What's Done Is Finished - A Reflection In The Now!

This meditation starts with a quote by Ajahn Brahm - "What's done is finished" from his book - 'Bear Awareness: Questions and Answers on Taming Your Wild Mind.' We explore what it means - experientially - to stay away from the regrets and blames of the past and to resist running into the future without forcing our minds. The only way this can happen is by seeing clearly the nature of the past and future.

Transcript

Let's close the riot. Let's close the riot. Let's close the riot. Remain where it belongs. Remain where it belongs. Let's not bring any regrets, Mistakes. Unfinished business into this session, Into this moment. This is a chapter in one of the books that I read by a Buddhist monk called Pajan Brahm. The name of the book is Bare Awareness. I remember the chapter name distinctly. It was called, What's Done is Finished. Even if it is half done, In your opinion, The moment you've decided to sit down and commit to this sitting, Whatever has been done is finished, Is complete. Feel the freedom that comes with this attitude, This insight. Feel the lightness that comes with it. Normally, We walk around with all our mistakes, All our quote-unquote repercussions of our mistakes weighing us down. We carry that weight on our shoulders everywhere we go. Or we carry unfinished to-do lists, Pending lists, Want to-do lists. So let the past remain in the past as something that is complete. And let the future remain just as it is, Unknown, Unmanifest. Yet in its own weird and beautiful way, It is complete. What would it feel like in your body and in your mind if I told you that whatever has happened, Is complete, And whatever is yet to happen is also complete? What would it feel like in your mind if I told you that whatever has happened, Is complete? What would it feel like in your mind if I told you that whatever has happened, Is complete? What would it feel like in your mind if I told you that whatever has happened, Is complete? If any resistance is coming up after listening to this, Don't fight with it. We are not here to fight with ourselves. We are here to fight with you. We are here to fight with you. We are here to fight with you. We are here to fight with you. We are here to fight with you. We are here to fight with you. We are here to fight with you. We are here to fight with you. We are here to fight with you. We are here to fight with you. Imagine meeting your long-lost friend. There's so much to talk, There's so much to discuss, But instead, You're sitting on top of a mountain with your friend. And just being quiet in each other's company. Where your friend is you. We're trying to sit with ourselves. With total acceptance. We're trying to sit with ourselves. Without any guards to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any checklists designed to judge ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Without any masks to protect ourselves. Maybe because of habits. We might sneak into the past and try to work on the future. I assure you, You are not alone. I am guilty of that too. If all of us are doing it, It's just that we've all been programmed with these habits. That has unconsciously become a part of us. It's very easy to take responsibility, Aka blame in this case, For this habit. That there's no wisdom in it. We can only take responsibility for things we have consciously chosen. So in this moment, We can consciously choose to erode this habit. If we comply with this habit and take blame for it, We'll end up perpetuating this habit in a convoluted way. So resist this temptation and gently, Kindly, Come back here. Let the past remain complete. And let the future remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Let the past remain complete. Thank you.