The Mirrorless Moon

The Truth About Hope

What’s in the future to look forward to—or to worry about? Spending time fretting about the future is meaningless, yet failing to awaken to the here and now for the sake of all sentient beings is also catastrophic.

The bodhisattva vow is fulfilled in our present practice, regardless of future results. Attachment to outcomes, whether good or bad, drags us away from reality. What, then, do we do? We must have a dynamic willingness to engage in kindness, compassion, service, and zazen. Whether or not we ever see a concrete result, this willingness and practice are awakening, right here and now.

We must accept what is—yet still engage. We must have faith in the efficacy of practice, trusting that our sincere effort is inherently beneficial for ourselves and all sentient beings.

Hope, when it takes the form of wishing for things to be better or different than they are, only brings a sense of longing.

Hope, as a gentle vow to practice compassion and wisdom for the sake of all—is never separate from here and now.

Gassho,
Koushi