Download HAVEL`S DEEP HOPE AND ITS ROLE IN SUFFERING

HAVEL’S DEEP HOPE AND ITS ROLE IN SUFFERING: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL
INQUIRY OF BUDDHIST CHAPLAINCY
A thesis submitted
by
JANETTE E. MCDONALD
to
Upaya Zen Center and Institute
in partial fulfillment of
the requirement for the
ordination as a
ZEN BUDDHIST CHAPLAIN
in
END OF LIFE CARE
This thesis has been
accepted for the faculty of
Upaya Zen Center by:
___________________________________
Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D.
Founder and Co-Abbot
___________________________________
Maia Duerr, MA
Director, Chaplaincy Program
___________________________________
Donna Kwilosz, Ph.D.
Mentor, Chaplaincy Program
Abstract
This study explored Vaclav Havel’s concept of deep hope in relation to human suffering. It
specifically examined what role hoping played in the suffering of three traditional college
students. An interdisciplinary review of contemporary literature included Buddhist practitioners
and thinkers, philosophers who were considered experts on hope, and relevant studies from
clinical and medical research on hope. Findings suggest that hope has different meanings and
definitions depending on the social, cultural, and historical context in which it is bound. Because
of its possible association with the future, hope may lead to suffering, but this study revealed that
it may also play a positive part in one’s healing and coping processes.
ii Copyright by
JANETTE E. MCDONALD
2011
iii DEDICATION
To the memory of my mother:
Catherine “Kate” E. S. McDonald
February 21, 1916—June 1, 2002
iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A number of people have contributed to this project in meaningful ways. I wish to first thank
the students who so graciously agreed to share their intimate stories of suffering and without
whom this study would never have been undertaken. Roshi Joan Halifax and Maia Duerr have
made through their vision and commitment a unique opportunity for those who wish to serve all
beings through the development of the Upaya Zen Chaplaincy Program. For that I will be forever
grateful. I especially thank the guest teachers and Upaya residents and staff for all they have
done to make my many visits to Santa Fe meaningful and comfortable. I offer a deep bow to
Sensei Beate, Shinzan, and Amy Frankowski. The support of the Metta Circle mentoring group
was steadfast and meant more than I could have ever imagined. I cherish each of you—Donna,
Marlee, Dave, Susan, and Jan. To Susan, the other MacDonald, a kindred spirit for support in
Montreal. To all the members of our second co-hort, I have learned from each of you and
consider it an honor to be ordained with you. Without the encouragement and support from my
colleagues at Capital University I could not have spent time away or studied with the intensity
needed to complete this thesis. Jody, Andrea, and Tracy I especially extend my sincere gratitude
and appreciation to each of you. To my friend and editor, Steve Healey—your keen analysis and
attention to detail was a huge contribution. Thank you. To my friends, family and extended
family I must again thank you for trusting me enough to walk this Path. Bobbie and Joyce, I
appreciate your support more than you will ever know. To my nieces and nephews who have
given nourishment to my body and soul and a place to rest my weary head, thank you. To my
sister Char, thank you for never ever abandoning me. To Claire Genkai, thank you for accepting
that glass of orange juice and for sharing your exquisite affection for learning. To Vaclav Havel,
I extend my sincerest gratitude for his deep sense of hope. And finally, for the Buddhas and
bodhisattvas throughout all space and time who shed their unending compassion on all suffering.
v TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section
Page
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION……………….…….…………………………….
A Reason to Hope—Purpose of the Study……………………………………
Buddhism’s Dilemma with Hope—The Study’s Significance………………..
An Interdisciplinary Exploration: Hope and Its Relationship to Suffering…..
Everyone’s Buddha Nature—A Quality of Deep Hope……………………....
To Hope Is Natural but Not Necessarily Easy………………………..
A Second Contradiction—Engaged Buddhism, Compassionate Action
and Hope………………………………………………………………
The Ease of Vain Hope and the Courage of Deep Hope: No Guarantees………...
Imagining a Future vs. Attaching to a Future…………………………………
The Study—A Narrative Phenomenology of Three Traditional College
Students……………………………………………………………….
The Mode of Inquiry—A Preview to Hermeneutical Phenomenology……….
The Grand Tour Question and Related Questions—What Role Does Hope
Play in Suffering? .................................................................................
Assumptions of the Study…………………………………………………….
Limits and Cautions for the Study…………………………………………….
My Own Duality and Role as a Researcher…………………………………...
My Three Pre-Conditions……………………………………………………..
Terms and Definitions………………………………………………………...
Summary of the Chapter and Organization of the Thesis……………………..
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Intersecting Various Epistemic Views on Hope………………………………..
Organization of the Chapter…………………………………….………
An Etymological Review of Hope……………………..……………………….
References to Hope in the Pali Canon………………………………………….
More Challenges in a Definition and Common Threads of Meaning……….…
Webb’s Modes of Hoping………………………………………….…..
Why Do People Hope?...............................................................
Hope is Socially, Culturally, and Historically Bound…
A Shift in Meaning…………………………………………….
Five Modalities of Hoping……………………………………………..
Preview to Havel……………………………………………………………….
Havel’s Language and Meaning: A Buddhist Flavor………………….
Havel’s Take on Our Present World: Samsaric Patterns………………
Quintessential Qualities of Deep Hope………………………………………..
Bearing Witness in Deep Hope………………………………………..
Frankl’s Message: Threads of Inner Life with Our Buddha Nature…..
Wakefulness and Nonduality of Our Inner Life……………………….
Actualizing the Fundamental Point: Connecting Dogen………………………
The Meaning of Deep Hope……………………………………………………
Contemporary Buddhists on Hope……………………………………………..
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Abandon All Hope: the Influence of Translations…………………….
Deep Hope and Groundlessness……………………………………….
Trungpa’s Crazy Wisdom Rooted in Hopelessness……………………
Dogen on Hope………………………………………………………………..
Chodron on Hope and Fear—the Eight Worldly Dharmas…………....
A Constructive Critique of the Buddhist Perspective…………………………
Engaged Buddhism Defined………………………………………….
A Different Thread of Meaning: Western Philosophical Perspectives……….
Marcel and the Prophetic Power of Hope…………………………….
The Groundlessness in Hope’s Prophetic Power……………………..
Clinical Medical Research on Hope……………………………………….....
The Changing Faces of Hope…………………………………………
University Students—The Research on their Hopes and Fears………………
Summary of the Chapter……………………………………………………..
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CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………
An Act of Love and Care: the Ultimate Research…………………………….
The Design: Hermeneutical Phenomenology……………………………..…..
Criteria to Participate………………………………………………………….
My Participants……………………………………………………………….
The Interviews………………………………………………………………..
Interview Questions…………………………………………………..
Procedures of the Study………………………………………………………
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CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS: SUFFERINGS REVEALED AND EXPERIENCES OF
THE THREE TENETS………………………………………………….……
Living the Three Tenets: A Way to Understand the Meaning of Suffering….
Those Who Suffered and Endured: My Participants…………………………
Lance…………………………………………………………………
Dep……………………………………………………………………
Timothy……………………………………………………………….
Themes of Suffering and Meaning..………………………………………….
The Numbing of Isolation: Feeling and Being Alone………………..
Loss of Innocence…………………………………………………….
A Deeper Sense of Self……………………………………………….
The Value of Suffering: Seeing Life with Renewed Clarity…………
Not Giving Up: Moving Forward……………………………………
Summary of the Chapter……………………………………………………..
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CHAPTER 5: RENDERINGS OF PERSONAL MEANING………………………
A Reason to Hope: Revisiting My Purpose………………………………….
What I Found…………………………………………………………………
Exploring the Research Questions and Their Potential Answers…………….
Research as a Healing Act……………………………………………
The Three Pre-conditions…………………………………………………….
Concluding Remarks………………………………………………………….
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vii References…………………………………………………………………..
