In the last blog, we shared Syd’s writings from Chapter Three of The Enlightened Gardener Revisited, “The Importance of the Now.” Below, on the same topic, are excerpts from “Living in the Now,” a chapter in his earlier book, The Missing Link.
“Through the centuries, the wise have told us to live in the now. This is why I say to you… The past is a ghost that cannot be held in the palm of your hand. The future cannot be grasped, no matter how desirable or enticing it may appear. Nor can the present be held, no matter how beautiful or exciting.
Begin the process of nourishing the soul by living in the now.
Forget the past and the future, and just be, and you will surely be rewarded by living in the now.
When Eastern mystics describe the now, they are not talking about today as a specific day of the month and year. Their meaning goes deeper. When such people refer to the now, they mean the personal mind is free from the contaminants of yesterday’s memories and fears.
This in turn frees the mind to see with clarity things as they are, not through distorted memories and apprehensions.
Living in the now requires a clear mind.
In clearing up our minds, we may have to give up something to receive something.
If you wanted to replace a glass of stale wine with fresh wine, first you must pour out the old wine. It is the same with clearing our minds of unwanted, stale thoughts.”