are not enlightened. Is there nobody here to take my place?”

From the back of the classroom steps a young man, someone nobody really knows. He keeps to himself most of the time. Quietly working on his study and his meditation.  The master looks at him and says “are you the new leader?” The young monk replies “no master I am not.” What are you then?” the master asks. The young monk replies “I am aware.” The master looks and says “The tell me what is wrong with this writing!”

The boy quietly says “There is no mind, therefore there is no mirror, so were can the dust settle?” The master looks at the boy and smiles. “You are truly an enlightened sole my young student. You will succeed me.”

The mind lives only in the past or in the future. We are the present. Conquer the mind and be free.