People want happiness in life, but in reality, we have more mental distress than happiness. Why do people have no peace and stability in life? It’s because their mind is bound by fetters. Craving, dissatisfaction, and ignorance are the chief leaders of these fetters.
If you want or crave something, the mind loses its freedom and is bound by greed. The greater the craving, the more restricted the mind is.
Dissatisfaction also binds the mind with fetters. You repeatedly dwell on feelings of dissatisfaction by remembering those you hate. When you remain submerged in dissatisfaction, your mind is tied down by hatred and loses its freedom.
Similarly, ignorance—living in obscurity and not trying to know the truth—is also a kind of fetter that causes the mind to lose its ability to think freely. These factors cause mental distress.
If you want to live a life happily, peacefully and calmly, it’s crucial to remove these mental states by “appamāda” – mindfulness and attentiveness to the present moment.
Why is it important to be mindful and attentive to the present moment?
In Bhaddekaratta Sutta (MN 131), the Buddha emphasized the importance of the present moment, not dwelling on the past and not yearning for the future. It is because the past is gone, and the future is not yet to come. Furthermore, a wandering mind to the past and the future cannot produce any benefits, except causing mental distress.
The Power of Now
Eckhart Tolle, the author of “The Power of Now”, asserted that dwelling on the past and future, rather than staying in the present moment, is a primary cause of mental distress. It resonates deeply with the Buddha’s aforesaid teaching. Furthermore, it is well-supported by modern psychology. Let’s elaborate on this concept and the broader causes of mental distress.
Tolle’s perspective on human suffering is based on our identification with the “egoic mind,” which constantly pulls us away from the present moment. He distinguishes between clock time and psychological time.
Clock time is the time we need to remember the past for learning or the future for planning practicalities.
Psychological time is when the mind compulsively relives past events or anxiously anticipates the future.
- Recalling the Past: When we dwell on past mistakes, perceived injustices, or lost opportunities, we generate negative emotions like regret, guilt, sadness, or resentment. The event itself is over, but the mind keeps replaying it, fuelling these painful emotions. We are reliving the suffering, even though the past no longer exists but is just a thought-form in our minds.
- Foreseeing the Future: Similarly, when we constantly project ourselves into the future, imagining worst-case scenarios, worrying about things that might happen, or endlessly planning and striving for future happiness, we create mental distress – anxiety, fear, and a sense of inadequacy in the present. We postpone our happiness, believing “I’ll be happy when X happens,” thereby missing the richness of now. The future, like the past, is only a thought.
- Living at the present moment: According to Tolle, the only reality is the present moment. It is where life actually unfolds. When we are fully present, we are free from the mental constructs of the past and the future. Therefore, we will be free from the suffering they create. This state of “Presence” is a deep awareness that transcends thought, connecting us to a deeper, more peaceful dimension of being. Mental distress, from this perspective, is a direct result of the mind’s incessant movement through psychological time, preventing us from experiencing the peace and aliveness of the Now.
In brief, to prevent mental distress and cultivate happiness, it is important to live in the present moment.
Sayalay Nyarna Sacca (18 Jun 2025)
Path to Awakening 