It's foolish to be obsessed with past failures. And it's just as foolish to be self-satisfied with one's small achievements. Buddhism teaches that the present and the future are what are important, not the past. It teaches us a spirit of unceasing challenge to win over the present and advance ever toward the future. Those who neglect this spirit of continual striving steer their lives in a ruinous direction.
Daisaku Ikeda
Ah .. Honim Myo ... from this moment forwards ... probably my favourite Buddhist concept. What other religion in the world says to forget the past and always look to the causes you are making now and not be concerned with those you have made in the past.
It is a very important concept though in my book, and whilst what I have put above is true, it is of course important that if we move on from making a bad decision or neglecting to do something etc, that we move forward but also determine (and if necessary redetermine many times) not to repeat what we are moving forwards from.
On a personal level, I sometimes have a tendency to berate myself for my apathy and laziness and continually redetermine to move on from this .. it usuallycatches up with me again though so I simply redetermine not to be that way again. Of course, it's an ongoing battle but the reality is that hopefully I will win but also in the meantime, the days when the determination is strong means that things do get done on those days and a cause is made for the future.
