"How can I make life just a little easier?" Shozo Omori Philosophy (8): What does it mean to "live in the now"?

*Introduction

This series is not intended to be a professional commentary or study of Shozo Omori's philosophy.

Although I am a philosophy graduate, I am not a researcher of Shozo Omori. This is a series where I read his philosophy in my own way and explore "ways to make life a little easier by incorporating philosophy."

Therefore, what is written here includes my own interpretations and applications to daily life. Please read this not as a definitive statement of "this is what Shozo Omori says," but as one way of reading it: "this is how I read it and how I thought about it."

If there are any misreadings or inaccurate interpretations, please do not hesitate to let me know. I hope to deepen my own thinking through dialogue with my readers.

Introduction

How can I make life just a little easier?

When I think about that, I often encounter a common piece of advice.

"Let's cherish the present."

"Let go of the past and live in the now."

"Instead of worrying about a future that hasn't happened yet, let's live in the now."

I understand what they are saying.

But every time I hear these words, I feel a little uneasy.

Live in the now.

So, what exactly should I do?

Am I not living in the now because I think about the past?

Am I failing to live in the now because I am terrified of the future?

To begin with, what is the "now"?

When I think about Shozo Omori's take on time, these ordinary words gradually start to seem a bit mysterious.

Where is "now" located?

Let's try thinking of time as a single line.

Past────Now────Future

The past is something that has already ended.

The future is something that has not yet arrived.

And in between them, there is "now."

We tend to think of it in that way, somehow.

But there is something a little strange about that.

How long does "now" remain "now"?

The moment you say "now."

That "now" has already become the past.

Then, is the next moment the new "now"?

If that is the case, then "now" is something that is constantly flowing away into the past.

It exists for only an instant, and then immediately vanishes.

How are we supposed to live in such a "now"?

"Living in the now" is surprisingly difficult.

For example, from the moment you wake up in the morning,

"That thing I said yesterday was unnecessary."

Suppose you are thinking that.

The body is in this morning.

But the consciousness has returned to yesterday.

Conversely,

"I wonder what next month will be like."

"Will I be okay like this?"

"What if I fail again?"

When we are thinking things like this,

the body is in today.

But the consciousness is heading toward a future that has not yet arrived.

That is why we think,

"I must live in the now."

But even in that moment,

we are evaluating "the self that is not living in the now."

It is a strange story, in a way.

Both the past and the future are experienced in the "now."

Last time, we thought about the past.

The past itself is not stored here in the present.

We remember the past here and now.

This is a philosophical perspective.

Let us explore this further.

The future is the same.

We imagine the future, which has not yet happened, right here and now.

"What will happen tomorrow?"

"What will things be like next year?"

"What if things keep getting worse?"

The future itself does not exist here and now.

What exists here and now is

my present self thinking about the future

.

When you think about it that way, the past and the future are no longer simply things that exist "outside the present."

Both the past and the future emerge within the experience of the present.

If that is the case, does "thinking about the past" mean not living in the present?

I do not think so.

Remembering the past is not abandoning the present.

Rather, it is

"I, in the present, am remembering the past"

which is also a present experience.

I look at an old photo and tears come to my eyes.

That does not mean I have returned to the past.

The past is emerging before me, as I am here now.

I remember my past self and feel angry.

I feel regret.

I feel nostalgic.

I feel lonely.

All of that is being experienced right here, right now.

Therefore,

"Because I keep thinking about the past, I am not living in the now"

I don't think there is any need to blame yourself for that.

Worrying about the future is also a present experience.

Thinking about the future is the same.

I am afraid of tomorrow.

I am anxious about next week.

I am worried about the future.

At times like that,

"I must not think about the future"

If you try to force yourself to stop thinking, it can actually become more painful.

This is because you end up blaming yourself for worrying about the future.

"I am not living in the now"

"I am overthinking again"

"I am no good for thinking about things like this"

But even then,

the self that is feeling anxious is right here now.

