We constantly store and process unnecessary information, ideas, tasks. At one point, you need to stop relying on the past and go forward.
In programming, there is the concept of “statelessness”. This means that each request is processed anew, disregarding previous requests.
This is quite limiting in some cases, but on the other hand, it is a good way to deal with a lot of queries.
Imagine that you are a person handling millions of requests every day from many of your clients: if you had to keep a record of all these clients and their many requests, it would drive you crazy. The burden of memorization would fall on you.
This is similar to the model of our life. We constantly store information, ideas, tasks, stress and frustration associated with thousands of different requests every day. Every email, phone call, text message, every open browser tab, every relationship with another person, every task we do … it all accumulates until it overwhelms us.
Imagine that you have forgotten all the previous requests. Those interactions disappeared, dissolved into the ether.
Imagine that there is no such heavy load of many inquiries and contacts in your thoughts at the moment.
Imagine that they have disappeared and there is a blank sheet of paper in front of you.
What would happen then?
What if you tackle the next task, start a conversation with a new person, go to a new place without anything pulling you down? Without everything that gravitates to your mind?
Only this task. Only this person. Only this action. Just this moment.
There would be nothing else but this. This would be your universe. It would fill you completely.
In due time this moment would be replaced by the next one … And this next moment would be all there is.
Then, in turn, that too would disappear.
It is stateless.
Try to free yourself from all the past moments right now. Try to make the present moment all that is now. When you feel a previous request or idea grab your attention, release it.
This is a stateless practice. If you fail, free yourself from that too.
Start over with all the new possibilities of emptiness.
Translation: Davran zenhabits