APPENDIX A………………………………………………………………
APPENDIX B………………………………………………………………
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
“…I realize that hope, in the deepest sense of the word is related to the feeling that life has
meaning…”
Vaclav Havel, speaking at the Future of Hope Conference in Hiroshima, Japan,
December 5, 1995
A Reason to Hope—Purpose of the Study
This opening quote played a pivotal motivation in the direction of my thesis because I
saw hope as a contributor to life’s meaning. For several years I have been intrigued and
fascinated with the topic of human hope and its role in suffering, in part because of my own
vicissitudes and suffering, but more importantly because of the suffering I have witnessed in
others, especially in family, friends, colleagues, students, and even strangers. Through hoping I
observed that many of life’s most trying experiences (e.g. terminal illnesses, shattered dreams,
broken relationships, death, war, addiction, humiliation, ecological devastation, financial ruin,
and plain, ordinary disappointments) were somehow made more bearable. In short hoping
seemed to ease one’s pain and suffering during times of deep crisis and despair. Some prominent
thinkers including Frankl (1984) have noted that life has meaning under any condition even the
most miserable ones, and Havel (1990) implies such meaning evokes one’s purpose for hoping.
In this study I intended to explore a possible link between a specific kind of “deep” hope
as described by the playwright and political leader, Vaclav Havel (1990) and similar concepts on
hope as posited by other 20th century thinkers like Viktor Frankl (1984), Darren Webb (2008)
Ernst Bloch (1995), and Gabriel Marcel (1965). Specifically in this study I wanted to show how
their views intersected or conflicted with the Buddha’s message of liberation from suffering. An
interdisciplinary exploration of four academic disciplines and in-depth interviews were
conducted as the primary sources of interpretative data for this thesis.
1 Buddhism’s Dilemma with Hope—the Study’s Significance
My reader should note that a general use of the term hope has proved problematic and
therefore one major aim of this study was to provide some sense of clarification and distinction
among general and specific intentions and definitions of the word, hope. For instance, while
hoping may frequently help some of us endure specific painful experiences, hoping according to
many Buddhists is of a shallow nature because it promotes a sense of duality and may potentially
increase our suffering. Furthermore, this conceivable link was central to this study because it
accentuated a potential controversy in understanding hope’s different meanings from a Buddhist
perspective. Hope’s possible association with the future directly contradicts Buddhist teachings
in that Buddhism prizes the present moment which when fully realized can lead to one’s
enlightenment. According to Buddhism, the present is the only reality and one’s attachments and
cravings are generally focused on the future or past (Wheatley, 2009; Bodhi, 2005). Some argue
(Beck, 1989) that this longing diminishes the meaningfulness of the present.
In this Buddhist view, hope has two clear impediments; 1) it promotes a duality where
one particular situation is viewed or valued as something “less than” or “not as desirable” as
another, and 2) it is future oriented. Hence the Buddhist dilemma—hope potentially leads to
more suffering. If hope leads to suffering, why hope in the first place? A major reason for this
study was an attempt to examine that very question.
Furthermore, because a fully awakened or enlightened person in the Buddhist context is
one who lives in the current moment, hoping for something beyond the present could diminish
one’s path toward awakening. Therefore, this study also explored if a particular kind of hope
existed where future tendencies and dualistic qualities were absent. For that reason, Havel’s
writings on hope received considerable attention and while his descriptions could not be wrapped
2 into any pure theoretical or developmental framework, I found his reasoning to be in concert
with basic Buddhist principles.
An Interdisciplinary Exploration: Hope and Its Relationship to Suffering
One of the most significant contributions this study made was its interdisciplinary
examination of hope and its definitions. Not surprisingly, the exploration of scholarly literature
revealed a plethora of different definitions, measurements, and meaning. Four major academic
disciplines were explored: 1) philosophical and theological writings with attention given to the
scholarly exploration of hope more notably in the last 80 years; 2) Buddhist literature on hope
and general references in the Pali Canon, the writings of Dogen, and other contemporary
Buddhist thinkers; 3) recent psychological research in the context of clinical and medical
settings; and 4) current student development literature that addressed the sufferings and hopes of
contemporary college students.
By studying these four areas I sought to understand common epistemic intersections of
human hoping and their relationships to suffering. Many studies revealed unique interpretations
of hope which were distinctive to a particular profession or discipline. While similar
characteristics of hope were found across disciplines, this study also uncovered some significant
differences. The most prominent one regarded hope’s potential tendencies and orientations
toward the future.
Everyone’s Buddha Nature—A Quality of Deep Hope
From its onset this study was potentially controversial because it sought to understand
and clarify a particular kind of human behavior that is often viewed by Buddhists in a negative
way—hoping. It was therefore essential to recall that the Buddha taught two fundamentally clear
and concise messages: 1) in life one will experience suffering, and 2) it is possible for one to be
3 liberated from all suffering (Bodhi, 2005). To that end and as stated in the classical texts, the
potential for enlightenment or Buddha hood exists for everyone.
This study brought specific attention to the second part of the Buddha’s message because
I interpreted it as possessing a quality of hope as understood by Havel—a deep hope that is
unattached to future outcomes and in accordance with Buddhist principles, has qualities of nonduality and groundlessness. Moreover, I saw a common message of pure compassion in both
Havel’s deep hope and the Buddha’s lesson of the end to all suffering.
The fact that every person has Buddha nature and can potentially awaken to Buddha hood
or enlightenment seemed to epitomize Havel’s deep hope where outcomes and results were
unexpected. Deep hope, like enlightenment, cannot be planned, willed, or achieved in the sense
that one accomplishes a goal or reaches a destination; but rather both phenomena appear as
natural entities in our human condition and unfold as human experiences when the present is
fully realized. Deep hope then was intimately associated with one’s awareness of the present.
To Hope is Natural but Not Necessarily Easy
One should note however that by suggesting something is natural I did not mean to imply
an ease or comfort in its naturality. For instance, to love and to be curious are also very human
and natural behaviors, yet love relationships are clearly some of the most complex and
demanding of all human relationships. Moreover, throughout history human curiosity has led to
great discoveries as well as unfathomable catastrophes. My point is that hoping in this deep sense
is not an easy or comfortable exercise.
A Second Contradiction—Engaged Buddhism, Compassionate Action, and Hope
Another potential contradiction was explored in this study. Because of the
aforementioned dilemma, a number of contemporary Buddhists have stated that it is best for one
4 to let go of hope (Beck, 1989), have no hope (Chodron, 2002), transcend hope (Trungpa, 2001),
or abandon hope (Wheatley, 2003; Wheatley, 2009). In our present world however, and for the
purposes of this study, such advice seemed inharmonious, especially in the context of Engaged
Buddhist teachings and its intent to actively alleviate human suffering. Acts of compassion and
loving kindness are stated as basic and universal practices of Engaged Buddhism.
Furthermore, Engaged Buddhists in the West work with many people of differing
spiritual faiths and backgrounds, not just Buddhists. Hoping then could potentially mean
something different and be valued differently by non-Buddhists and it is therefore helpful for
anyone especially Engaged Buddhists to be mindful of this. With such mindfulness, one is
prompted to ask the provocative question, how compassionate is it to tell one who suffers deeply,
“abandon or let go of your hope?” (Engaged Buddhism is defined in more detail during Chapter
Two—the literature review).
The Ease of Vain Hope and the Courage of Deep Hope: No Guarantees
This study revealed that hope was not clearly identified or understood and as a term was
used inconsistently to reference different meanings thereby further complicating a thorough
understanding of hope. For instance Beck (1989) in her Everyday Zen, articulated potential
problems one encounters when hoping and used the term “vain” hope to describe a hope that
appeared as a personal projection of one’s desires onto one’s future or past. In some ways, this
kind of hope was perceived as an easier kind of hope to have or develop because it made clinging
and craving effortless and appeared to be marked by an intoxicating quality of self-indulgence
and egoism.
Buying a lottery ticket and “hoping” it is the million dollar winner serves as one example.
This vain hope may have offered more ease and comfort on a more superficial level but
5 ultimately it could led to more suffering, and some have argued that this behavior is not truly
hoping (Webb, 2008; Bauman, 2004).
Deep hope however seemed more challenging since it offered a more subtle, intrinsic
satisfaction and did not guarantee anything especially in the way of future, pleasant feelings. As
anticipated, this study revealed that deep hope, like the path of enlightenment, had no guarantees
and came with no prescribed benefits or outcomes. Havel’s deep hope seemed to require
particular kinds of courage and trust that vivified the Three Tenets of not-knowing, bearing
witness, and acting in compassionate ways. Such examples will be discussed in Chapter Four,
my findings. Vain hope on the other hand was void of this kind of courage and trust.
