“The Wisdom of Giving Up Hope” with Jane Rauenhorst This Sunday at Minneapolis Insight

Dear Community,

Sunday 10am Community Practice & Discussion

Many of Pema Chodron’s teachings are based on the Lojong Slogans, 59 pithy phrases from Tibetan Buddhism that refer to the practice of Mind Training. Slogan number 28 is often translated as: “Give up all hope for results” or merely “Give up hope”. Although this slogan goes against so many of our experiences of and beliefs about hope, it can be particularly helpful, especially as we face uncertainty that causes us fear.

Traleg Kyabgon in his book, The Practice of Lojong, says:

"This slogan may sound foreign to western ears but it has a long history in Buddhist thinking. The Lojong teachings say that whenever we become obsessed with results, we spend our time trying to manipulate the outcome of our endeavor, instead of paying attention to the activity itself. Even though we have no real idea what the result will be, we project a picture perfect vision of our expectations onto the future. This distracts us from doing the task at hand and usually ends in frustration or disappointment because the imagined result is never the same as the eventual outcome. Thus, we shouldn't concern ourselves with what benefits we're achieving, but should simply focus on our practice with sincerity, for how we engage will determine the end result."

Pema says that the message contained in this slogan to “give up hope” is an important one because: “Hope and fear can come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can’t simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment. We feel that someone else knows what's going on, but that there's something missing in us, and therefore something is lacking in our world.” And “that as long as we are wishing for things to change, they never will. As long as we’re wanting ourself to get better, we won’t. And as long as we are oriented toward the future, we can never just relax into what we already have or who we already are.”

Although this slogan’s approach to hope may feel harsh or counterintuitive, with deeper examination and exploration it can offer relief and can help us with our ability to settle into what is actually happening, so that we can consider how we may more skillfully respond.

Please join us for shared practice and an exploration of how the wisdom imbedded in this slogan may be a part of your life. All are welcome. Registration and Zoom information available here.

With metta (loving-kindness),
Minneapolis Insight

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