How to deal with the thoughts about the future?

The Past is gone; the future is not in your control

Questioner: ‘Live in the present’, can you please explain this exactly with examples?

Dadashri: Right now, what are you in? Are you in kusang (activities that lead away from the Self) or satsang (activities associated with the Self)? Would you not know whether you are (your mind is) in a hotel somewhere or in the stock market? Can you not tell which market you are in?

Questioner:  I am in satsang.

Dadashri: You are in satsang. Therefore, right now you are living in the present. Now, if you had lost 600 rupees four days ago and remember it, then it becomes the past [you are in the past]. However, if you recall it into the present, it means that you are dragging the past into the present. Or if you had some problems on your way here and you start to think ‘if I have that problem again, I will deal with it this way…’, then to think about the future, while sitting here in the present, is considered as being in the future. That is what we are telling you; remain in the present. What is wrong with what we are saying? Do you understand completely?

Questioner:  Now I understand.

Dadashri: If one’s son had died a year ago, to think about him while sitting here in the satsang is the nature of the mind. The mind will show him all that, so that is considered being lost in the past. But otherwise he is not a man who is likely to become lost like that. Something or someone is needed to instigate. If there is some one who causes dakhal (interferes), the mind will immediately start shouting and showing him, ‘My son has died!  My son …’ All that is now gone, what do ‘we’ have to do with them here and now? Why did you bring it here? Why did you bring the files of the office, here? You have to get rid of them.

What happens if one does not know how to divide things up in this way? Even in the kitchen he will ‘find’ his dead son and so even if they are serving nice pooris and mango pulp, alas will his happiness not go away?

Questioner:  Yes it will go away.

Dadashri:  At that time, when thoughts of his son arise, can he not tell them ‘get out!  Come at the office’?

Questioner:  Yes, he can.

Dadashri: He cannot ask, ‘why did you come?”. They came because you called them, but we should say, ‘not here. Come to the office’. And while you are eating poori and mango pulp, if you have thoughts about your upcoming yatra (pilgrimage) and that your meals are going to be haphazard there. Hey! Why did you come here? Such thoughts do arise within, don’t they?

Questioner:  They do.

Dadashri: So then what should we say? ‘Get out from here. Whatever is going to be there, we will deal with it!’ Say it at that moment.