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    Life cannot blossom in a vacuum. It needs something to latch on to, where the past comes in handy. Remember, our future rests on the toil of our yesterday. Our days ahead are an outcome of the struggle of our present. The years ahead slumber on our unruffled dreams waiting to unravel. This is when the unfigured life ahead, tow-chains with the pristine past.

    A chapter titled ‘The Journey of Life (Excerpt)’ in the book ‘365 Days for Travellers—Wisdom from Chinese Literary and Buddhist Classics’ edited by Venerable Editor Master Hsing Yun makes an interesting point. It says, ‘Who said not to look at the past? Past successes can give us encouragement or examples to improve upon. The failures of the past are great experiences and exactly the things to learn from. The blank spaces of the past are exactly what encourages us to exert ourselves to compensate for it.    

    The chapter also talks about the present. It says, if it’s suffering, you are currently being tormented, and if it’s happiness—you are currently enjoying it. But do not get knocked down by suffering, nor get intoxicated by joy. Be mindful because the present moment passes in the blink of an eye. No matter how grand the happiness is, it’ll pass. We should be happy and we should cherish the past and the present journey because we never know what tomorrow will bring.

    In the journey of life, there are wide open roads, as well as small wooden bridges. Do not be envious of those who walk on open roads, and do not mock those who walk on open roads, and do not mock those who walk on small wooden bridges. Only those who experience it themselves would understand the flavour of life. You can only accept it when it happens to you, without running away.’

    My serenades of today are all because of those accomplished rehearses of my past. But this is certainly not adequate because beyond is the harsh and cruel environment where one needs to fight on and on to get to a glamorous future.

    Sanity exhorts us to forget the past and enjoy the present because the future is unknown. But I say, the unknown will be unknown till it is shown, so be with your present, but with your experience. The bright days ahead will only evolve out of your achievement. Achievement is like heaven that’ll come with your perspiration and perseverance.

    But before the flashy today and the glamorous tomorrow, it was only my laborious spell in the past that held my hand and showed me the directional arrow. And beware, as and when the flashy today and glamorous tomorrow dwindle, much will be gone and little will be left for the days ahead, but yes, there will be a treasure to applaud that lies in the realms of the past and the bygone days.

    This is when you’ll realise that there is no rollicking future without a great past,

but there is a great past even without a rollicking future. Work hard today that helps your tomorrow and even rewards you with a rich yesterday.  

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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