The value of hope... when everything may crumble around us, it is this we turn to. But what is it? And how valuable is it, really? The definition of hope: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best; a person or thing in which expectations are centered; to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence; to feel that something desired may happen. So hope is... wanting, wishing, needing, expecting, looking ahead into the future, projecting a desired future onto the present in order to get through this moment. But what hope is not, is NOW. We don't live in the now when we harbor hope, in fact, we avoid it. We turn away from the present moment because we judge it as undesirable and unbearable and so we turn to hope as our anchor away from the now. Sometimes we cling to it above all else, in the face of all else, and place ourselves entirely in its grip. Why? Because this is the only way we feel we can endure this life. It is the epitomy of suffering. It is as if we say "I'll put up with any amount of suffering as long as I can still have hope," meaning of course that as long as I can project myself into some future idea then I can continue this existence as a means to that end. Many people consider hope to be the most valuable of resources, and often without it people give up and die. But is it not the same as all the other "things" that escaped from Pandora's box when she opened it? Is it not also an "evil" of mankind (a.k.a. illusion) just the same as the others? Perhaps it's even worse, because it is the most deceptive of illusions, the most enticing, and disguised as something desirable. It is part of the ego drama, to constantly harbor high hopes and then if that fails to then see nothing to live for. What people don't realize is that they were never living in the first place. They were merely existing, always in some fantasy, some projected future, never really here and now. Hope is the last ditch effort of the masses to avoid reality. But it's not really reality that they're avoiding, because they have no idea what it is. What they're avoiding is their judgment of reality, their perception of it, not the real thing. What is the NOW? It is not the content that's appearing in it. It is not the form that shows. The NOW is discovered beneath all forms, beyond all definitions and structures. Those that have never caught a glimpse of that realm can only assume that what they think they know (future & past forms) must also be here now (present forms). To them, the NOW is the same as the past and the future, just different content. But that is not so. Life may give rise to content, but Life is the very essence from which content arises. Life IS HERE NOW. It Lives no where else. Forms do not give birth to it. Life is the Cause. Form may arise as an effect. So why hope? Why is this needed? Why is this important? What is the truth when it is gone? Here many can't bear to look. It is shadows they fear. But the shadows seem so real. Beneath the shadows there is only the simplicity of this moment, now. This point that holds within it the full power of creation. Hope is not needed here. No-thing is needed here, only attention.
I don't agree. your whole thread only talks about living in now, or living with hope.. There's lots of stuff happening inbetween there that can help you handle both, which will help you become a better person. hope is what helps some people get out of bed every morning and try to make their lives better. Hope can help. It helps create drive... It's when you get lost in hope that it can mess up what's happening "now". And provided you don't lose sense of "now" and use "hope" to help yourself move forward, I don't see anything wrong with it.
hmm. clegg just a theory but I think you're caught up in a semantics debate. express what you said in different words. "hope" is a word that gets thrown around a lot. going from the definition of hope that the op posted, I'd say it's all very good and accurate. I think you might be thinking of a different concept
Hmmm... Maybe I am... I'll try to elaborate This is what I based myself on, and the basic "generic" def. of what hope means.. . I don't believe that to be true... Why can't you live in the present moment and also have hope in your life? having hope doesn't mean that looking at this things in our preasant lives has to be negative. now this I agree with. I wouldn't agree with it if the word "sometimes" wasn't there though. yes, this can happen. But it doesn't happen to everyone,. It doesn't happen all the time someone has hope in their lives. Believing in hope while still living in the preasant hand in hand doesn't mean you'll turn out accepting anything in your current life only because you're clinging to the hope that you'll be better off later on... It doesn't have to be an illlusion, it could be. But it doesn't always have to be. It also depends what hope means to you. If you're hoping to God that something turns out well for you, and maybe our of luck it happens that way, or if you worked at making it happen, how can "hope" be a bad thing? hope can help keep you in a positive state of mind. Again, in an extreme case I agree... That's deep. . . lol.. Many of us don't know what reality is... We on'y know the things we know because of how we percieve life. Some might think they know it all, others may be confused as hell on what's going on. That being said, how can we expect everyone to truly know what "reality" is if we all lead different lives with different circumstances? Everyone's mind is wired differently, so how can "hope" not in an extremist sense be a bad thing? How can the "hope" of a better life, of a better future for yourself, your kids, etc, be a bad thing? it can happen when you give up on yourself and lose all sense of living for the "now" with your last resort being "hope".. In the end it comes down to the same thing. Take your beliefs to the next level, and things are boundto go bad, on whatever side of the fence you're on. The simple minded religious person who loves and cares for the people around him, hoping for a good life, and hoping to God that all will be well... I can see that as a very good positive attitude to have in this crazy world we live in, again, provided that he doesn't lose sense of who he is, where he is, and the things that are happening around him.... how about we turn things around and see the complete other extreme of this. The person who has no hope and only lives with the now. Who doesn't wish, and doesn't dream, and doesn't hope... What do you have, you have what you have, you live with what you got, but you don't spread the word, you don't "hope" you're heard, you don't try to teach others in the hopes that they can see things the way you do, you just live your life as who you are without any expectations. That's pretty depressing if you ask me.
