How to deal with painful memories… | Buddhism In English (YouTube Video Transcript)

(00:00:00) Your YouTube transcript will appear here (00:00:01) are you stuck in the past memories and (00:00:04) regretting about what you have done in (00:00:06) the (00:00:07) past well today we are going to talk (00:00:10) about how to deal with miserable and (00:00:13) painful past (00:00:23) memories n (00:00:25) buddhaya welcome to yet another episode (00:00:28) in inner guide Q&A program (00:00:31) today we are going to talk about how to (00:00:33) deal with past (00:00:35) memories they are the memories that (00:00:37) holding us back and destroying our (00:00:40) present moment and our (00:00:41) future so how can we deal with these (00:00:44) past memories first of all I will tell (00:00:47) you a nice (00:00:49) story in the Buddhist time there was a (00:00:54) murderer now he wasn't just a murderer (00:00:57) he was a serial killer he he killed (00:01:01) thousands and thousands of people and do (00:01:04) you know what he did to those dead (00:01:06) people he cut a finger from each one of (00:01:11) them and he he made a Garland out of (00:01:14) that (00:01:15) fingers and he put and he wore that (00:01:18) Garland around his neck so his name was (00:01:23) angulimala the person who wears the (00:01:26) Garland of (00:01:28) fingers with the help of the great (00:01:31) Supreme Buddha he became an innocent (00:01:35) person again before becoming a serial (00:01:39) killer he was just an innocent (00:01:42) boy but with the bad (00:01:46) companionship he was he became a serial (00:01:49) killer so with the Buddha's help he (00:01:53) became an innocent person again and he (00:01:56) became a (00:01:58) monk after that (00:02:01) he realized the teachings of the Buddha (00:02:04) and he became (00:02:07) enlightened the reason for his (00:02:10) Enlightenment was he did not let his (00:02:15) past to Define who he is right he did (00:02:20) not regret about what he has done in the (00:02:23) past instead he focused on the present (00:02:27) moment the Buddha advised angulimala (00:02:30) after becoming a monk think of yourself (00:02:34) as a newly born person a new person and (00:02:38) do not let your past to Define who you (00:02:42) are so he did meditations and he (00:02:46) practiced the path of the Buddha and he (00:02:50) became enlightened so that was the (00:02:53) little story so what do we can take from (00:02:56) this little (00:02:57) story if you're holding (00:03:00) onto the past and if you're letting your (00:03:03) past to Define who you are right you (00:03:06) will never be the person that who you (00:03:08) want to (00:03:10) be so remember mistakes Can Happen by (00:03:14) anyone we make mistakes that is why we (00:03:16) are known as (00:03:17) humans okay so mistakes can happen even (00:03:21) the good people make mistakes that (00:03:23) doesn't mean that they need to suffer (00:03:25) and they need to uh regret about the (00:03:28) things for the whole life right we make (00:03:31) mistakes and what we have to do we have (00:03:34) to focus on the present (00:03:36) moment think of yourself now I have done (00:03:41) a mistake in the past but now what (00:03:44) should I do to become a good (00:03:47) person when you think of that you're (00:03:50) focusing on the present (00:03:52) moment that is what you have to do every (00:03:55) time you're regretting about the past (00:03:58) Memories the things that has happened in (00:04:00) the past you are touching the wound of (00:04:04) yourself you know the miserable moments (00:04:07) that has happened in the past is like a (00:04:09) wound it takes times to heal so if you (00:04:13) keep on touching into that wound it will (00:04:16) never be healed so what do you have to (00:04:19) do should you forget the past of course (00:04:23) not you should not forget the past and (00:04:26) you cannot forget the (00:04:28) past remember the more you try to forget (00:04:32) the past the more it will haunt your (00:04:35) memories again and again so what you (00:04:38) have to do you have to let your (00:04:41) miserable and painful past memories to (00:04:45) just fade away from your life right so (00:04:49) to do that you should not give much (00:04:52) attention to the Past miserable painful (00:04:56) memories right when we are not giving (00:04:59) any attention to (00:05:01) something chances are very high for it (00:05:03) to fade away from our memories so what (00:05:07) you have to do just do not give any (00:05:10) attention to those past memories okay (00:05:14) and that is why our great teacher (00:05:16) Supreme Buddha taught us (00:05:21) [Music] (00:05:26) in do not dwell on the past (00:05:33) do not Dre dream too much on the (00:05:38) [Music] (00:05:42) future the past has gone now it is (00:05:46) over and the future hasn't yet come and (00:05:51) Buddha (00:05:55) said you have to focus on the present (00:05:59) moment and do what is right right here (00:06:03) right (00:06:03) now so do not let the past to Define who (00:06:07) you are and focus on the present moment (00:06:11) and think what can I do to become a (00:06:14) better person now admit your faults (00:06:17) learn from your past do not make it a (00:06:20) wound and a painful situation just learn (00:06:23) from it right and then you can think (00:06:26) what should I do to become a pres a (00:06:29) better a person right here right (00:06:32) now right when you do the good things (00:06:35) and when you do the right thing in the (00:06:37) present moment your past will be a good (00:06:40) one and your future will be also a good (00:06:44) one so what you have to do you only own (00:06:47) this present moment always keep it in (00:06:50) your mind right the moment that you only (00:06:53) own is this moment right in the past (00:06:57) what has happened in the past you cannot (00:06:59) control it what is going to happen in (00:07:01) the future you have no control about (00:07:04) that what you have in your hand is this (00:07:07) present moment so focus on the present (00:07:09) moment do the good things be a good (00:07:12) person and your future will be a better (00:07:15) one your past will be a better one also (00:07:18) so practice the Buddhist teachings and (00:07:21) stay in the present moment Nam (00:07:27) [Music]