Buddhism and Time

It is well aknowledged throughout literature that in order for a person to experience complete happiness he has to be in absolute present - meaning: without the thought of past or future; without a past defined own image; without life-taught cynism, critical thinking and ability to compare. This simply results from complete "momentary" fascination with sensational pleasure ("complete" because there are no other thoughts interferring with the pleasure).

On the other hand, if we crave something of the past or future (experience, goal, etc..), we strive for something we once had or aim to have--but are not in the possession at the moment (hence lack of clear happiness). The benefit of this, of course, is ambition and attitude toward constantly evolving progress. This is exactly why in the western world we are so addicted to work and "self-realization." We are trapped in our ambition to become happy through realization of a certain goal, and are thus dependent on the steady partial fulfilment of the end image--the one that is supposed to bring all the happiness.

But once we reach that something new, we are again bound to lose interest in our temporary sensational pleasure and hence in need of a new stumuli (object/experience/title/loved one) for that "ultimate" happiness. No one is unique in this; and nothing physical (i.e. circumstantial) in the world is permament.

Yet, even if lifelong, constant, presence with sensational pleasure was possible, it is quite clear that it wouldn't lead to career achievement, knowledge fullfilment or any other goal our society values most dear. After all, there is no imagination, ambition or comparison from the past that one can make use of at such a moment.

So what is Buddhist's understanding of time? In buddhism there is also an idea that you must be mindfull of present in order to feel happy. However, instead of finding the ultimate pleasure through sensational/physical/circumstantial occurences, the happiness must come from within: from belief and own feelings/reactions to the outside world. And since there is no limit to feelings coming from within, there is no loss of interest or happiness. What's more: the fascination with expanding such an ability in itself serves as a motivation for a constant progress
in life, career or any other physical ambition. However, the internal fascination with a physical ambition must come as a consequence of an overall belief - only then can happiness remain permament, regardless of an outside world, environment, or time.