Imagining a Future vs. Attaching to a Future
One should note that in this study I did not intend to dismiss the weight or significance of
the concept and meaning of one’s future. Imaging tomorrow or the future is very different from
developing unhealthy attachments to them. Nowhere in any of the literature was it found where
the Buddha instructed people to ignore, avoid, or not imagine their future. It is also worth
mentioning that Dogen, the Buddha, and several venerable teachers of the past appeared to hope
at different times and for different reasons (Bodhi, 2000; Tanahashi, 1995; Yokoi, 1976), but
they clearly instructed against attachments to anything, including hope.
The Study—A Narrative Phenomenology of Three Traditional College Students
This study was planned as applied research that allowed me to integrate my own
Buddhist practice with my professional life as a college professor. Through narrative research
three traditional students at a mid-western liberal arts institution were interviewed in order to
understand their experience of suffering and the role that hope played. Here traditional simply
denoted the age of the participants and where they attended class. For instance, traditional
6 college students most often fall somewhere between the ages of 18 and 25 and attend classes in a
physical classroom on a college campus. Non-traditional students could be defined as any who
do not meet those two criteria. The participants in this study were all in their early twenties.
Some may wonder why this population was selected since it is one of the most popular
age groups examined in scholarly study. Voluminous research already existed mostly because
this population is readily assessable. Endemic to university settings (where most scholarly
research is conducted), college students are a convenient research population. In addition,
college students as subjects are more pronounced in the context of substance abuse and addiction
studies. And while suffering has been cited as a component to their addiction, current research is
woefully missing regarding their general hopes and sufferings. This research study has been one
attempt to address that vacuum.
This population was selected for two primary reasons: the emotional suffering of this
group has been dismissed or overlooked when compared to other age categories across the life
span. Young women and men within this age frame are perceived as having their whole lives
ahead of them. One inaccurate assumption has been that they have youth, health, and time on
their side and are either limited or inexperienced with suffering. As this study showed, such
assumptions were not true. During the last 15 years among this age group depression has doubled
and suicide has tripled (Tartakovsky, 2008). Obviously, young women and men including
college students do experience suffering and often they have suffered in silence and isolation
which seemed to intensify their feelings of loneliness and fear.
The Mode of Inquiry—A Preview to Hermeneutical Phenomenology
A research question is extremely important in academic research because it determines
the kind of study and method to be used. Quantitative methods set forth an objective manner to
7 prove, measure, calculate, or draw correlations using variables. Questions that answer, “Why”
are often posed in quantitative studies. Qualitative research on the other hand, seeks to
understand, describe, or explore a topic often from the perspective of the participant.
Subjectivity, rather than objectivity saturates this particular mode of inquiry and it is intended to
do so with no less rigor or authenticity than its more quantitative complements. Qualitative
questions are often meticulously designed in the “how” or “what” configuration. When done
well, both research modalities are intellectually edifying, scientifically rigorous, and contribute
something meaningful to an already existing body of scholarly knowledge.
One essential reason for this study was to understand as accurately as possible the
subjective human experience of each participant as she suffered and hoped. Because I wanted to
understand their experience with utmost accuracy, I needed to be as close as possible to the
participant and the phenomenon they described. This was achieved by in-depth personal
interviews that were conducted over the course of three months.
Although complete agreement does not exist on a definition of phenomenology, many
concur that as a research method it is simply the study of the essence of a particular
phenomenon. While the philosophical world is more inclined to view phenomenology as a
philosophical movement, for the purpose of this study I chose to consider it as a qualitative
research method. As such, phenomenology today is the by-product of Husserl’s (1964) early
work of more than a century ago. He outlined an entire procedure for how to best observe the
human phenomenon and has been widely quoted in his now famous expression, “to the things
themselves.”
Phenomenology allows the researcher a close proximity to the subject matter and a
hermeneutical process is sometimes conjoined as a means of interpreting written text. In this
8 study, interviews were transcribed and the transcriptions through what can be called a
hermeneutic analysis became the narrative data. In the end, the hermeneutical interpretation
uncovered themes of meaning, conditions of suffering, and patterns of hoping. The precise
description of my methodology is hence called hermeneutical phenomenology.
The Grand Tour Question and Related Questions—What Role Does Hope Play in
Suffering?
In narrative research a main or driving question focuses the study and is sometimes called
the grand tour question. In addition, it is common to ask related questions in order to provide
parameters and specifics that are unique to the study. The grand tour question for this study was:
What role does hoping play in alleviating or enhancing one’s suffering, specifically in the
context of three college students’ lived experiences? Related questions that provided more clarity
and depth to the study were: According to cultural and social milieus, how is hope defined and
understood and what are common epistemic threads? What are the historical and linguistic
underpinnings of the word, hope? Can one experience hope as a present moment phenomenon
that is absent from future orientations? Do we want to live in or create a world where there is no
hope? And finally, how does deep hope intersect with The Three Tenets of the Peacemaker
Order: bearing witness, not knowing, and compassionate action (Glassman, 1998).
Assumptions of the Study
At the onset of this study I made some assumptions that provided a contextual
understanding. These are integrated and referred to throughout the thesis and include:
1. Hoping is a natural part of what it means to be human
2. Definitions of hope are bound by the social, cultural, and historical conditions in which
they have been created
9 3. Hope cannot be measured with accuracy because of multiple definitions and instruments
4. Suffering and despair seem to be key components that foster one’s hope
5. Hopes change throughout the duration of one’s suffering
6. Hope may or may not be directed toward one’s future
Limits and Cautions for the Study
A limitation in scholarly research is generally thought of as a shortcoming or deficiency
in the study which may potentially encumber the truth of what the work had originally intended
(Creswell, 2003). The small number of participants and their relative similar chronological age
therefore prohibited any kind of generalizations about hoping and suffering for the population at
large. Furthermore, my reader should be careful in assuming that all traditional college students
will respond to suffering and hoping like those I interviewed.
My Own Duality and Role as a Researcher
I would be remiss if I did not admit to my reader another significant and personal
motivation for this study. Mainly, the idea of giving up hope, particularly the kind I have come to
appreciate as deep hope, did not seem like the right or compassionate thing to do, especially for
one who claims to be a practicing Engaged Buddhist. My own dualistic tendency to grasp at
hope rather than allow it to “simply be” was a potential concern and one that as a researcher I
intended to closely monitor. Because of my own affection for hope, I had to constantly notice my
feelings and pay attention to when they moved from that place of appreciation to one of clinging.
Phenomenologists have a word for this monitoring procedure and they call it
“bracketing.” It short, it requires the researcher to be self-aware and attempt to suspend her own
feelings and attitudes so that the phenomenon can be studied with a sense of steadfast clarity. As
a serious student and as a simple beginner in the context of Buddhism I have enjoyed this
10 intellectual enterprise of studying hope and trust that with humility and authenticity I have
presented it with truthful insight. How successful I have been in that process will ultimately be
judged by my reader.
My Three Pre-conditions
As I contemplated a particular thesis I knew that three things needed to happen in order
for my efforts to be successful, especially within the context of my Buddhist chaplaincy training.
I have called these my three pre-conditions and they were as follows: First, I wanted to develop a
thesis that would deepen my spiritual practice through application of The Three Tenets of the
Zen Peacemaker Order. At the beginning of the study I was uncertain how such application
would manifest but was confident that with help and encouragement from my fellow chaplain
classmates, teachers, and mentors, I would discover places and ways to integrate meditation and
further expand my knowledge of Engaged Buddhism. As a second pre-condition I wanted to
make a concerted effort to more consciously integrate my work as a teacher with my chaplaincy
training. And third, I wanted the study to address in some meaningful way the sufferings my
students.
Clearly there have been times throughout this study when I felt like a failure on all
accounts. But the way in which I was able to recover from these feelings is in large part due to
my deepened practice. Furthermore, in the midst of this study, I along with seven other
colleagues designed an interdisciplinary class on hope. At present, the course is in its second
semester offering and has 12 students. One of the major purposes of the course is to learn about
the different perspectives and dimensions of hope, and appropriate ways to inspire it in self and
others.
11 Lastly, the study has acquainted me with the deep sufferings that many young women
and men endure, especially during the college experience. It has heightened my own sensitivity
to this fact and has motivated me to more consciously address suffering in every class that I
teach.
