Question: I have been having trouble letting go of the past. How can I let it go and what do you suggest?
Than Ajahn: You have to pull your mind away from thinking about the past by reciting the mantra, Buddho Buddho, or using chanting. Every time you want to think about the past, don’t let your mind thinks about it, just keep reciting Buddho, Buddho, Buddho, or just keep chanting if you want to use chanting. Do something to prevent your mind from thinking about the past. Just keep reciting the mantra or keep chanting.
If you want to use knowledge or wisdom, you have to teach your mind that the past has already gone. The past is like a dream, you can never go back to the past. You are always in the present. Neither the past nor the future is real. The past has already passed away and the future has not come yet, so all you have is the present.
But your mind, your defilement, your craving keep deceiving you to think that by thinking about the past will make you feel good, but in fact it will make you feel bad because you cannot go back to the good feeling of the past. So it is better to just stop thinking.
The way to stop thinking is to recite a mantra, like Buddho Buddho Buddho, or chant some verses if you can remember it. Keep chanting until you forget about the past and stop thinking about the past. Whenever you start to think about the past, keep chanting again or keep reciting your mantra again and eventually your mind will stop going back to the past and it will stay in the present.
Same thing with thinking about the future, if you worry about the future, stop your worry by chanting or by reciting Buddho Buddho Buddho.
Bring your mind back to the present, here and now. The present is the safest place for the mind to be because there is nothing in the present.
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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