The Past Creates the Present

It is a characteristic tendency of human beings to indulge in emotions such as happiness, grief, or anger in response to present conditions, failing to balance these feelings with the awareness that present conditions are results of past causes. It is illogical to face the present only as an object of enjoyment or tolerance, neglecting to use it as the opportunity to create the future.

- Muso Kokushi, "Dream Conversations" from Everyday Mind, a Tricycle book edited by Jean Smith