27 Oct 2008 —
Question
Q90: Past = cancelled cheque?
Question 90:
“Amma says that the past is like a cancelled cheque. What is your understanding of this? To what extend are you really able to live with this perspective?”
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what is done is done , one has to move on…… and Yes I can live with it that life
In Amma’s Presence, all is forgiven. To live in the past is to live behind the veil of separation from the Beloved. Though it is very very easy for us to brood over the past or fret over the future it is important for us to search for Amma within, and see that her feet guides eternally. It is this surrender to the Amma within that enables us to stay focused in the present without worry of the past or future.
It means that we should not think too much about our past. i.e. we should not let whatever has happened in the past, affect our present. It’s like we can recall that but should not stay there. This is a great teaching of Amma which sometimes makes me very relieved. Even though not fully, i try to implement it. Amma helps a lot.
Yes, AMMA has taught us to live in present. This present only becomes past we should learn from our past and not brood on it. If we waste our time on thinking about past how we will make our present best.
I wish I could say that I let go of the past, but alot of the time I struggle with this. I tend to get down on myself about past mistakes. I know that what Amma says is the truth. I pray to Amma that I can live this way because I know that by letting go of the past we can be truly happy and be able to help others more.
To me any negative things that happened in the past should be forgotten. If we have contributed to it either we solve it by doing pariharams (i.e. prayer and acts of kindness) or if others have contributed to it we should forgive there acts. So past will become a cancelled cheque.
Cancelled cheque does not mean the good things. Even in one of Amma’s tamil bhajans it reads “Amma will give 40 blessings for 4 good things that we do.”
Since a cancelled cheque refers to a cheque that has already been cleared, my understanding of this statement is that what has happen has already cleared, it’s in the past. What is to happen will soon come which is the present. So this means all negative experiences if you have any are in the past, look to your future instead of dwelling in the past. This statement can also be taken this way, if someone has done something mean to you, let it be a cancelled cheque.
A cancelled cheque is never encashable anywhere ,anytime, whatever one may do with it… We have to write a new cheque leaf to get the encashment.
The cancelled cheque can be useful to the extent that we do not repeat the same mistake while writing the new cheque leaf so that the rejection of the new cheque can be avoided.
We have no option regarding the past. We can do good karmas from this moment onwards and open a new leaf in our life. Past is a history. Future is a mystery. Let us all live in the present which is a gift from Amma.
The past has already occured, and we can’t go back and change it, like a cancelled cheque can never be used after it has been cancelled. And I try to not brood on the past and live in the moment.
My understanding about this is, whatever we have done in the past, good or bad, is over. We have no control on it. But, of course, its aftereffect will be there. We call this karma. When Amma explains that past as cancelled cheque She means that we should’nt waste our time and energy on past issues. If we concentrate on the future positively and productively instead, then the result will be more rewarding…What’s the use of thinking about the past?
You wont get a single paisa if u r trying to encash a cancelled cheque, even if the amount is 1 crore. Try to find the cause of cheque being cancelled and avoid the same mistake in future so that u will get 1 Crore.
What AMMA said is true or else how could I reached AMMA with millions of blunders committed behind. AMMA also says that don’t repeat the mistakes and avoid them as enemies.
“Past is like a cancelled cheque” is a powerful mantra from Amma that has helped me overcome extreme grief. My understanding of this is that I cannot change the past and brooding over it would only me weaker.
instead of brooding over the past, we have to be alert abt the present..cautious abt the future.. but yeah.. past should be used to rectify our mistakes.. but let the impression overtake our enthusiasm.. this has helped me a lot in my life.. behind my every success, this attitude is present.
Shakespeare says “things won are done, joy’s soul lies in the doing.” Not just the bad but the good we have given has passed. Amma lives by focusing on the new love that she can provideand the help that she has not yet offered. Therefores she continues in her wonderful life of absolute compassion.
Amma’s words are Marvellous. There cannot be anything so simple to explain the Past. When I read this message and look back at my past, I get consolation and I am inspired to be aware of my present actions. If I am aware of my actions today I need not apologize in future.
As Amma’s another WordGem reminds us “Adharma is the action done with Ashraddha” which means that our careless actions are unrighteous. I can confidently say that this advice help me a lot in my present life.
My understanding is: if we live completely relaxed and accepting the moment, past becomes like a cancelled check. But if we instead live worried about the past and the future ( as i usually do) we are trapped in our own made jail. Therefore i believe spiituall practice is needed to relax and trust the goodness of Life or Mother. Sometimes i am able to see clearly what Amma states.
A cancelled check (the past) cannot be forgotten…nor can we pretend it does not exist. All we can do is use it (the past) as a reminder of an action that should not be repeated.
Cancelled cheque nullifies everything. We all know that past should never be remembered because we cannot go back and retry anything. The arrow shooted from the bow cannot be taken back,the words spoken cannot be taken back. But of course lessons learnt should be remembered and future actions should be based on those lessons and then you feel wonderfull about your improvements. There is no other greater accomplishment than curbing your own foes and enjoying that feat.
Being IN THE PRESENT; this is the idea. I have seen only Amma able to do that, and she wants all Her children to reach that state. She knows that our minds always keep on jumping from one thought to another like a monkey and never be content. She is doing / will do everything to tune our mind. As we are materialistic and always keep brooding over the past, to bring back our minds to the present She used this beautiful phrase.
There is nothing we can do to undo a past action. Of course, we can reduce the effects of the result of past karmas by doing good karmas in the present. Pondering over past actions is of no use. Instead, we should learn from our experiences and grow.
