आशा के साथ दिक़्क़त यह है कि यह द्विध्रुवीय है। हर बार जब हम आशा पर भरोसा करते हैं, तो हम हमेशा भय को भी साथ में ले आते हैं। बुद्धिमता सिखाती है कि आशा और भय एक ही संचालक शक्ति के दो पहलू हैं। यह बात आप पहले से ही अपने अनुभव के द्वारा जानते हैं। ज़रा सोचिए, कि जब आप किसी परियोजना, कार्य या व्यक्ति के लिए बहुत आशा और प्रयास करते हैं, आपने तो इसकी सफलता के लिए बहुत मेहनत की, लेकिन फिर यह आपके नियंत्रण से बाहर के कारणों की वजह से विफल हो गया। तब आपको कैसा लगा?
हम में से बहुत से अच्छे लोग जो बदलाव लाने के लिए समर्पित हैं, आशा के आदी हो गए हैं। पृथ्वी , लोगों, प्रजातियों और भविष्य का विनाश होता देख कर हम हताश होते हैं । फिर भी हमें बदलाव लाने की ज़रूरत महसूस होती है। इसलिए हम हमें प्रेरित करने और ऊर्जा देने के लिए आशा का दामन थाम लेते हैं।
होलोकॉस्ट से बच कर निकल पाने वाले , हन्ना अरेंड्ट ने कहा, "आशा बुरे समय में साहसपूर्वक कार्य करने के लिए एक खतरनाक बाधा है। आशा में, मानस वास्तविकता से आगे निकल जाता है, जैसे कि डर में वह वास्तविकता से पीछे हट जाता है।"
इस चक्र के बारे में जागरूक होने और खुद को होपियम की दवा से मुक्त करने का समय आ गया है। होपियम हमें कभी भी वह ऊर्जा और प्रेरणा नहीं देता है जिसकी हमें योगदान और दृढ़ता के लिए आवश्यकता होती है। जब हम अपने आप को आशा और भय के चक्र से मुक्त करते हैं, तो हम बेकार, आशाहीन लोग नहीं बनते हैं। बल्कि हम ऐसे व्यक्ति बन जाते हैं जो स्पष्ट रूप से देख पाते हैं कि सार्थक तरीकों से कैसे योगदान दिया जाए । हम ऐसे कार्य की खोज करते हैं जिससे एक अलग बदलाव आता है। हम अपने प्रभावक्षेत्र के भीतर व्यक्ति, समुदाय, और स्थानीय कार्य के लिए सार्थक योगदान देते हैं।
जो लोग किसी ऐसे दोस्त या परिवार के सदस्य की गहरी परवाह करते हैं, जो कि व्यसनी है, वे कभी-कभी उस व्यक्ति के लिए उनकी लत को देखने और एक बेहतर तरीके की खोज करने के लिए हस्तक्षेप करेंगे। यह मेरी हार्दिक आकांक्षा है कि हम अपने आप को होपियम से मुक्त करें ताकि हम मानवीय भावना और जीवन की भावना की सेवा के लिए सार्थक कार्य खोज सकें।
आशा हमें हमारे योगदान के मार्ग में अंधा कर देती है। पृथ्वी के लिए इस गहरे दुख के समय में हम अंतर्दृष्टि और करुणा के साथ योगदान करने के लिए बहुत सारे तरीके खोज सकते हैं।
प्रतिबिंब के लिए मूल प्रश्न: आप इस धारणा से कैसे संबंधित हैं कि आशा और भय एक ही संचालक शक्ति के दो पहलू हैं? क्या आप किसी ऐसे समय की व्यक्तिगत कहानी साझा कर सकते हैं जब आप आशा और भय से आगे बढ़ने में सक्षम थे और स्पष्ट रूप से देख सकते हैं कि आप सार्थक तरीकों से कैसे योगदान दे सकते हैं? आपको अपने योगदान में केंद्रित रहने में क्या मदद करता है?
How do you relate to the notion that hope and fear are two sides of the same dynamic? Can you share a personal story of a time you were able to move beyond hope and fear and see clearly how you could contribute in meaningful ways? What helps you stay rooted in your contribution?
Great delivery. Great arguments. Keep upp the good spirit.
DM
Diana Macpherson
Nov 1, 2022
Hope and fear can be part of the same dynamic. Hope is the light in the darkness of fear. It lights the path of action. The path to action with compassion, purpose and meaning. Without light we are in the darkness. Without hope we are hopeless.
