有人認為「活在當下」和將來無關,
其實「當下」當然和將來息息相關!
如果「活在當下」和將來無關,就是將「未雨綢繆」廢了武功!
[ 面對將來 → 放下憂慮 ]
活在當下要活得開心,首先就必須解決「對將來的憂慮」。
如果為將來的事情憂心忡忡,就是在生產當下的「情緒廢物」。
你說,這樣子如何能夠放下,如何能夠開心地活在當下?
☆ 要解決經濟方面的憂慮,人生當然需要「規劃」。
年青時就開始要儲定老本;
中年時就要注意身心兩方面的健康,
應該可以降低將來在醫療方面的消費,
如果明白降低不必要的欲望可以增加老本,
也許可以減輕到老年時在經濟方面的憂慮;
老年時如果不能夠「開源」,就只能夠「節流」。
☆ 要解決被淘汰的擔憂,人當然需要終身學習,
除了屬世知識的學習,除了要具備宏觀視野之外,
還需要增添心靈的鍛煉和智慧。
自強不息:苟日新,日日新,又日新。
人到年老力衰,還有經濟方面憂慮的時候,
就只能夠出售還未被淘汰的知識和技術,
依賴創意,及依賴一生人累積的智慧。
☆ 要解決事情方面的憂慮,除了努力追求智慧之外,
就只能夠「未雨綢繆,盡人事,聽天命」。
俗語說「人無遠慮,必有近憂」,
可以預見的遠慮,當然應該未雨綢繆,
不能預見的遠慮,何必憂慮?
遠慮可以是無窮的,所以只需要解決近憂!
凡個人不能夠控制的事情,只能夠盡人事,聽天命,
憂慮無濟於事,只會折磨自己,損耗心力。
Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows,
but only empties today of its strength.
( Charles Spurgeon )
Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow,
it only saps today of its joy.
( Leo Buscaglia )
所以活在當下這個概念產生了一個有趣的哲學問題:
「是否必須戴上避孕套做愛,才可以活在當下?」
If you have faith, not merely belief,
then do your preparations adequately.
Don’t think about what can happen in a month.
Don’t think about what can happen in a year.
Just focus on the 24 hours in front of you
and strive to get closer to your goal.
It is necessary, I believe, to accept this idea,
not only for science, but also for other things;
it is of great value to acknowledge ignorance.
It is a fact that when we make decisions
in our life, we don’t necessarily know that
we are making them correctly; we only think
that we are doing the best we can──
and that is what we should do.
( Richard Feynman )
[ 面對將來 → 放下死亡 ]
People tend to be uncomfortable with endings,
because every ending is a little death.
That’s why in many languages, the word for
“good-bye” means “see you again”.
( Eckhart Tolle )
No one can confidently say that
he will still be living tomorrow.
( Euripides )
Life is fragile.
We’re not guaranteed a tomorrow
so give it everything you’ve got.
( Tim Cook )
Even if I knew that tomorrow
the world would go to pieces,
I would still plant my apple tree.
( Martin Luther )
面對死亡的恐懼和所產生的逃避行為,令人無法「活在當下」,
因為和憂慮一樣,恐懼死亡不但生產了當下的「情緒廢物」,
而且浪費當下珍貴的光陰。
恐懼死亡的人,怎可能「活在當下」?
所以活在當下要活得開心,就必須放下對死亡的恐懼。
最好能夠達到「樂以忘憂,不知老之將至」的境界!
「存,吾順事;歿,吾寧也。」 (張載)
換言之,就是懂得在當下的生活中了生死!
「亦莫戀此身,亦莫厭此身。
此身何足戀,萬劫煩惱根;
此身何足厭,一聚虛空塵。
無戀亦無厭,始是逍遙人。」《逍遙詠》(白居易)
If life must not be taken too seriously,
then so neither must death.
( Samuel Butler )
A man who lives fully is prepared
to die at any time.
( Mark Twain )
簡而言之,「活在當下」就是要
make peace with your past as well as your future.