"Saddled with the past" is a metaphor for stuck in the past which means that you cannot accept the reality of today but are stuck in the time that you accept. You could be stuck with bad memories that haunts you up until today or you can be stuck in a good past that you want to go back in. In any case, Hinduism promotes detachment and acceptance. Detaching yourself from worldly things is the way to not be "saddled with the past"