Terms and Definitions
The following is a list of terms intended to provide my reader with a common
understanding in meaning and interpretation of significant terms and phrases. These will be used
throughout this study with the following definitions:
To hope—to imagine a future where life or living is potentially better than whatever the present
is (this definition is generally what causes the most concern for Buddhists)
Deep hope—taken from Havel’s work to suggest a kind of hope with a metaphysical and
existential nature; it emphasizes the present rather than the future or particular outcomes; it is
embedded in qualities of courage and trust
Hope in the medical context—a kind of hope that is most often used by medical professionals and
patients; it seems to provide the patient with a reason to want to get better
Vain hope—taken from Joko Beck’s definition; it implies hoping with an attachment to
something; unlike deep hope, it has a quality of selfishness and superficiality; it is similar to the
descriptions of Trungpa and Chodron.
Hopelessness—in comparison to hope it is complete lack of hope and is laden with qualities of
pain, suffering, depression, and despair
Duality—a perspective that keeps one in a mode of separation; it promotes a thisness vs. thatness
which potentially fosters suffering
Existential—related to existence or being; the meaning that comes from existing or being
Groundlessness—a state of being human where one is completely receptive to whatever the
current moment is; it is marked by extraordinary clarity and wakefulness
Fear—a state of elevated agitation and anxiety; it is more than discomfort and is completely
devoid of peace and restfulness
Indifference—a dangerous way of being human in which complete lack of energy and concern
leads to mindlessness and vacuity; it is most often revealed through personal apathy
12 Nonduality—a point of understanding that is beyond “this” vs. “that” thinking; it is beyond
separateness
Precepts—a set of moral guidelines or codes given to a person when she/he becomes a Buddhist
Suffering—an experience of anguish and or torment; in Buddhism suffering is sometimes called
Dukkha, although some have suggested the Dukkha is anything that agitates one’s mind
The Three Tenets—in the Zen Peacemaker Order these are three over-arching principles that are
intended to guide all personal intentions and actions; bearing witness, not knowing, and
compassionate action
To Wish—(sometimes associated with hope in a very general way); it is used throughout this
thesis to mean to desire, request or want something that is usually unattainable or not real or of
reality
Summary of the Chapter and Organization of the Thesis
In this chapter I have attempted to outline a purpose for this study by introducing the
work of Havel and others in relation to hope and suffering. A brief exposure to the research
problem was introduced as well as the primary research question and related questions.
Shortcomings of the study were identified as were significant terms and definitions. Moreover, I
have attempted to introduce a different way for contemporary Buddhists to think about hope. By
stating my three conditions, I intended to demonstrate how my chaplaincy work was planned to
intersect with my professional work. This chapter will be followed by a literature review.
Immediately following that, I discuss my methodology. The method section is then followed by
my findings, and finally I conclude with my own interpretations of meaning and
recommendations for future reach and potential meaning this study may have provided.
13 CHAPER TWO
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
“Hope…it is really a prophetic power. It has no bearing on what should be or even on what must
be; it just says, This will be.”
Gabriel Marcel in referencing his thoughts on hope, 1965
Intersecting Various Epistemic Views on Hope
The underlying purpose of all meaningful research is to contribute new knowledge to an
already existing discipline or body of literature (Creswell, 2003). Hence, this review intended to
address The Three Tenets of Engaged Buddhism by building a thorough, plausible, and
convincing link between hope and its possible role in assuaging one’s suffering. The literature
revealed that the perceptual lens through which hope was understood mediated its connotation
and worth. One should note that as a matter of reference no study with this particular objective
and interdisciplinary perspective has ever before been done.
Organization of Chapter
This chapter includes a thorough investigation of Havel’s writings and contrasts them
with contemporary Buddhist teachings. The works of four prominent Buddhists, Rinpoche
Chogyam Trungpa (2001), Pema Chodron (2002), Joko Beck (1989), and Margaret Wheatley
(2003; 2009) were given attention because each posited a recent and respectable argument
against hoping particularly in reference to desired future outcomes. In addition and for contextual
comparisons within Buddhist literature, an exploration of hope was conducted by reading
translations of the Pali Canon and Sanskrit writings as well as the works of Zen master, Dogen.
Extrapolations of their meaning are presented as my honest interpretation and are noted
throughout this thesis.
14 It was first necessary to give a concise historical and etymological review of the word
hope. Concerted attention was also placed on recent philosophical thinkers who in addition to
Havel have focused a significant amount of their writings on hope. Although Western in flavor,
their works seemed to complement contemporary Buddhist views and I felt their perspectives
strengthened the interdisciplinary approach of my thesis. They included Ernst Bloch (1995),
Viktor Frankl (1984), Darren Webb (2008), and Gabriel Marcel (1965; 1962).
Frankl is distinguished from the others because he was not formally considered a
philosopher, but rather a psychiatrist. His existential work known as logo therapy has
nonetheless influenced a wide genre of disciplines. Frankl’s (1984) work is directed toward a
personal meaning but I also saw his message as applicable because it aligned with Havel’s hope.
Webb’s (2008) taxonomy of hoping was particularly useful in an attempt to understand the
influence of cultural, social, and historic boundaries. His framework provided an explanation of
hope in a way that I felt could be acceptable to contemporary Buddhists. Marcel (1965; 1962)
with poetic eloquence and philosophical analysis addressed the challenge of hope’s abstract
qualities and attitudes. He further made the important distinction between “to hope” and “to hope
that.”
It is worthy to note that Havel was not only a political leader but like Marcel, he has been
a successful poet and playwright. In fact, many of his plays were said to instigate the famed,
Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia which eventually elevated Havel to the status of a global
leader and President of the Czech Republic. Bloch (1995) was significant because as a noted
philosopher and committed Marxist, he wrote the seminal work on hope to which many
contemporary academics turn when studying the role that hope plays in utopian societies.
15 Because one could draw similarities between a Buddhist sangha and a utopia I felt Bloch’s work
was therefore of legitimate interest.
Several other philosophers could have been added to the above list, but for the
connections I intended to make with Buddhist thought and suffering I felt these were most
appropriate and thus they received the bulk of my consideration. Moreover, this was the principle
reason why I did not rigorously explore the surplus of religious and artistic literature on hope.
In addition, the literature review also sought to give a compulsory review of the clinical
studies for the newest empirical findings where human hoping was of import. Because the
participants in this study were young traditional college students it was also appropriate to
review recent research from student developmental theorists to understand what had been studied
and written regarding their hopes and sufferings.
An Etymological Review of Hope
Before any thoughtful discussion could occur regarding a definition I felt it was first
important to learn where the word hope came from and how it was used. Interestingly, hope is a
relatively new word to the English language appearing first around 1200 CE. What appeared
unusual was that the word seemed to originate from the Saxon or Low German languages. This
is rare because most words in the English language can be traced to the original Latin or Greek
(B. Keller, personal communication, September 4, 2010).
In fact, the word used for hope (as a noun) in Greek is elpis, which means a “confident
expectation” and elpizo (a verb) means to have confidence in, to trust in, and to expect. In Latin
specs is the noun for hope. Speratus however was the Latin verb for to hope. When I first learned
this I immediately noticed the similarity to the Latin spiritus, which is the root for both spirit and
spiritual. I surmised there might be a relationship between hope’s original meaning with the
16 definition of spirit, “the breath (or spirit) of life.” Had there been a connection, one conclusion
might be that hoping and breathing were natural to the human condition, although I was unable
to confirm this. I mention this point because several philosophers have stated that human hoping
is a natural behavior and that it is impossible for humans to not hope (McDonald, 2008; Bauman,
2004; Grondon, 2004).
Nonetheless, the usual progression of a word from Greek or Latin normally enters the
Germanic languages as some derivative. Then it appears in the Old English as a word or related
word that eventually progresses to one that we use in our everyday language. Evidently this was
not the case with the word hope and I was unable to determine why (B. Keller, personal
communication, September 4, 2010).
References to Hope in the Pali Canon
In the Pali Canon the word hope is found numerous times and seems to be used in at least
two different ways; 1) one where some kind of goodness is hoped for another person often as a
respectful greeting of good wishes; the second use of hope illustrates a more obvious projection
of one’s desires onto the future. The canonical instruction whether it comes directly from the
Buddha or other venerable teachers seems quite clear, hoping leads to more suffering.
