Present Still

“Are you awake right now?” Photo by the author Are your thoughts racing restlessly, like a monkey swinging from tree to tree? In fact, you might not even realize this is happening. You might be constantly recalling things that have already passed, or worrying about a future that hasn't arrived yet.  Even though nothing is happening in the physical world, the mind creates countless scenarios, repeating cycles of anxiety and tension. Why Do We Struggle to Notice Something So Simple? In moments like these, we try to solve the problem with more thinking.  However, in most cases, thinking only feeds the problem rather than solving it. What is needed is not a way to think "better," but to ask yourself in this very moment: “Am I awake right now?” Venerable Wonbin says that this single question is the fastest way to break free from the world of thoughts and return to reality. Do not wander within your thoughts and tremble in anxiety. Just ask.  In that very moment, right now, th...

You are lying on a sofa or bed, wanting your body to rest, but your thoughts won't stop. The more you try to control them, the more anxious you feel.  Even when staying still, thoughts follow one after another,  and at the end of that chain, you unexpectedly face an uninvited guest: anxiety. The key is not to stop your thoughts, but to stop identifying with them. Yet we live as if the opposite were true. “I am thinking.”  “This anxiety is mine.” Photo by the author But is that really true? If anxiety, which I don't even want, visits me as it pleases, can I truly call that 'me'? 2,600 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha provided a marvelous key to break this chain of suffering.  It is the truth of 'Anatta (Non-Self) . '  The moment you let go of the attachment to the body and mind that you mistook for 'self,' true relief and peace begin.  How can we actually experience this 'Anatta' in our daily lives and calm our anxiety? How to Stop Anxiety When Th...

It is said that philosophy has three ancient questions. “Who am I?”  “What is the world?”  “What is the relationship between myself and the world?” Among them, the question “Who am I?” would often suddenly arise in my mind. Before encountering Buddhism, I used to follow this question with one thought after another in search of an answer. 'Well, haven’t I lived fairly well up to now? Then what will happen to my life in the future?' Thoughts continued like that, leading to more thoughts. But strangely, at the end of those thoughts there was always a vague sense of anxiety. Interestingly, even before encountering Buddhism, there had been a small note attached to my refrigerator. “There is no self.” — Dalai Lama There is no self? Photo by the author In the West, people speak so much about the importance of the self and identity. Self-development books also often say things like this. “I can do it.”  “I will succeed.”  “I will become the person I want to be.” But Buddhi...

Did you know that the past and the future exist only within your thoughts ?  When I first heard this, I was stunned. It felt like a wake-up call. The mind has a strange habit. It keeps traveling into a future that does not yet exist.  Many people feel a sense of dread when thinking about the future. This kind of future anxiety is more common than we think. “What will happen to me?” “What if my life doesn't work out?” “Am I making the wrong choice?” These questions arise when we start worrying about the future, and they tend to intensify at night. While the body tries to rest, the mind begins creating endless future scenarios.  Future anxiety slowly grows as the mind keeps imagining what might happen. This is the moment to pause, recognize the thought, and gently bring your attention back to the present moment. Most of the future we worry about is just a story in our heads.  We can only live in the 'Now.' Why Do We Fear the Future? Fear of the future isn't just abo...