Sentient City: The Art of Urban Dharma, Vol. 3
We are now accepting literary, visual arts, and music submissions for Sentient City: The Art of Urban Dharma, The Interdependence Project’s online arts magazine. The theme for Volume Three is “Past, Present, Future.” Two additions to this edition will be our new Film link (guidelines forthcoming) and our Lending Library link, where we encourage people to submit essays on books, albums or movies that have made a difference in their lives.

Past, Present, and Future in Buddhist Meditation

Buddhist meditation practices emphasize mindfulness, being fully present with one’s experience. This wouldn’t be necessary if we didn’t have minds that constantly dwell upon the past or obsess about the future. But, the fact is, we do.
Some Problems with Past, Present, and Future in the Arts
Many artists – writers, in particular – find tremendous value in living in the past. For them, memory and history serve as endless sources of inspiration. But, while a romance with the past might benefit an artist’s work, what does it do to their lives in the here and now?
On the flipside, in order to create something original, many artists – musicians and visual artists, in particular – are often bent on breaking with past and present forms of expression. Yet, try as they may, they find that their “original” expression did not come out of a vacuum, that there have been many precedents for it in contemporary art and throughout history.
Some Problems with Past, Present, and Future in Our Lives
We all know about the Monkey Mind. We all know that our minds rarely choose to rest in the present. That’s the main reason we practice. The mind too often centers on what would, could, should be or what “woulda, coulda, shoulda” been. We also know that we can do great harm to ourselves and others if we overly romanticize or catastrophize the past or the future instead of taking correct stock of the here and now.
Some Questions to Meditate on Before Submitting
– Do you have stories, real or fictitious, about someone dwelled too much in the past or the future? (Maybe you’re this someone.) Conversely, do you have stories about someone who is a paragon of present-moment awareness? (Maybe you are this someone.)
– What are the virtues of living in the present moment? What (if any) are the pitfalls?
– What are the virtues of studying the past – one’s own history or history in general? What (if any) are the pitfalls?
– What are the virtues of contemplating the future? What (if any) are the pitfalls?
– Were things better for you or someone you know yesterday? How can you help improve the situation today? (Does spiritual practice help?)
These are just some of the many questions you might consider before submitting. The deadline is February 15, 2008. Check out current and archived editions of Sentient City at www.sentientcitymag.com.