As one example, Sāriputta and the venerable Maha Cunda visit the venerable Channa
who in the stanza is physically ill and suffering. This particular passage is filled with many
issues in addition to hope that have contemporary relevance and one of the most striking is
suicide. In the stanza Sāriputta begins: “I hope you are getting well, friend Channa, I hope you
are comfortable. I hope your painful feelings are subsiding and not increasing...” (Majjhima
Nikāya 144 Part Three–The Final Fifty Discourses, Uparipaṇṇāsapāḷi, The Division of
Expositions, Vibhangavagga Translated by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi).
17 Channa however responds by admitting that he is not well and has no desire to live. In
fact he wants to die by his own hand with the use of a knife. He further explains that to die under
such conditions would be “blameless.” The passage provides a profound teaching for Sāriputta
who at first experiences discomfort by Channa’s words. His lesson is to see and know things
with true clarity and that the five skandhas are the root of all suffering. Initially the reader
recognizes that Sāriputta’s hopes for Channa are really nothing more than his own clinging and
wanting. In the end however Sāriputta gains new understanding of the truth of the situation and
accepts Channa’s choice. As noted in my assumptions, the change of Sāriputta’s hopes leaves
him with new insight and appreciation with Channa.
A second use of hope in the Canon illustrates a personal projection onto the future in
much the same way we project feelings of hope when we first hear our beloved has been
diagnosed with a tumour. We hope the tumour is not cancerous. Clearly this kind of hoping is
quite different from Havel’s deep hope, yet wanting our loved one to live without a tumour or to
be cured seems fitting and natural even if it may eventually bring about more suffering.
The following serves as the second example from the Lomasakangiyabhaddekaratte
Sutta, A Single Excellent Night. It is a dialogic exchange in the middle of the night between the
beautiful deity Candana and the venerable Lomasakangiyabhaddekaratte:
...Let not a person revive the past
Or on the future build his hopes;
For the past has been left behind
And the future has not been reached.
Instead with insight let him see
Each presently arisen state;
18 Let him know that and be sure of it,
Invincibly, unshakeably.
Today the effort must be made;
Tomorrow Death may come, who knows?
No bargain with Mortality
Can keep him and his hordes away.
But one who dwells thus ardently,
Relentlessly, by day, by night –
It is he, the Peaceful Sage has said,
Who has had a single excellent night. (palicanonline.org; MN 134).
Here, the passage clearly places emphasis with the present and states that the future and past are
things of which we have no control and that building our hope on these should be avoided.
Candana finishes his recollection by instructing one to learn this and commit it to memory
thereby suggesting the importance of the stanza.
More Challenges in a Definition and Common Threads of Meaning
The Western scholarly literature was replete with both general and specific definitions of
hope which provided some common threads of meaning. Since World War II, an explosion of
conferences and theories on hope have been developed (Moltmann, 1970) and the research has
become so effusive within the last twenty years that a newly emerging body of academic
literature has been dubbed, hope theory. Depending on the discipline, hope has been called an
emotion, a feeling, an attitude, a stage of development, and a state of being human (Webb, 2008;
McDonald, 2009). Theories, instruments, and scales to measure hope have been developed and
studied in much the same way as have studies of optimism and positive attitudes (Snyder, 2002).
19 Even within specific academic areas there seems to be little agreement on what
constitutes a pure definition of human hope (Webb, 2008). For instance, in a recent review of
psychiatric publications (Schrank, Stanghellini, and Slade, 2008) 49 different definitions and 32
instruments for measuring hope were found. Indeed commonalities existed, but rarely did
scholars from one discipline turn to another in an effort to broaden and deepen their own
perspectives. Instead, each seemed to study their field in more depth and write with more
conviction to their own epistemological view while using their own instruments and vehicles of
understanding. Webb was the one exception.
Webb’s Modes of Hoping
Webb (2008) sets forth a framework for understanding different modalities of human
hoping and while his primary purpose was to explore the relationship between hope and utopia, I
found his scholarship on hope to be extremely informative. I drew from his work and cited as
one of my premises for this study that hope is culturally, historically, and socially bound which
sheds clarity on the differences of perceptions and meaning of hope. It further distinguishes
between Havel’s deep hope and the hope just explored in the two previous Pali Canon examples.
Why Do People Hope?
Webb crafted these modalities from the research of renowned theorists, philosophers, and
scientists thereby creating an interdisciplinary framework. First, he distinguishes between two
pervading views as to why human beings hope in the first place. One seems to be related to our
evolutionary biology as a species and posits that human beings are incapable of not hoping. In
other words, hope is in our DNA. The second however suggests that hoping is a socially
constructed behavior and is completely unrelated to our biological or genetic make-up.
Additionally, from this perspective one could argue that hoping is a completely learned behavior.
20 Webb however suggests a third and more nuanced approach with human hoping due in part to
both our biology and our social constructions (p. 3).
Hope Is Socially, Culturally, and Historically Bound.
What I found most significant was Webb’s notion that “…the form it (hope) takes, the
mode in which it manifests is the result of a complex process of social mediation (Webb, 2008,
p. 3). Webb’s account helps explain why Buddhist literature assigns hope as one cause of
suffering. Certainly the Dharma is as relevant to contemporary Buddhists as it was 2,500 years
ago, but many (Loy, 2002; Kaplau, 2000; Hanh, 1999) have noted that Buddhism (at least in the
West) is a constantly dynamic and emerging form of spiritual practice and as such it conforms to
the social and cultural milieus in which it is bound. The basic teaching of suffering and liberation
from suffering will never waiver, but it seems reasonable to assume that as new human
experiences and ways of being arise, new ways of understanding hope in the context of suffering
will also materialize.
A Shift in Meaning.
Here Webb’s point regarding cultural and historical influence on hope’s meaning is worth
noting. Originally, in ancient Greece elpis had both positive and negative meanings. Greeks
viewed their future with uncertainty because one’s existence was not determined by one’s own
control or actions but rather by the whims and commends of the powerful gods—by forces
outside one’s self. During this time, to hope with confidence about one’s future was to invite
disenchantment.
It seems that in more recent history hope’s meaning has shifted. This ancient hope was
altogether different from the hope of the Christian view which was influenced by the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus. With the advent of Christianity this new meaning in many ways
21 presented a movement toward trust and confidence in the future which was different from the
original Greek meaning. Variations of this shift seem to have influenced the more common
accepted meaning of hope used today in the West.
Five Modalities of Hoping
Webb’s (2008) taxonomy unveiled five different modes of hoping and included two
dimensions of action; a cognitive-affective one and a behavioral one. The five modes of hope
were: 1) estimative, 2) resolute, 3) patient, 4) critical and 5) transformative. The two that I saw as
most interesting to this study were the patient and transformative modes. In patient hope there is
cognition of basic trust in the goodness of the world which bestows on it a sense of security and
safety. Its behavioral dimension is one of courageous patience and is other directed. To hope in
this sense is to “be patient and stand firm, and await an unforeseen future” (p.23). In patient hope
I perceived something very similar to the “backward step” noted by Dogen and the Tenet of notknowing in the Zen Peacemaker Order. To take on this Tenet one is required to be patient, stand
firm and to simply wait for the unforeseen future to unfold. There is no projection onto the
future, but rather a patient waiting for hope to unfold. Moreover, the cognitive-affective
dimension of trusting in the basic goodness of the world seemed very similar to the notion that
everyone has Buddha nature.
For transformative hope Webb drew from the works of Rorty (1999) and Gutierrez
(2001). Its cognitive dimension is “…a sense of possibility grounded in a profound confidence in
the capacity of human beings to construct both imaginatively and materially new ways of
organizing life (Webb, 2008, p.24.) In this dimension I saw the possible intersection of the
Buddhist Tenets, specifically compassionate action, because Engaged Buddhists intend to
actively construct meaningful ways of living.