Anxiety about the future is also being experienced in the now.

Therefore,

"I who am thinking about the future am not living in the now"

does not have to be dismissed.

Trying to let go of "I must focus on the now"

Perhaps the very phrase "living in the now" can sometimes cause us suffering.

I must focus on the now.

I must enjoy the now.

I must cherish the now.

By doing so, we turn the "now" into a task.

Then,

"Am I living in the now properly?"

a self that monitors this is born.

To live in the now, we keep evaluating the now.

That makes one a little tired.

That is why I think it might be okay to think about "living in the now" more loosely.

The now does not mean "thinking about nothing"

Living in the now is,

It is not about not thinking about the past,

nor is it about not worrying about the future,

nor is it about focusing only on what is right in front of you.

If you are remembering the past,

"I am remembering the past right now"

is what you realize.

If you are worrying about the future,

"I am worrying about the future right now"

is what you realize.

If you are sad,

"I am sad right now"

is what you realize.

If you don't want to do anything,

"I don't want to do anything right now"

is what you realize.

Isn't that enough?

Do not judge your current self any further

Here, this connects to the previous discussion about "not judging your past self."

We tend to immediately evaluate our own state.

I couldn't do anything today.

I overthought things again.

I remembered the past again.

I worried too much about the future again.

I must live more properly.

But even in the moment I am making that judgment, I am living in the now.

Even today, when I couldn't do anything, was still today.

The time I spent filled with anxiety was also time experienced by my present self.

The time I spent aimlessly,

The time I spent crying,

The time I spent sleeping,

The time I spent regretting something,

All of it is a part of my life.

You don't have to live only in a "meaningful now"

In modern times, it is often considered good to make effective use of time.

Learn something.

Work.

Exercise.

Grow.

Achieve goals.

Make the day fulfilling.

Of course, those things are wonderful.

But is time that produced nothing truly without value?

The time spent staring blankly at the sky.

The time spent unable to move while in bed.

The time spent aimlessly looking at a smartphone.

The time spent just drinking tea.

Must even such time,

"be judged"

as a waste?

Living does not have to be just a accumulation of achievements.

You don't have to make the present a "correct answer."

I would like to interpret the phrase "cherish the present"

not as meaning

"making the present the best time possible,"

but as "not judging the experience here and now more than necessary."

I want to try interpreting it in that sense.

If it's fun, it's fun.

If it's painful, it's painful.

If you feel nothing, then you feel nothing.

If you are remembering the past, then you are remembering the past.

If you are afraid of the future, then you are afraid of the future.

You don't have to immediately

"This is good"

"This is bad"

"I should feel this way"

judge it as such.

How can I make life a little easier to live?

When I am told to "live in the now,"

I used to feel like I had to discard the future and the past.

But when I think about Shozo Omori's theory of time, I can see things a little differently.

We are in the now even when we remember the past.

We are in the now even when we imagine the future.

Even when you are crying,

even when you are worrying,

even when you are regretting,

even when you are feeling anxious,

you are experiencing it right here, right now.

Therefore, perhaps we don't have to make "living in the now" such a difficult thing.

You don't have to forget the past.

It doesn't mean you shouldn't think about the future either.

Just,

try to notice, just a little, what you are experiencing right now.

That is enough.

Instead of driving yourself by thinking, "I must live in the present properly,"

"Right now, this is how I am."

Try observing yourself like that.

Try engaging with your own time from that kind of distance.

How can I make life just a little easier?

The answer might not be to "live only in the now," but rather,

to observe yourself—who is here right now, while still carrying both the past and the future—without blaming yourself quite so much.

It might be that.

It is okay if today is not fulfilling.

It is okay if you do not accomplish anything.

It is okay if you are still dragging the past along with you.

It is okay if you are afraid of the future.

While carrying all of that,

you are living this day, today, as today.

Even just that means we are properly in the "now."