A relative wrote:
I recollect someone’s speech, “If we pay attention The clock ticking sounds different from the present one to the one before, though it is the same decibel in quality.” Not sure if I am able to convey the message and meaning correctly. The speech was about the past present and future.
I replied:
Maybe so, but neither the sound is real nor you hearing it because the world in which the sound is happening and you hearing it is unreal or mithya.
Yes, there can be any number of differences in this duality and any number of theories can be offered, but as Ramana Maharshi pointed out “Knowledge of duality is ignorance” — because when duality itself is false and imaginary, then how can knowledge of such an imaginary thing be anything other than ignorance?
You seem to be unable to let go of this time business of past-present-future
You seem to obsessed about time
Y
Think
Time is unreal
Let go
You can’t let go as long as you are caught up in thought.
You will be caught up in thought due to some “desire” in yourself to establish in your mind that ONLY the resent is REAL.
But such a “desire” exists ONLY because you are taking your body-mind to be the real you.
So, instead of wondering whether present is real or past and future exist or not, wonder about the “reality” of your body-mind.
No?
Do I make sense?
Who is this “I” that you think is caught up in time?
He responded back:
I like to be in this moment all the time.
I replied:
That is the problem.
That “I” which wants to be so is the mind.
And that is a “desire” of the mind.
Even so, you already are always where you want to be – “this moment”.
It is your mind that pulls you into the past and future, which, too, is “happening” in this moment, in the form of thinking about the past and future.
Now, usually the mind pulls you into past and future as long as you think you are the “doer”.
And you will realise you are not the “doer” when you understand that the body-mind is just a name-and-form and hence cannot be the doer but only God or Consciousness which is the substance behind your body-mind “pot” is the doer, just like the pot cannot do anything other than what the clay is doing.
Until you understand and assimilate that truth, you as mind CANNOT “be in this moment all the time”.
Until you understand that the “I” that is being referred to in the statement “I like to be in this moment all the time” is unreal or not your real self or is just a name-and-form or is “not the doer”, this problem will persist.
Also, when you say “all the time”, you have already started thinking about the future because “in this moment” there is ONLY “this moment”, a singularity to which the concept or adjective of “all” does NOT apply.
Next moment you may not be there, so why think of ALL the time?
Logically also what you are saying cannot stand.
If you are saying “this moment” or present is the ONLY reality, then where can you be other than in “this moment”?
That you think you are in past or future is merely imagination and NOT true.
Carpe Diem
/ˌkɑːpeɪ ˈdiːɛm/
Carpe diem is a famous Latin phrase meaning “seize the day.” It encourages living in the moment, making the most of the present, and not relying on an uncertain future.
Origin and Literal Translation
The phrase was coined by the Roman poet Horace in 23 BCE. It comes from his injunction, “carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero”. Literally translated, carpe means to pluck or harvest, so it translates closer to “pluck the day”, encouraging you to enjoy the present moment like a ripe fruit before it fades.
The Cultural & Literary Impact
This “seize the day” philosophy has resonated through literature and film for centuries:
- The Renaissance: The theme heavily influenced 16th and 17th-century poetry. Robert Herrick’s famous line “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may” is one of the most well-known English adaptations of the concept.
- Dead Poets Society: The 1989 film catapulted the phrase into modern pop culture, using it to inspire students to “make their lives extraordinary”.
A Balanced Perspective: Carpe Diem and Memento Mori In classical philosophy, the idea goes beyond impulsive thrill-seeking. It is often paired with the Stoic reminder “memento mori” (remember that you must die) to create a balanced approach to time. The core lesson is to mindfully appreciate the present, as time is fleeting and every day is a gift.
Know Thyself 