22 The behavioral dimension seemed to also have characteristics of Engaged Buddhism.
Hope for this dimension is “…a commitment to goal-directed social praxis through which human
beings become agents of their own destiny and willfully strive to create a new and better society”
(p.24). Here I recalled the intentional and compassionate acts of my fellow chaplaincy colleagues
who work in prisons, hospitals, hospices, and places where social justice has been ignored. I
further connected Webb’s transformative hope with my perception of the Buddhist sangha. One
could argue that a sangha is a group of individuals who intend to follow the Buddhist path or
way, and in the process they create a better, more compassionate world by the service they offer.
Estimative and resolute hoping appears to be driven by a sense of personal self-efficacy.
Critical hope is quite similar to Beck’s (1989) and Bloch’s description of hope in that this kind of
hope according to Webb pushes the hoper onto something better and it is the very hope that is
often admonished in the Pali Canon. It is critical of that “…which exists precisely because it
comprehends itself as an interior force pushing the hoper toward the not yet discovered and as
yet concealed Absolute All (Webb, 2008, p. 8). The hoper here seems to experience the “lack” of
whatever exists in the present and the objective of this kind of hope is to criticize the present in
reference to the not yet experienced future. This is what causes Wheatley (2009) and others to
say “do not hope” yet they do not make a distinction of any differences in hope as does Webb,
and instead group all kinds of hope into one general category.
A Preview to Havel
For several reasons I placed considerable deliberation on the works of Havel perhaps
most importantly because he wrote eloquently about hope in the context of his own personal
lived experiences of suffering. For instance, he unintended climb to political power came against
great odds and personal sacrifice (Havel, 1997). Through a modern non-violent revolution in
23 Eastern Europe, he along with a few committed individuals led a new and fragile nation from the
suppressed social structures of totalitarianism to a more representative form of democracy. His
description of hope and his temporal emphasis on the present is specifically why I intersected his
writings with the practice of Engaged Buddhism. During several junctures of his life he clearly
felt the bitter sting of hopelessness and suffering. Before serving as president Havel was a
political dissident who was arrested several times for his opposition to the policies of
Czechoslovakia’s communistic régime. In total he spent nearly five years imprisoned and
through his own writings one sees where he admits times of extreme despair and hopelessness to
the point of imagining his own self-inflicted demise (Havel, 1997; 1990).
Havel’s Language and Meanings: a Buddhist Flavor
Although he never used typical Buddhist language, Havel was the person with
descriptions of hope that I perceived as most acceptable to traditional Buddhist thinkers. Quite
simply Havel did not use Buddhist terms or expressions because he did not come from a
Buddhist culture or social structure; he instead uses the language and vocabulary of the cultural
and social systems in which he was bound—that of an Eastern European political leader, author,
and playwright.
Havel’s Take on Our Present World: Samsaric Patterns.
In an early book, Disturbing the Peace, Havel (1990) reflects on his place in the world
and the problems our global society faces. As a product of the sixties generation living under
communistic rule Havel poignantly describes his experience as a member of the bourgeois and
how this societal label often left him feeling isolated and alienated from his less privileged
friends. He supposes these experiences had a lasting impact and he further explains how they
elucidated his affection for the underdog, underserved, and disenfranchised (Havel, 1990). In his
24 description I imagined that Havel understood the Buddhist concept of dukkha from his own
isolating experiences and sensed that his suffering developed a profound ability to be
compassionate with others who suffered.
I also found Havel’s thinking reminiscent of many writings by the Dalai Lama (1999)
because they implied that something called a “spiritual crisis” rests at the core of our global
economic and political strife. Havel (1990) asserts that this crisis stems predominantly from the
point in recent time, perhaps with the culmination of the Industrial Revolution, when humankind
began to see itself as the source of all meaning “and the measure of everything, the world began
to lose its human dimension and man began to lose control of it” (p. 11).
He attributes much of the crisis to our “departure from God which has no parallel in
history. And as far as I know, we are living in the middle of the first atheistic civilization”
(Havel, 1990, p. 11). Havel’s tone at this point seems adamant and he asserts that the principle
perpetrator for this crisis has been scientific and technological advancements. The consequences
have led to an unprecedented arrogance, selfishness, and subjugation of the less powerful. Havel
however does not leave his reader in despair and instead espouses that in order for the world to
“…change for the better it must start with a change in human consciousness, in the very
humanness of modern man” (Havel, 1990, p. 11).
Here I also saw parallels between Havel and a variety of current systems thinkers (Macy,
2009; Laslo, 2007; Jantsch, 1975) who conceded the progress of modernization but also
lamented its destructive path. Havel’s (1990) solution to our crisis is not erudite or illusory but
like many Buddhist teachings it is simple with indelible and penetrating personal meaning. He
warns:
25 Man must in some way come to his senses. He must extricate himself from this
terrible involvement in both the obvious and the hidden mechanisms of totality,
from consumptions to repression…he must rebel again his roles as a helpless cog
in the gigantic and enormous machinery...He must discover again within himself,
a deeper sense toward something higher than himself. Modern science has
realized this…but cannot find a remedy. The power to awaken this new
responsibility is beyond its reach; such a thing can be resolved neither
scientifically nor technically…only through directing ourselves toward the moral
the spiritual, based on respect for some “extramundane” authority—for the order
of nature or the universe, for a moral order and its superpersonal origin, for the
absolute…This direction and this direction alone, can lead to the creation of social
structures in which a person can once more be a person, a specific human
personality (Havel, 1990, pp. 11-12).
In this passage Havel implores humanity to wake up and notice the devastating and
thoughtless effects of our actions. Furthermore, in his intimation of the rediscovery of a deeper
self I saw a connection to our Buddha nature, that part of one’s deep self that is natural and
already always present. Havel implies that the “power to awaken” is beyond scientific inquiry
yet is instead a personal choice and more importantly a responsibility that comes from within and
may lead to the “absolute.” He further alleges that this direction alone is what promises to
elevate our consciousness to a new level of personhood, perhaps even enlightenment. Moreover,
it may ultimately equip us with a refreshed sanity and an end to our catastrophic social patterns
of samsara.
26 Quintessential Qualities of Deep Hope
Although Havel does not divulge his spiritual or religious convictions in any specific
sense, one may surmise that at the very least he ascribes a sacred or transcendent quality to life.
In another very significant passage Havel describes the quintessential qualities to which he
renders the term, deep hope. It is not surprising that Havel finds some of life’s greatest meaning
during times of personal suffering, insecurity, and hopeless experiences. Nonetheless, his deep
hope seems to instill a potential reason for living and my reader will notice a similar
characteristic in the descriptions of my participants.
What follows are some of his most poignant expressions from a speech he gave in
Hiroshima, Japan, in 1995. He was the invited keynote speaker at an international conference
titled, The Future of Hope. In that city which only fifty years earlier experienced one of the
greatest indignities ever inflicted on humankind by fellow human beings, Havel discussed from
where he thought hope arose and stressed its existential quality. For Havel, hope was clearly a
state of Being human and unlike the definitions found in the clinical literature (Snyder, 2002); his
deep hope was unattached to the future. In his following description of hope, he expresses the
Tenet of Not Knowing and the power it exudes. Because there are no guarantees in deep hope its
preciousness and fragility are magnified. Havel stated:
Many times in my life—and not just when I was in prison—I found myself in a
situation in which everything seemed to conspire against me, when nothing I had
wished for or worked for seemed likely to succeed, when I had no visible
evidence that anything I was doing had any meaning whatsoever. This is a
situation we all know…it is a situation we describe as hopeless. Whenever I found
myself immersed in such melancholy thoughts, I would ask a very simple
27 question over and over again: why don’t you just give up everything? What use is
a life in which you must look at the suffering of others as well as your own,
helpless to prevent either?...Each time I would eventually realize that hope, in the
deepest sense of the word, does not come from the outside, that hope is not
something to be found in external indications simply when a course of action may
turn out well, nor is it something I have no reason to feel when it is obvious that
nothing will turn out well. Again and again, I would realize that hope is above all
a state of mind, and that as such either we have it or we don’t, quite independently
of the state of affairs immediately around us. Hope is simply an existential
phenomenon which has nothing to do with predicting the future…On the other
hand, everything may be turning out just as we would like, yet—for no less
mysterious a reason hope may suddenly desert us. Clearly, this type of hope is
related to the very feeling that life has meaning, and as long as we feel that it
does, we have a reason to live. (Havel, 1997, pp. 236-37.)
