I'd like to update my choice of translation for the opening line of
Bhaddekaratta gatha "Atiita.m naanvaagameyya"

atiita.m = past
naanvaagameyya = na anu + aagameyya
na = not
anu = (prefix) along, repeatedly, continually
aagameyya = optative of aagameti = would aagameti
aagameti = stay; wait, wait for, welcome, expect

So the sutta, in referring to the spiritual practitioner who is
attentive of the present, says that he (in idiomatic English) "would
not dwell on the past". The suttas define that as being carried away
with delightful thoughts about the past. In other words, we are lost
in thoughts of the past. This is not the same as remembering past
events while being present-minded.

Kumara Bhikkhu wrote thus at 05:46 PM 26-03-09:

>That's an edifying point, Lennart.
>
>I notice that many meditators are misled by the phrase "living in
>the present", such that when the mind settles and memories of the
>past arise, they take it to mean that it should not happen, because
>they are not "living in the present". So, they suppress the memory
>and "come back to the present" breath, or whatever. They don't
>realise that while the memories are associated with the past, they
>are arising in the present.
>
>This can be rather unfortunate when the matter is an unresolved
>emotional issues, or what some call a psychological wound. When such
>a memory arises, it's an opportunity to resolve it by seeing it,
>together with all kinds of reactions to it, with wisdom as it is.
>Then the practice can be seen directly as a path of purification,
>sokaparidevaana.m samatikkamaaya, dukkhadomanassaana.m
>attha"ngamaaya, ~naayassa adhigamaaya, nibbaanassa sacchikiriyaaya.
>
>Coincidentally, I was looking through the MLDB Bhaddekaratta Sutta
>translation, which Nina reproduced here. It begins with "Let not a
>person revive the past" as the translation of
>"Atiita.m naanvaagameyya". Someone who reads this English
>translation may respond in the same way as above. When I read this,
>it occurred to me, "Could Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi's unending migraine be
>due to suppression of unhappy memories?"
>
>Anyway, I think the sentence is more correctly translated as "Let
>not one *pursue* the past." The difference may be outwardly subtle,
>but significant in a practice where subtle things (dhammas) matter.
>
>kb
>
>Lennart Lopin wrote thus at 11:44 PM 23-03-09:
>>Is it really "paccupannanca jiivati"
>>
>>or rather
>>
>>"paccupannanca yo dhammam, tattha tattha vipassati"
>>
>>;-)
>>
>>On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 2:15 AM, DC Wijeratna <dcwijeratna@...> wrote:
>>
>> > Whole of the Satipa.t.thaana sutta is about living in the present.
>> > D. G. D. C. Wijeratna
>> >
>> > ________________________________
>> > From: Piya Tan <dharmafarer@... <dharmafarer%40gmail.com>>
>> > To: Pali@yahoogroups.com <Pali%40yahoogroups.com>
>> > Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 6:04:43 PM
>> > Subject: Re: [Pali] Buddha and the present moment.
>> >
>> >
>> > See the Bhaddekaratta Suttas (M 131-137).
>> >
>> > There are others, which others might point out.
>> >
>> > With metta,
>> >
>> > Piya Tan
>> >
>> > On Sun, Mar 22, 2009 at 11:01 AM, pgd2507 <pgd2507@... com> wrote:
>> >
>> > > Dear pali scholars,
>> > >
>> > > I was wondering if the buddha spoke on what in modern terms is often
>> > > referred as "living in the present moment" or "being in the now".
>> > > Mindfulness of the breath and mindfulness of vedanaa are no doubt
>> > excellent
>> > > tools of keeping one in the present moment but are there any suttas
>> > > dedicated to the now and how "being in the now" works beneficially?
>> > >
>> > > with metta,
>> > > PG