How can we view the statement that “life must be understood backwards but must be lived forwards" from a Buddhist perspective? Soren Kierkegaard once wrote,


  
  Det er ganske sandt, hvad Philosophien siger, at Livet maa forstaaes baglænds. Men derover glemmer man den anden Sætning, at det maa leves forlænds.
  
  
  It is perfectly true, as the philosophers say, that life must be understood backwards. But they forget the other proposition, that it must be lived forwards.
  Journals IV A 164 (1843)
  See Phenomenology: Critical Concepts in Philosophy, by Dermot Moran (2002)
  Variants:
  
  
  We live forward, but we understand backward.
  Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
  
  
  


How can we view this statement from a Buddhist Perspective?
I feel that the answer that is most akin to Buddhism comes from the Buddha's instruction to his son to determine what caused the action by reflecting back, and then take responsibility for the action as one moves forward, stated as follows:


  The Buddha: How do you construe this, Rahula: What is a mirror for?
  
  Rahula: For reflection, sir.
  
  The Buddha: In the same way, Rahula, bodily acts, verbal acts, and
  mental acts are to be done with repeated reflection.
  
  Whenever you want to perform a bodily act, you should reflect on it:
  'This bodily act I want to perform-would it lead to self-affliction,
  to the affliction of others, or to both? Is it an unskillful bodily
  act, with painful consequences, painful results?' If, on reflection,
  you know that it would lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of
  others, or to both; it would be an unskillful bodily act with painful
  consequences, painful results, then any bodily act of that sort is
  absolutely unfit for you to do. But if on reflection you know that it
  would not cause affliction...it would be a skillful bodily act with
  happy consequences, happy results, then any bodily act of that sort is
  fit for you to do.   (Similarly with verbal acts and mental acts.)
  
  While you are performing a bodily act, you should reflect on it: 'This
  bodily act I am doing-is it leading to self-affliction, to the
  affliction of others, or to both? Is it an unskillful bodily act, with
  painful consequences, painful results?' If, on reflection, you know
  that it is leading to self-affliction, to affliction of others, or
  both...you should give it up. But if on reflection you know that it is
  not...you may continue with it.   (Similarly with verbal acts and
  mental acts.)
  
  Having performed a bodily act, you should reflect on it....If, on
  reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction
  of others, or to both; it was an unskillful bodily act with painful
  consequences, painful results, then you should confess it, reveal it,
  lay it open to the Teacher or to a knowledgeable companion in the holy
  life. Having confessed it...you should exercise restraint in the
  future. But if on reflection you know that it did not lead to
  affliction...it was a skillful bodily act with happy consequences,
  happy results, then you should stay mentally refreshed and joyful,
  training day and night in skillful mental qualities.   (Similarly with
  verbal acts.)
  
  Having performed a mental act, you should reflect on it....If, on
  reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction
  of others, or to both; it was an unskillful mental act with painful
  consequences, painful results, then you should feel horrified,
  humiliated, and disgusted with it. Feeling horrified... you should
  exercise restraint in the future. But if on reflection you know that
  it did not lead to affliction...it was a skillful mental act with
  happy consequences, happy results, then you should stay mentally
  refreshed and joyful, training day and night in skillful mental
  qualities.
  
  Rahula, all the priests and contemplatives in the course of the past
  who purified their bodily acts, verbal acts, and mental acts, did it
  through repeated reflection on their bodily acts, verbal acts, and
  mental acts in just this way.
  
  All the priests and contemplatives in the course of the future...All
  the priests and contemplatives at present who purify their bodily
  acts, verbal acts, and mental acts, do it through repeated reflection
  on their bodily acts, verbal acts, and mental acts in just this way.
  Therefore, Rahula, you should train yourself: 'I will purify my bodily
  acts through repeated reflection. I will purify my verbal acts through
  repeated reflection. I will purify my mental acts through repeated
  reflection.' Thus you should train yourself.   That is what the
  Blessed One said. Pleased, Ven. Rahula delighted in the Blessed One's
  words.


M.61