Spiritual Optimism
"If circumstances are bad
and you have to bear them,
do not make them part of yourself.
play your part in life,
but never forget that it is only a role."
-Paramahansa Yogananda
I found this over at the IntentBlog within a comment thread. It referred to an entirely different topic, but it rings so true with me that I just had to share it with you. And yes, I am Buddhist, but I honor wisdom irrespective of its source and Hinduism has brought much wisdom to the world.
This quote is particularly poignant to me because it answers the complaint many pessimists have about optimism. They say, "isn't optimism just ignorance, and ignorance is bliss?" They do not understand there are different reasons people are optimists. Some people's optimism is due to spiritual understanding while others cling to a rigid unwillingness to acknowledge anything that is not desirable, whether as future likelihood or current experience. The latter type of optimism can justifiably be called denial, but the first is a mark of wisdom.
The spiritual optimist recognizes that sometimes life is hard. Things don't always go the way you want, and sometimes the situation gets worse before it gets better. And even getting better may require some skillful decision-making on your part.
To follow the Christian advice "be in the world, but not of it," requires that we remember that no matter whether the contents of worldly experience are to our liking or not, we are dedicated above all else to a higher truth. We act responsibly within this world and try to bring happiness to ourselves and others, but we never take any of it too seriously. It is never worth losing hope over, for our hope should never lie within its contents in the first place.
Play your part in life with vigor, enthusiasm, and positive intention, but never forget that you are like a character in a very realistic dream. We care whether we have happy dreams or nightmares. To some degree it matters, but waking up is the only truly happy ending.
As I go through each day I engage in the Buddhist practice of Dzogchen, reminding myself that what I am experiencing is the play of Mind. I catch myself in the various roles I am playing out as frequently as I can, and watch as I then decide either to play it out or just drop it right on the spot. Either way, I repeatedly become aware that I am not the roles I habitually create for myself. This awareness grants me a freedom that no amount of manipulation of the contents of the dream could ever bring. Whether good circumstances or bad ones, whether favorable roles or painful ones, they are all equally lacking in substance beyond the confines of this dream-like world. And nirvana is here right within samsara right now, waiting for us to awaken and recognize it.
Tags: Musings, Spirituality, Optimism, Inspiration, Personal Growth
and you have to bear them,
do not make them part of yourself.
play your part in life,
but never forget that it is only a role."
-Paramahansa Yogananda
I found this over at the IntentBlog within a comment thread. It referred to an entirely different topic, but it rings so true with me that I just had to share it with you. And yes, I am Buddhist, but I honor wisdom irrespective of its source and Hinduism has brought much wisdom to the world.
This quote is particularly poignant to me because it answers the complaint many pessimists have about optimism. They say, "isn't optimism just ignorance, and ignorance is bliss?" They do not understand there are different reasons people are optimists. Some people's optimism is due to spiritual understanding while others cling to a rigid unwillingness to acknowledge anything that is not desirable, whether as future likelihood or current experience. The latter type of optimism can justifiably be called denial, but the first is a mark of wisdom.
The spiritual optimist recognizes that sometimes life is hard. Things don't always go the way you want, and sometimes the situation gets worse before it gets better. And even getting better may require some skillful decision-making on your part.
To follow the Christian advice "be in the world, but not of it," requires that we remember that no matter whether the contents of worldly experience are to our liking or not, we are dedicated above all else to a higher truth. We act responsibly within this world and try to bring happiness to ourselves and others, but we never take any of it too seriously. It is never worth losing hope over, for our hope should never lie within its contents in the first place.
Play your part in life with vigor, enthusiasm, and positive intention, but never forget that you are like a character in a very realistic dream. We care whether we have happy dreams or nightmares. To some degree it matters, but waking up is the only truly happy ending.
As I go through each day I engage in the Buddhist practice of Dzogchen, reminding myself that what I am experiencing is the play of Mind. I catch myself in the various roles I am playing out as frequently as I can, and watch as I then decide either to play it out or just drop it right on the spot. Either way, I repeatedly become aware that I am not the roles I habitually create for myself. This awareness grants me a freedom that no amount of manipulation of the contents of the dream could ever bring. Whether good circumstances or bad ones, whether favorable roles or painful ones, they are all equally lacking in substance beyond the confines of this dream-like world. And nirvana is here right within samsara right now, waiting for us to awaken and recognize it.
Tags: Musings, Spirituality, Optimism, Inspiration, Personal Growth
posted by Indigo @ 1:48 PM
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