Cheque has its importance but when cancelled will loose the value but still remains in the books, same way the action of the past will have the imprint on the life, but should not be dragged so that it could spoil the present and future, as we go further there are lot of experiences in our life that should only teach us to live a full life and not spoil it.
I was always clinging on to my past, feeling disappointed with myself. Amma defined past in the most simple way and it has taken off a big burden. Cancelled check is worth nothing…and so is our past. Not worth crying over it….just make sure not to repeat the mistakes…coz Amma also says God makes sure we move to next lesson only when we have learnt the current one…That means till we stop making the same mistakes again and again.
Amma I love you and I am trying my best to be better than my old self.
Moments, happiness, sadness, regrets, wounds… all the past experiences can no longer serve the present or the future. They can only be looked at like a cancelled cheque. If we keep forging our present and future on these cancelled cheques we end up gaining nothing. I know that for a fact, but moving to practice I feel that the past is very powerful, my subconscious is highly active and takes over my present conscious, i hope with time and practice I will reach the moment.
It is another way of saying what Amma says in many different ways. The past is over and has begun to shape the future; only the present is in our hands. The past is of little use to us except to remind us of those to whom we should feel grateful and to learn from history. We can visit the past but not make it our bedroom. It is the source of the ego, blame, guilt and many impressions about ourselves and others which can occupy our minds and take us away from the soul. It is not easy to make a ball out of my past and throw it into the garbage. It is an area we have experienced and is familiar. So, I like its comfort. If I could really live with awareness, in the moment I wouldn’t need that comfort. My quicksilver mind likes to play hopscotch and it jumps to the past often. It is hard to rein the mind of someone with adhd.
Amma always tells us to live in the present….dont think of the past and the future..Everything is in Ammas hands only.There is no use of thinking of the past as it is all over.So live at present and make everyday a festival.
But as we are humans….we cant stop thinking of our past. Let us pray to Amma to make us live in the present…
The cancelled cheque is cancelled nothing can do with that and there is no value of that cheque. It is like a piece of paper only. What I understand from this is that one should live alert in the present and enjoy the present experiences and not worry about past and don’t be anxious about future.
But of course, from the past experience we can learn something. Amma always quotes an example also: If you are eating an icecream, but thinking of some sad experience in the past or worried about a coming examination result, can you enjoy the Icecream?
It means , Amma wants us to live in present constantly, and make the most of it for ourselves and the community.
Its right. If we think about the past, its simply a wastage of time.. nothing we can gain out of it.. but the thinking process leads us to some sort of disappointments, most usually.. We remember mostly those things, which we would like to forget. In order to come out of such kind of thoughts, we should live in present.. with service to God.. i.e., service to man-kind.. as far as possible..
we should have cashed that cheque when it had value..
Past was once our present Moment.. and Future will soon become Our present. there is no point in thinking about both.. Just LIVE!
I think everyone has pretty much summed up what past cheque means – the past is past and can never be changed. I think what Amma means is just to let your baggage go and live in the present moment. By doing our mantras and sadhanas, Amma will take care of us. As I am very much a “work in progress” i always need to remind myself about this and just carry on with the present….as it is a present from Amma
Cancelled cheque is not presentable, as is with the past. As past is from the present, make the present presentable to AMMA.
The past is gone. But when we are still identified with our personalities as individuals, we keep it alive and important. Are we ready to surrender OUR stories? The check is cancelled when the delusion is cancelled?
Amma also says we shouldn’t keep repeating the same mistakes
I feel relieved that the past is the past but I feel bad when I realize I am not getting anywhere in spite of Amma’s teachings.
yesterday is history….FORGET IT. tomorrow ia a mystery…
but today is GIFT…….enjoy the present….live in the present
its easy to say…but in times of crisis it’s not so easy….but if we keep this SUTRA in mind we can cross this ocean not in boats but by flying high through the sky….
Amma teaches us how to continue our journey lightly without many burdens on our shoulders, as we have to cover a long distance.
I only wonder if the past can be useful in some ways. For example if we are feeling sad or lost, and we can think of something nice in the past to help us to change the present feeling.
Also I have undergo many therapies where one works with the past and tries to heal some situations that happened in the past. One can even go to past lives on regres theraphy. So I dont know if it is useful .. I think it has some sense. Maybe if we heal these past sitations we can let go easier.
The ones I tend to remember from the past are mostly the ones that are not great. So the mind has a tendancy to brood over grievances. Amma words on the past being a cacelled cheque to me means that those past events do not have power unless we let them become our present. Easier said than practiced. Doing meditation/chanting and having satsangs are helping me overcome this tendency.
I brood over my past so much and it disturbs my present a lot. I try to look at it as a cancelled cheque as Amma has taught us. I pray to Amma to make me strong on my convictions.
I’ve tried to understand this for a long time. I think a cancelled cheque is one that has already been withdrawn from your account–it is parabdha karma). That you already have experienced, or are currently experiencing the fruit of that action. And there’s not much you can do about it now. However, the future will be a result of your current actions, so you should be especially careful with what you do here on out.
Even then, there is the whole mystery of God’s Grace. Amma has told some people that She is taking 70, 80, or 90% of their karma just by following Her instructions/surrendering to Her. I hate to think what my fate would have been, because the 20% has been hard enough. But I have been trying to use the difficulties as an opportunity to face my negativities and change for the better.
As I was looking at the earlier comments a thought came to mind: the past is “wealth” for the ego and the mind and can “buy” negative energy…a cancelled cheque loses its’ value. Thanks Amma and help me to understand this better.
What happened in the past should be forgotten and we should I pray to Amma to make me strong to face any situation and to enjoy the present. Then we will be able to do good actions for the community, serve others. “Life” is a present from Amma. There is no point in thinking too much and wasting time.