Bearing Witness in Deep Hope
The previous passage thoroughly captivated my attention and motivated me to study
more deeply what potential relationships “deep hope” might have with Buddhist teachings of
freedom from suffering. Again, Havel does not use Engaged Buddhist language yet he seems to
address the power of bearing witness to the suffering of others and in fact, his feelings of
hopelessness serve as the impetus for his awakening to notice the suffering in others.
In his closing remarks Havel notes the preciousness of life, of the very moment, and like
Marcel’s quote at the beginning of this chapter Havel affirms hope’s transcendent quality. Here it
28 is appropriate to connect Havel’s writings with Frankl’s (1984) since both seem to suggest what I
saw as similar meanings in hope, especially in the context of human suffering.
Frankl’s Message: Threads of the Inner Life with Our Buddha Nature
Frankl, like many of the writers I examined for this thesis, did not offer a detailed
explanation or definition of what he meant by “hope” or “spiritual.” He implied, like Havel, that
one’s inner life is the basis for both. I saw this inner quality as similar to our Buddha nature. To
affirm this connection I draw my reader’s attention to his personal description of being
transported from one prison camp to another. Frankl (1984) states:
As the inner life of the prisoner tended to become more intense, he also
experienced the beauty of art and nature as never before. Under their influence he
sometimes even forgot his own frightful circumstances. If someone had seen our
faces on the journey from Auschwitz to a Bavarian camp as we beheld the
mountains of Salzburg with their summits glowing in the sunset, through the little
barred windows of the prison carriage, he would never have believed that those
were faces of men who had given up all hope of life and liberty. Despite that
factor–or maybe because of it–we were carried away by nature’s beauty... (p. 54).
Wakefulness and Nonduality of Our Inner Life
Frankl suggests that through a deepened inner life the prisoners were able to transcend
their physical predicament of despair and instead bring their attention to the current moment
where they could see and appreciate the stunning beauty of snowcapped mountains. Through this
description of personal experience Frankl implies that human beings often appear to have a
natural predilection to be hopeful creatures even during times of suffering because we seem to
have the capability to rise above our current level of understanding to what Buddhists call
29 nonduality—where all that is known, all that is, is the current moment. In such awareness there is
no separation in our thoughts of “thisness” vs. “thatness” or concepts of self, rather there is
simply the experience of the current moment. I saw in Frankl’s description of the prisoners’
experience a similar wakefulness that could also be described as a personal inner freedom.
The hope of which Frankl wrote appears to have many characteristics in common of
Havel’s deep hope. As the prisoners were riding from one camp to another they did not seem to
be concerned with desires for a future. For all they knew, they had no future. According to
Frankl their attention was exclusively placed on the current moment which was wrapped in both
exquisite beauty and horrendous suffering. Here I suggest the ability to “forget their own
frightful” situation transported them, or at least Frankl, to a state of nonduality, of inner freedom
of just “being” who they were, where they were, right then in that moment.
What is important to understand here is that complete wakefulness and nonduality are
prerequisites for enlightenment. From Frankl’s words one could argue then that even in those
hellish moments of being transported those prisoners also witnessed the paradox of personal
moments of enlightenment.
Actualizing the Fundamental Point—Connecting Dogen
According to Tanahashi (2000), Zen master Dogen called this place of inner freedom the
buddha realm. “It is where one is many, part is whole, a moment is timeless, and mortality is
immortality. To experience this beyondness in the midst of the passage of time, change, and
decay is a miracle (Introduction, xxxi). I saw this in Frankl’s words as well as in the descriptions
of my participants.
What is so significant about this experience according to Dogen is that one can actualize
this fundamental point in the heightened consciousness of zazen meditation or in simple daily
30 activities of living. Writing about this in a thesis is almost useless because my writing cannot
completely grasp my intention. Nonetheless it is an experience where no separation of any kind
exists. Duality and non-duality, relative and absolute all coexist and interact with each other
(Tanahashi, 2000).
Frankl’s remarks direct me to revisit the rhetorical question I mentioned earlier: how
compassionate would it be to tell someone who suffers, abandon hope. Had that suggestion been
given to Frankl or his fellow prisoners they may have been unable to actualize the fundamental
point as they experienced the breathtaking view of the Alps. Additionally, had that advice been
suggested to my participants their suffering would have almost certainly been increased.
The Meaning of Deep Hope
As stated earlier, Havel never gives a complete definition of hope in any of his books or
articles but instead provides some specific descriptions. His most pointed remarks come from
one chapter called oddly enough, The Politics of Hope. He states:
…the kind of hope I often think about (especially in situations that are particularly
hopeless, such as prison) I understand above all as a state of mind, not a state of
the world…it is a dimension of the soul, and it’s not essentially dependent on
some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation. Hope is not
prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, and orientation of the heart; it
transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere
beyond its horizons…I feel that its deepest roots are in the transcendental, just as
the roots of human responsibility are…
Hope in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going
well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early
31 success, but rather, an ability to work for something because it is good not just
because it stands a chance to succeed. The more unpropitious the situation in
which we demonstrate hope, the deeper that hope is. Hope is definitely not the
same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well,
but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.
(Havel, 1990, pp. 181-82).
Contemporary Buddhists on Hope
Now I integrate the works of a few prominent contemporary Buddhists. I begin with
Wheatley (2009) because she is a practicing Buddhist and like Havel and Frankl, has witnessed
extraordinary suffering through her global work as an organizational consultant. After reading
several of her articles, one will appreciate Wheatley’s heart-felt message, yet I suggest some
caution regarding a blanket acceptance of “abandon all hope.” I do this because in the case of
Frankl (and my participants) I maintain that such advice might have caused the prisoners even
more cruel and unnecessary suffering. In fairness to Wheatley, I do not interpret her descriptions
of hope as the same as Havel’s because her discussions clearly intend to address the problems of
vain hope. Wheatley (2009) although critical of vain hope also notes that it serves at least one
useful purpose—it stimulates human action. She writes:
Hope is what propels us into action. We’ve been taught to dream of a better world
as the necessary first step in creating one. We create a clear vision for the future
we want, then we set a strategy, make a plan, and get to work. (p. 81)).
But Wheatley reasons that when we are motivated by hope and then experience failure,
we drop into a state of demoralized depression. However, one could argue that hope is rarely
stagnant and as mentioned by all of my participants, hopes change; they wax and wane,
32 especially during times of despair. Wheatley, like many mentioned throughout this study offers
predictable advice—simply abandon all hope as it ultimately leads to more suffering. Wheatley
however struggles with her own advice as evident from the title of one article, Finding Hope in
Hopelessness. Her own Western American view may have added to her discomfort because she
admittedly learned early on that hopes were about imagining a future with something better. She
even asked, “If I have no belief that my vision can become real, where will I find the strength to
persevere (Wheatley, p. 23, 2003)? Perhaps more than any other writer I reviewed, Wheatley
inspired me to research and reflect more on hope’s opposite.
Abandon All Hope: the Influence of Translations.
The quote Wheatley used from Dante’s (Alighieri, 1943) epic poem is significant to
mention because it is stated differently from others I researched. This difference in translation
should be noted by my reader because the meaning could be quite momentous and potentially
result in a different conclusion and interpretation. For instance, one translation by the respected
scholar Laurence Binyon reads, “…Abandon hope, all ye who enter here…” whereas Wheatley’s
quote reads, “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Binyon’s translation places the emphasis on
all of those people who are about to enter Dante’s hell as compared to the quote used by
Wheatley which places emphasis on all hope. Such an apparent minor difference in translation
could significantly alter the meaning of the original passage. The context of the quote and the stanza that follows is also significant and often ignored.
In the classic poem from the famous passage appears on a large rock above the entrance to hell.
In the renowned stanza Dante admits the sickening feeling it evokes in him thereby capturing his
affection for hope. Virgil, his gentle guide through the realms of hell, soothes him with the
following lines:
33 Here must all misgiving be cast off:
All cowardice must here be overcome.
For now we have approached unto the place
Of which I spoke, where you shall see those souls
Who mourn the lack of intellect's true light (Alighieri, 1943, p. 5)
The message, “abandon hope” comes before this stanza and I interpreted it to mean those
who have already led destructive lives. I did not interpret this stanza to apply to all people (i.e.
