What Buddhism Teaches About Optimism

Buddhist Optimism in Practice

1. Loving-kindness (Metta) meditation 
   Metta means loving-kindness: a practice of goodwill, offered first to yourself, then to others. If you’d like a gentle start, use my guided Loving Kindness Meditation. 

2. Three-breath arrival (mindfulness)
   Take three slow breaths. On the inhale, silently say, “Inhale hope.” On the exhale, silently say, “Exhale optimism.”
   I suggest this mantra because it gives your mind a steady rhythm when life feels busy or uncertain. “Inhale hope” makes room for possibility. “Exhale optimism” helps relieve tension and fosters a constructive outlook. After the third breath, ask: What is one wise action available to me in this moment? If you’d like the story behind the phrases, read “Inhale hope. Exhale optimism” - Sound advice from Carole King."

3. Choose the next good step (optimism as agency)
   Name one challenge you’re facing. Then ask: What is the smallest constructive step I can take in the next 24 hours? Optimism lives in the next step, not the perfect outcome.

4. Open, not stuck (impermanence as possibility)
   Say: This will change. Then add: So I’m not trapped. Write one “better outcome” that could emerge, and one action that makes it more likely.

5. Train attention to the workable (optimism as focus)
   List three things that are working,  good, and growing in your life. Then ask: How do I support one of these today? This is realism with a forward tilt

In The Heart Sutra: the Fullness of Emptiness, Thich Nhat Hanh said,  "Emptiness is the ground of everything. “Thanks to emptiness, everything is possible.” That is a declaration made by Nagarjuna, a Buddhist philosopher of the second century. Emptiness is quite an optimistic concept. If I am not empty, I cannot be here. And if you are not empty, you cannot be there. Because you are there, I can be here. This is the true meaning of emptiness. Form does not have a separate existence. Avalokita wants us to understand this point."

Pema Chödrön (attributed)

"Emptiness is the key that unlocks the door to infinite possibility. It is the foundation of all spiritual practice and the source of boundless optimism."

Pema Chödrön in "The Places That Scare You"

"Optimism is not just a passive wish. It's a dynamic force, a force of truth."

Ajahn Brahm (Attributed)

"Optimism is the natural outcome of a peaceful and well-trained mind. When the mind is at ease, it is naturally positive, optimistic and free from worries and doubts."

Jeremy David Engels in "What Buddhism can teach in this moment of deep divisions"

"There is a profound optimism at the heart of most Buddhist traditions, rooted in the foundational belief that everyone is blessed with the capacity to practice mindfulness."

Jeremy David Engels in "What Buddhism can teach in this moment of deep divisions"

"There is a profound optimism at the heart of most Buddhist traditions, rooted in the foundational belief that everyone is blessed with the capacity to practice mindfulness."

Matthieu Ricard on "Wise Optimism"

When hearing a door creak, the optimist thinks it’s opening and the pessimist thinks it’s closing.

"For an optimist, it makes no sense to lose hope. We can always do better, limit the damage, find an alternative solution, rebuild what has been destroyed, take the current situation as a starting point, and use every present moment to advance, appreciate, act, and cultivate inner peace. The optimist does not give up quickly. Strengthened by the hope of success, he perseveres and succeeds more often than the pessimist, especially in adverse conditions. The pessimist has a tendency to back away from difficulties, sink into resignation or turn to temporary distractions that will not solve her problems. The pessimist sees a threat in every new thing and anticipates catastrophe."

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana 

"Pain exists in the universe; some measure of it is unavoidable. Learning to deal with it is not pessimism, but a very pragmatic form of optimism."