On Regret:
Some one told me not long ago about
something they regretted. I don't know whether they
intended to say what they did or if they were intending to show
humility. Anyway, after spending a little while last week considering
what I might regret, I came up with the following:
Regarding
what you said to me the other day, do not dwell on the past. We all
have regrets, but no regret, regardless of the words it inspires, can
describe or capture the entirety of our past. Life is a many headed
beast/wonder. Any idea we have about it is but a glimpse of the shadow
of one of it's heads.
Because of the nature of
our minds, it can be difficult to realize the good when thinking of
the bad, but fortunately, this also goes the other way. In times of
good, the bad is but a distant cloud; out of sight and mind unless we
look for it.
Is the now not good? As is everything, the now is
dependent arising. If the past were different, things would not be
the way they are; they could be better or worse. It is impossible to
know which, though.
There is no sense in yearning for what
might/could have been as that will only result in dissatisfaction and
unhappiness. If, instead, we (1) focus on all that is good and that we
have to be thankful for and we (2) live by our own moral/ethical code
and act as we believe we ought to, then life is good.