CH
Christine
Nov 1, 2022
Evil has a way of destroying every ounce of Hope. It convinces Us and lies to Us. Hope has kept the World going. However, if We let Evil win and We buy their lies Then Humans have lost. Love conquers this ugliness. If We all Love eachother and accept eachother as We are the Evil will die. Do you have the faith and Courage to Love?
Dealing with full-time care (starting about 4 weeks ago) of our 52 year old son with ALS has shown me that the only way to maintain equanimity with all the ups and downs is to take things as they are - never as good as hoped for nor as bad as fear or despair might imagine. My "contribution" is staying engaged and balanced in order to handle whatever might arise.
One way I can think about this is that hope is a desire to change the way things are, and in that desire to change the way things are, there can be a lack of acceptance for what is. In my experience, I must first accept the way things are without fear, despair, or sadness. Then I can be the change I want to see in the world rather than hope for the change I want to see in the world.
SH
Sharon
Nov 1, 2022
Midst this challenging chaos, I choose truth ,acceptance and resilience. Having faced rejection, I've endured;Having faced sadness and loss, I've been grateful;Having seen violence, I've girded myself for future aggressions. Therefore I have persisted.
This author misidentifies hope. In her description of hope, I hear expectation, attachment, that « I am the answer » (or a version of that). For me, that’s desire. And desire comes from my ego self, which is why it’s attached and full of expectation. My hope is not these things. The hope I’m filled with is light, inviting, open, and most importantly unattached. It’s fueled my possibility, of which none comes from me. It comes through me and I feel blessed to be the vessel. And yes; there can be fear there as my lower self struggles to see myself in that light and possibility.
Without hope, or hopelessness, is dangerous. I have it instead of expectations which to me can leave one with worse disappointments when not fulfilled. With hope I am aware that what I want/need may not happen but the hope gives me strength to move on. The flame of hope is forever burning even if it's almost imperceptible. If it gets snuffed out, then why bother living. I don't want to merely just exist. I count my blessings and feel gratitude always and that gives me hope.
it seems to me that hope grows out of fear, increasing fear breeds increasing hope, hope produces unrealistic expectations which lead to disappointment rather than action.
Following inner wisdom, there is potential for clarity, alertness and participation in the inner and outer lives. May we all be free from Hopium 🌱
Hope I think is something that helps us take action, take those little steps in the darkness without which we could freeze in times of helplessness. Hope is that ignition that dwells courage. Without hope we would be lost.
Thank you for your thoughtful reflection on hope. I can see the duality of hope and fear. I suppose any positive attribute can become an addiction. For me hope is having trust in the unseen—the unknown, and not having hope for a particular outcome that I would like to happen. Hope is holding the future lightly allowing myself to be open to whatever comes. Times of darkness always come and I can be filled with hopelessness and fear—but I also try to embrace the darkness and walk through it—even when I’d rather not. And I do find hope on the other side. I don’t seek it—it arrives with signs of new life like spring after a hard winter.
Thank you for your thoughtful reflection on hope. I can see the duality of hope and fear. I suppose any positive attribute can become an addiction. For me hope is having trust in the unseen—the unknown, and not having hope for a particular outcome that I would like to happen. Hope is holding the future lightly allowing myself to be open to whatever comes. Times of darkness always come and I can be filled with hopelessness and fear—but I also try to embrace the darkness and walk through it—even when I’d rather not. And I do find hope on the other side. I don’t seek it—it arrives with signs of new life like spring after a hard winter.
Well...I appreciate this article, bringing how the energy of hope can become my captive. I believe in the power of my words and have made a small step to substitute the word trust where I normally say hope. For me it gives a different renaissance. As others have spoke of here, I find less attachment to the final outcome easies my fear, anxiety...whatever emotion I may have tied to it. I also believe I become more resilient with my practice of trust AND love AND my belief in the inherent goodness of everything. My mind settles and my path becomes clear. ❤️
I view hope differently. I used to confuse hope with wishful thinking or wanting a specific outcome or expecting something “positive” is going to happen. Hope for me is knowing that no matter what, God/Goddess/Higher Power loves me unconditionally and is always with me. Hope causes action in me to contribute in any way I can to the welfare of all people and our planet.
hope... when based in reality... is born and sustained and aumented, by an awareness of the actuality of competence...
VR
Vijayam Raghu
Oct 31, 2022
While Fear lurks hidden somewhere in our mind it is Hope and a never-say-die conviction that helps to overcome the crisis we are in, I think here, besides 100% perseverance, prayer also helps to keep our conviction strong and going. Have experienced this when a family member was ill and doctors almost gave up.
