Here and now.
Just a few days ago, I was exercising and listening to a podcast by Ram Dass, an American spiritual teacher who studied at Stanford University and authored many influential books. In the episode, he shared a five-line phrase that struck me almost immediately: “Don’t prolong the past, Don’t invite the future, Don’t alter your innate wakefulness – Don’t fear appearances. There is nothing more than that!” As I listened, I felt an almost aching clarity. Ram Dass’s words sounded so simple and direct—yet embodying them feels like an unreachable ideal. I find myself doing the exact opposite, dwelling on past memories, especially painful ones. I replay them in my mind, again and again, as if each repetition makes the hurt feel more real, more permanent. One painful thought leads to another. The more I dwell on these memories, the more I begin to worry about the future. I start imagining the ways things could go wrong, bracing myself for heartbreak before it even happens. It’s as if I’m stuck i...