from the Seminar „Peace in daily life“ with Thay Phap Nhat
Q: You say that it is not possible to suffer in the present moment. I understand that a big part of our suffering is coming from the past. But I also often experience a strong feeling of happiness in the moment I am reminded of happy situations from the past. Does this mean that this happiness connected to the past isn't true either? Does it mean it isn't real?
A: We remember a happy situation from the past, and we feel happy. We conclude that this happiness is coming from the past. But actually this feeling of happiness is taking place in the present moment. With the suffering it is the same. If we identify ourselves with our emotions, then we will lose ourselves, and we can no longer be in the Here and Now.
In order not to lose ourselves, we need to develop the energy of mindfulness and awareness. Then we can recognize clearly whatever is happening inside of us, without losing ourselves. We don't identify with our emotion, with our sadness or our anger. The more we become an observer of what is happening, the bigger will be the gap between us and the situation. In this way we develop the capacity to choose freely with which attitude we want to act in that situation.
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