NB
Noel Barcelona
Oct 31, 2022
This is very true. I am currently broken, deep inside because the things that I hoped for failed. Projects that should be bringing in money had been canceled or stopped and the things that I am hoping to sell have not yet been sold. It is frustrating. I love the things that you said, but what is the cure for Hopium? I know and I believe that we are destined to free ourselves from the yoke of whatever burdens us. Thank you for this and greetings from the Philippines.
CH
ChelseaNov 1, 2022
Thank you for this reflection, Noel. I think the cure for hopium is acceptance and the belief that whatever happens, we will handle it (maybe not always gracefully, but we will handle it). I think the yoke is resistance to what is and getting trapped in protecting our egos. When we can accept the way things are and choose our actions from the heart with our higher purpose, we can find a way that aligns with our soul’s intentions and feel at peace with the way things are.
I see that hope and fear go together. You hope for some outcome, your ability to make it happen is limited at best, and you fear it won't happen. I know my control of outcome is limited, so I like when I let go of my hold on hope and its hold on me by focusing on action that I believe is right and letting go of trying to control outcome, leaving outcome to forces bigger than me. When I focus on right action and let go of outcome, I move beyond hope and fear, and my right action is my contribution which I believe is meaningful. Letting go of trying to produce a certain outcome is letting go of hope and fear. What helps me stay rooted in my contribution is my conviction that I can control only my action, not outcome, and right action is a meaningful contribution.
When it springs from faith, “hope” is a supercharged laser light that points the way forward and powers us to take the next step, and the next, until we’re home.
When it springs from blind belief and desperate craving for something to happen, or aversion for something to not happen, “hope” leads us into further into the murky depths of darkness and delusion and distances us from the truth.
I see hope and despair as the bipolar opposites, and fear as the energy behind BOTH of those. Both hope (that something may change for example), and despair (that it will not) are for the future rather than recognizing what actually exists NOW (where the opportunity for action really is). My finite ego can only see things in terms of duality: light vs dark, good vs bad, happy vs sad, right vs wrong, hope vs despair, and ALL of those are expressions of my egoic attachment vs aversion, fueled by fears (that the "good" may be lost or insufficient. while the "bad" may manifest or multiply). In the bigger picture, Love can be recognized as being behind the fears (Love of existence and life, love of seeing truth clearly, loving-kindness: metta, compassion, etc.). When I consciously choose Awareness of unlimited Love, and act in each moment of now on that basis, then I am not dependent on clinging to fragile hope for some future, and there is no suffering...
Addiction to hope or any other thing causes suffering. When I am addiced to hope for creating changes internally as well as externally, I am paving the path of disappoinement. Addiction is like clinging to hope for changing what I hope to change. Sadly, such clinging or being attached to even a worthy cause results in suffering. I want to change, I hope to change but I am afraid to change. What if things don't go right? What if I lose in my efforts to create change? As the author Margaret Whitney says hope is bipolar. Hope and fear are two sides of the same dynamic.
When I have unrealistic hope and when I get addicted to it I cause my own suffereing. I have realized that my addiction to hope creates misery. Freeing myself from the addiction to hope is a wise way of living. I create my own suffering and I can be free from my own suffering.
We cultivate skills of being rooted in the ground so that the winds of change and hope may not uproot us. Practicing the skill of awareness has ... View full comment
Addiction to hope or any other thing causes suffering. When I am addiced to hope for creating changes internally as well as externally, I am paving the path of disappoinement. Addiction is like clinging to hope for changing what I hope to change. Sadly, such clinging or being attached to even a worthy cause results in suffering. I want to change, I hope to change but I am afraid to change. What if things don't go right? What if I lose in my efforts to create change? As the author Margaret Whitney says hope is bipolar. Hope and fear are two sides of the same dynamic.
When I have unrealistic hope and when I get addicted to it I cause my own suffereing. I have realized that my addiction to hope creates misery. Freeing myself from the addiction to hope is a wise way of living. I create my own suffering and I can be free from my own suffering.
We cultivate skills of being rooted in the ground so that the winds of change and hope may not uproot us. Practicing the skill of awareness has helped me to be free from Hopium.
May we all be free from Hopium!
Namste.
Jagdish P Dave Hide full comment
JO
joNov 1, 2022
Faith roots my hope! I will always have hope (Psalm 71:14) is written in my laundry room (of all places). A visual reminder that thru faith my hope will be realized! I hear you.
