--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Within this moment, the only moment that…" description: "\"Within this moment, the only moment that exists, the past, present and future are contained.\" — Gautama Buddha" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that_2138533.jpg" --- # Within this moment, the only moment that exists, the past… ![“Within this moment, the only moment that exists, the past, present and future are contained.” quote by Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that_2138533.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that_2138533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that_2138533.jpg) > “Within this moment, the only moment that exists, the past, present and future are contained.” [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects that only the present moment truly exists, encompassing past and future. **In simple terms:** Only the present moment truly exists. Key Takeaway Live fully in the now. Themes mindfulness presence impermanence Mood calm centered Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - meditation practice - stress reduction - decision making Key Concepts temporal unity conscious awareness Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on the present affect anxiety about the future? - What practices help you stay anchored in the now? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) [Exists Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exists-past-736139/) [Future Contained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-contained-1144748/) [Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment/) [Moment Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment-exists-1570503/) [Moment Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment-moment/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-present/) [Past present and future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-present-and-future/) [Present and future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-and-future/) [Present moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-moment/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future And time future contained in time past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot-2/time-present-and-time-past-are-both-perhaps-present-in-time-future-4/) [T.S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot-2/) > [“Language allows us to represent autobiographical events in the past, present and future; we can imagine events that have not yet happened, that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqui-stedmon/language-allows-us-to-represent-autobiographical-events-in-the-past/) [Jacqui Stedmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqui-stedmon/) > [If Past Present and Future make the moment we call NOW can the word N.O.W. stand for New Omnipresent World?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/if-past-present-and-future-make-the-moment-we-call-now-can-the-word-n/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [INTRODUCTION TO NEWS --- HUMAN RACE IS ALL OVER UNIVERSE! à à à à à à à à à This news/revelation has started a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwani-kumar-ojha/introduction-to-news-human-race-is-all-over-universe-this-news/) [Ashwani Kumar Ojha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwani-kumar-ojha/) > [“We might find it easy to look at some majestic view like a glorious sunset or the grandeur of the mountains and ponder the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-might-find-it-easy-to-look-at-some-majestic-view-like-a-glorious/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can see the invisible, then you can see the possible and provide the opportunities for trust, commitment and ways of empowering others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wyatt/if-you-can-see-the-invisible-then-you-can-see-the-possible-and/) [Ken Wyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wyatt/) > [You can tell a person's past, present and future by listening to the words they use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/you-can-tell-a-person-s-past-present-and-future-by-listening-to-the/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [I finally got my past, present and future tenses correct today. I loved you. I love you. I will love you forever!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiz/i-finally-got-my-past-present-and-future-tenses-correct-today-i-loved/) [Kiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiz/) > [“I see things in two ways Curran, I can look into your eyes and see events from your past, present and future. Bethany explained.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-thrussell/i-see-things-in-two-ways-curran-i-can-look-into-your-eyes-and-see/) [Jill Thrussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-thrussell/) > [“We are all of our past, present and future lives, as well as the younger and older versions of ourselves. We are also every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-anthony-gibbs/we-are-all-of-our-past-present-and-future-lives-as-well-as-the/) [Russell Anthony Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-anthony-gibbs/) > [Instead of past, present and future, I'd prefer chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/instead-of-past-present-and-future-i-d-prefer-chocolate-vanilla-and/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [The strange thing about Africa is how past, present and future come together in a kind of rough jazz, if you like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/the-strange-thing-about-africa-is-how-past-present-and-future-come/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [“With best thoughts, words and actions we align our past, present and future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-dallas-jr/with-best-thoughts-words-and-actions-we-align-our-past-present-and/) [John R. Dallas Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-dallas-jr/) > [“The letter said that they were two feet high, and green, and shaped like plumber's friends. Their suction cups were on the ground, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-letter-said-that-they-were-two-feet-high-and-green-and-shaped/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ The most important thing I learned \[...\] was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-extence/the-most-important-thing-i-learned-was-that-when-a-person-dies-he/) [Gavin Extence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-extence/) ## More by Gautama Buddha > [Before you've seen it, and when you first see it, it is the greatest thing; afterwards, it is ordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/before-you-ve-seen-it-and-when-you-first-see-it-it-is-the-greatest/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the Messiah?" "No," answered Buddha. "Then are you a healer?" "No," Buddha replied. "Then are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/one-of-his-students-asked-buddha-are-you-the-messiah-no-answered/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Give thanks for what had been given to you, However little. Be pure, never falter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/give-thanks-for-what-had-been-given-to-you-however-little-be-pure/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/for-fear-of-causing-terror-to-living-beings-mahamati-let-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Be lamps unto yourselves. Be refuges