The Universal Past, Present & Future Key To Liberation

过去心不可得，
现在心不可得，
未来心不可得。

– 金刚经

The past mind cannot be grasped,
The present mind cannot be grasped,
The future mind cannot be grasped.

– Diamond Sutra (The Buddha)

The past is empty of fixed aggregates
(of mind and matter: form, feeling, perception, volition and consciousness),
as they have since changed.
The future is empty of fixed aggregates,
as they have yet to come into being.
The present is empty of fixed aggregates,
as they will be of the past.

In the past, the present and future
are empty of any fixed aggregates.
In the future, the past and present
are empty of any fixed aggregates.
In the present, the past and future
are empty of any fixed aggregates.

Such is the case for us, our aggregates,
as it is for other beings (and things), their aggregates,
such that there are ‘no beings (with fixed aggregates)’ to be liberated,
as all are but constantly changing aggregates.
Self-liberation is to realise this truth about our aggregates, to be free from attachment to ‘self’.
Liberation of others is to guide them to realise this truth about their aggregates.

The universe is not the extreme of ‘nothing-ness’;
the universe is not the other extreme of ‘something-ness’;
the universe is ‘changing-ness’ of ‘everything-ness’,
the Middle Path between ‘nothing-ness’ and ‘something-ness’.

– Stonepeace