What I'm suggesting is that fully being in the now doesn't require hope of something in the future, but rather it is a full and utter acceptance of now as it is. In order to pursue becoming a "better person", as it seems to be the preoccupation of many, first one has to construct a mental idea and judgment of what a "better person" is. And there's also an underlying assumption that this fantom self isn't already present here and now and must be somehow cultivated. Sometimes if we look closely here we can even spot the ego trying to become "more than". No disagreement there. However, that doesn't make it any less of an illusion. People are constantly being propelled by their ideas that fulfillment comes from something outside themselves and exists in a future reality. When they're disconnected from Now they turn to hope to get through the day. Drive can come from one of two places: from a mentally derived idea or from inspiration. Hope can create drive, yes. And I'm not discounting hope here, or the use of it. For all those who want it or feel they benefit from it, by all means use it. Hope can be a tool and a stepping stone. Or it can be a stumbling block. And ultimately, it's not needed in the now. At some point we must let go the tools and the crutches and simply Be Here Now. When fully being in the now you don't need hope to move yourself forward. You're simply present and respond (or move forward) according to the flow of inspiration.
that's not always true. There *can be something concrete to come out of hope. As for illusions... Everything around us, so many of the things we do on a daily basis, even this site, and the things we do, the labels we give ourselves, the avatars we use under the usernames we created for ourselves, the signatures we have under our names, the styles of writing..... Aren't all these just illusions that we place for ourselves in the hopes that others will percieve us of being part of ? life is full of illusions. .. no way to get around that one. We all "want" to be labeled in one sense or another. (sorry for sidetracking a little bit)...
First of all, being in the Now doesn't mean that you cease functioning or giving to others. This is a common misperception. Being in the now means that there's no longer self-serving (the self in this regard being the ego-derived sense of self) and so the way is made clear for inspiration to flow and guided action to follow. This, in fact, is the MOST helpful that we can be, because inspiration takes all things into consideration and acts for the good of the Whole, whereas self-based and mentally constructed action is very limited in its perception of what is truly helpful. And second of all, it's only depressing when there's a sense of self that feels somehow ignored or out of control with the life direction, which of course is an illusion of how life really works. There's no "me" in control here, no "me" to direct "my" life. The ego becomes very insensed at this. lol! And it's depressing to the ego to lose this desire for something more that it hopes to get in the future. Now is never enough, for it.
I agree, and I used that example as an extreme. There will always be extremists, on whatever side of the fence you're on. I percieve "hope" as being inspirational, as having desire to move forward, to overcome obstacles. I'm not disagreeing with you. in extreme cases, I agree with you 100 %.. I have an aunt whose moto in life is basically, to suffer through this life, follow god's word, but to feel comfortable knowing that in the end, she'll get rewarded. in that sense, yes, i agree whole heartedly that her perception of life has been completely covered by her hope of eternal salvation... but once again, this is an extreme case. And when it gets to this extreme case, yes, you can lose site of the "now"...
Yes these are all illusions. Do we recognize them as such? That's a key question, because that determines the entire life experience. If we recognize what the illusion is, then we're not identified with it and are not compelled by it. Hoping for someone to perceive us as something.... who needs to be perceived as something? Is it not the ego, arising from a sense of lack, wanting to add to itself, needing the approval and acceptance of another in order to feel its worth and to ensure its strength and continuity? The only thing that wants labels is the ego, because that's all it knows. It doesn't know Essence. It doesn't know Being. Without labels and definitions it can't continue to exist. Yes illusions abound. There's nothing wrong with illusions, as long as we recognize the difference between who we really are and the illusions through which we operate. Otherwise we are left with the suffering and turmoil of the human condition, which is taking place precisely because of this lack of recognition.
I agree, completely. . . And in this day in age, it's way too easy for someone to get sucked into this alternate reality we call "the internet"... hopefully people will realize this, and build their character based on who they are rather than hiding behind a mask, and labels, by having others percieve them as who they'd like to be.
Hey, hope's not in a jar. It's in your heart, man. Let's lighten up and take it easy on our lost generation...peace.
an alternate reality to what? our native ego reality? what is our ego reality an alternate to? I don't think the internet is any more superficial than the alternative. Where do you think people really use masks, labels and are concerned with how others perceive them: the internet or real life? The answer should be obvious. The internet is a refuge from false projections of ourselves. Granted, many people cultivate pretenses even online, but for the most part the spirit of anonymity allows people to be and speak candidly without concern for cultural misreception. the internet of this day and age is a resurrection of the printing press, a boom in telecommunications. One big advantage we have now is that it's just as easy for every day average people to be heard as it is for special interest groups/big corporations. it's funny that you use the word mask, because I think the word 'ego' comes from the word 'mask.' Or more specifically ego is based on the latin word for personality, or persona which being interpreted is 'mask'
Actually I find that the internet offers a greater potential for fragmentation, projection, and identification with form. Why? Because the use of words is the predominant medium of communication here. In person there's a greater dimensional awareness of someone and it's much easier to avoid misperception. Yes I believe we can sense energy through the internet, but it takes careful attention and keen awareness and watchfulness of our mind to ensure that the ego doesn't slip in there and make its judgments and inferences, or project itself onto another.
haha well I never said the internet was a replacement for face time, but it does add another "dimension" to it. i don't see the internet as an end but as a means to an end. greater fragmentation means greater depth of awareness upon re-uniting.