unto yourselves. Take yourself no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Hold fast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/be-lamps-unto-yourselves-be-refuges-unto-yourselves-take-yourself-no/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Speak only the speech that neither torments self nor does harm to others. That speech is truly well spoken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/speak-only-the-speech-that-neither-torments-self-nor-does-harm-to/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Pain is the outcome of sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/pain-is-the-outcome-of-sin/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [It is because I perceive the danger in the practice of mystic wonders, that I loath, abhor, and am ashamed thereof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/it-is-because-i-perceive-the-danger-in-the-practice-of-mystic-wonders/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [If one is the master of oneself, one is the resort one can depend on; therefore, one should control oneself of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/if-one-is-the-master-of-oneself-one-is-the-resort-one-can-depend-on/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Watch the thought and its ways with care, and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/watch-the-thought-and-its-ways-with-care-and-let-it-spring-from-love/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [One is not low because of birth nor does birth make one holy. Deeds alone make one low, deeds alone make one holy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/one-is-not-low-because-of-birth-nor-does-birth-make-one-holy-deeds/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [He who causes suffering shall suffer. There is no escape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/he-who-causes-suffering-shall-suffer-there-is-no-escape/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [If a person does not harm any living being...and does not kill or cause others to kill - that person is a true spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/if-a-person-does-not-harm-any-living-being-and-does-not-kill-or-cause/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [The fool says, "These are my sons, this is my land, this is my money." In reality, the fool does not own himself, much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/the-fool-says-these-are-my-sons-this-is-my-land-this-is-my-money-in/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) [Explore all 1,043 Gautama Buddha quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) ## More Buddhist quotes > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the Messiah?" "No," answered Buddha. "Then are you a healer?" "No," Buddha replied. "Then are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/one-of-his-students-asked-buddha-are-you-the-messiah-no-answered/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/for-fear-of-causing-terror-to-living-beings-mahamati-let-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Be lamps unto yourselves. Be refuges unto yourselves. Take yourself no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Hold fast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/be-lamps-unto-yourselves-be-refuges-unto-yourselves-take-yourself-no/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Humility simply means that you do a great job at everything and it isn't really a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/humility-simply-means-that-you-do-a-great-job-at-everything-and-it/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Speak only the speech that neither torments self nor does harm to others. That speech is truly well spoken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/speak-only-the-speech-that-neither-torments-self-nor-does-harm-to/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [I don't look at anything. Every person whether he is Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister. I think we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-don-t-look-at-anything-every-person-whether-he-is-hindu-muslim-or/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [My family is Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist and Catholic. I don't believe in man-made religions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whoopi-goldberg/my-family-is-jewish-buddhist-baptist-and-catholic-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Whoopi Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whoopi-goldberg/) > [I'm working at trying to be a Christian, and that's serious business. It's like trying to be a good Jew, a good Muslim, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-working-at-trying-to-be-a-christian-and-that-s-serious-business/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“Even my Buddhist friends have been feeling despair and when they go bad, you know the end is nigh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/even-my-buddhist-friends-have-been-feeling-despair-and-when-they-go/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [He who causes suffering shall suffer. There is no escape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/he-who-causes-suffering-shall-suffer-there-is-no-escape/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“When I think about what it would take to achieve freedom from all psychological stuff, the response that comes is this: life is about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-m-ingram/when-i-think-about-what-it-would-take-to-achieve-freedom-from-all/) [Daniel M. Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-m-ingram/) > [If my happiness at this moment consists largely in reviewing happy memories and expectations, I am but dimly aware of this present. I shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/if-my-happiness-at-this-moment-consists-largely-in-reviewing-happy/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The Buddha gave his first talks, and three or four ascetics became his first disciples. They recognized his enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-gave-his-first-talks-and-three-or-four-ascetics-became-his/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Browse all 1,479 Buddhist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Within this moment, the only moment that exists, the past, present and future are contained.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gautama Buddha" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that-exists-the-past-present-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Buddhist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that-exists-the-past-present-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that_2138533.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that_2138533.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that_2138533.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Within this moment, the only moment that exists, the past, present and future are contained.” — Gautama Buddha", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gautama Buddha", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Within this moment, the only moment...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that-exists-the-past-present-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/within-this-moment-the-only-moment-that-exists-the-past-present-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```