Frankl and his fellow prisoners; Havel) or to demand that they abandon all hope. Instead the
phrase seems to apply to people who have lived reckless and cowardly lives.
Moreover, the above lines imply a need to set aside all resentments and to let go of
cowardly ways in order to reap meaning from harrowing experiences. Furthermore, Virgil does
not tell Dante that one should give up; rather he metaphorically suggests that one surrender all
attachments. Similarly, as people face their own suffering, they often confront their own fears
and personal demons which may seem quite hellacious.
To illustrate my point I recall Frankl’s sobering wisdom as he gently reminds us that even
the most miserable experiences and evil people provide meaning and value. In fact, abandoning
hope may cause more suffering because abandonment of hope may lead one to reason that life
has been futile or in vein. Perhaps one of the most hopeful of all teachings comes from the
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas—all people potentially may be free from all suffering.
Deep Hope and Groundlessness
The significant difference between Havel and the contemporary Buddhists mentioned
earlier is that he does not suggest that one abandon hope. Here I draw another necessary
34 connection to both Trungpa and Wheatley. In his classic piece, Crazy Wisdom, Trungpa (2001)
interprets the legendary story of Padmasambhava and describes his process of crazy wisdom as:
…giving up hope, giving up hope completely. Nobody is going to
comfort you, and nobody is going to help you. The whole idea of
trying to find the root or some logic for the discovery of crazy
wisdom is completely hopeless. There is no ground, so there is no
hope. There is also no fear, for that matter… (pp. 84-5).
Although Trungpa states to give up hope here I saw a strong similarity in Havel’s
description of hope as a state of mind where one experiences a sense of non-duality. In a similar
vein, Wheatley (2009) suggests “abandon hope” because when our hopes do not materialize we
become “depressed and demoralized” (p. 81). Here however I suggest that one’s caution be
directed toward attachment to hope, rather than hope itself.
Trungpa’s Crazy Wisdom Rooted in Hopelessness
Because Trungpa draws a wide readership it was fair to assume that his writings have
been influential to the formation of thoughts and practice among Western Buddhists. It may be
fair to speculate that many readers are practicing Buddhists, but not necessarily scholars in
Buddhist thought. In other words, ordinary lay persons could be very influenced by these
readings and perhaps even be persuaded to think that all hope, even Havel’s deep hope is bad or
at best should be avoided.
In Crazy Wisdom Trungpa explores the challenges of living a spiritual life. Through the
legend of Padmasambhava’s life he reveals the concept of crazy wisdom. While there are many
qualities aligned with this kind of wisdom Trungpa clearly states hopelessness is one of its most
35 important. Interestingly enough Trungpa discusses both hope and hopelessness but never defines
either of these in any clear sense. Trungpa states:
The sense of hopelessness is the starting point for relating with
crazy wisdom. If the sense of hopelessness is able to cut through
unrealistic goals, then the hopelessness becomes something more
definite. It becomes definite because we are not trying to
manufacture anything other than what there is not. So a sense of
hopelessness could provide the basic approach to nonduality. (p.
95, Trungpa, 2001).
Here hopelessness means something other than the opposite of hope; something other
than a state of despair and separateness. Instead, Trungpa implies that this kind of hopelessness
is part of one’s pure reality and has nothing to do with set expectations, goals or definitive
outcomes. It leads to nothing, creates and manufactures nothing; it is quite simply the reality of
the given moment. Hopelessness of this sort is different from a general Western understanding of
hopelessness, where it is used to mean complete lack of hope.
Dogen on Hope
When I first began this study, I was unaware that Dogen, the great Japanese Zen master,
as well as several venerable Buddhist sages had hoped throughout history. In a passage from On
the Endeavor of the Way we see where Dogen, also hoped about his future. In Tanahashi’s
translation Dogen wrote, “…I came back to Japan with the hope of spreading the teaching and
saving sentient beings—a heavy burden on my shoulders…” (Tanahashi, 1995, p. 144). Dogen’s
hope could be compared with both Havel’s deep hope and Webb’s patient hope in that it is
forward looking and requires a certain kind of waiting. Clearly Dogen understood the pressure
36 such hope imposed. He continued with a reference for a desired outcome: “To teach students the
power of the present moment as the only moment is a skillful teaching of Buddha ancestors. But
this doesn’t mean that there is not future result from practice. (Tanahashi, 1999, p.xxi,
introduction). These lines illustrate the natural humanness in hoping yet it illustrates the paradox
of hope—it is natural, but it also comes with the potential consequence of suffering.
Chodron on Hope and Fear—the Eight Worldly Dharmas
Chodron (2002), like Trungpa is a widely read contemporary Buddhist by lay persons and
ordained monks alike. She devotes a very short chapter to hope and fear in her popular book,
Comfortable with Uncertainty and explains how they cause us to suffer. They are part of the four
pairs of opposites which we either cling or like to avoid, and are sometimes referred to as the
eight worldly dharmas. The other three sets are pleasure and pain, praise and criticism, fame and
disgrace.
She explains the message is quite simple, when we became enamored with any of these
we experience suffering (p.55). Her suggestion for working with these is simple, “…get to know
them intimately, see how they hook us, see how they color our perception of reality…Then the
eight worldly dharmas become the means for growing wiser as well as kinder and more content.
(p. 56). The late Ayya Khema (1987; 2001) has written similar things.
A Constructive Critique of the Buddhist Perspective
Clearly there is merit in the Buddhist perspective that hoping may cause additional
suffering however, this study also revealed that within Buddhist literature there is rarely any
distinction in the intensity, depth, or kind of hope in which one is discouraged from engaging—
all hoping is basically viewed the same. Therefore the hopes of Frankl, of a very young woman
diagnosed with cancer, of a college student who wants to be accepted to a respected graduate
37 school, of a prisoner who awaits news of early parole, or of a man who regularly purchases
lottery tickets, are all viewed the same because all hopes to lead to more suffering. The general
Buddhist remedy was plain and simple—do not hope. Here I suggest that these generalizations
could be potentially harmful especially in the context of chaplaincy work. The distinctions in the
modes of hoping like those outlined by Webb (2008) may provide some further clarity and
understanding in the context of human hoping.
Engaged Buddhism Defined
It would now be helpful to provide a more detailed description of Engaged Buddhism.
Quite simply, it is a particular form of Zen practice popularized by the contemporary monk from
Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh and it intends to foster a particular way of living that promotes
engaging in everyday ordinary acts specifically those of social justice, compassionate action, and
other civilized attempts to assuage the suffering of the disenfranchised. In short, Engaged
Buddhism endorses compassionate human action and loving kindness as responses to suffering
and alleviating it (Miller, 2010).
In addition, Engaged Zen Buddhism expects one to abide by a set of ethical and moral
principles called precepts. Although there may be variations depending on the particular kind of
Buddhism, the first five are generally familiar to all Buddhists: the precept of: not killing, not
engaging in harmful speech or lying, not stealing or taking things that do not belong to you, not
engaging in sexual misconduct, and not clouding one’s mind through the use of intoxicants
(McDonald, 2010; Glassman, 1998).
Since Engaged Buddhism promotes kindness and generosity as an orientation toward life,
one might notice a seeming contradiction when they suggest, give up or abandon hope. The
38 rhetorical question of how compassionate is it to say this to one who suffers deeply is worthy of
further consideration.
A Different Thread of Meaning: Western Philosophical Perspectives
As mentioned earlier, Bloch wrote a primary philosophical treatise to which many turn
when exploring hope and utopian societies. A thorough analysis of his monumental work far
exceed the purposes of this thesis, but any contemporary study about hope would be inferior
without mentioning his contribution to the understanding of hope at least in a general sense.
Bloch asserted that to hope is to be human and to suggest that humans do otherwise would make
us something other than human. He furthermore understood hope to be an integral part of a
utopia. I further mention Bloch and his work because in some ways a Buddhist sangha has
similar characteristics, qualities, and purpose to that of a utopia.
Marcel and the Prophetic Power of Hope
This chapter opens with a quote from Gabriel Marcel, whose works may be relatively
unfamiliar to many Buddhists. Nonetheless he is considered one of the big four of 20th century
existential thinkers along with Karl Jaspers, Martin Heidegger (1962), and Jean Paul Sartre.
Marcel, unlike those just mentioned was a committed Christian his entire life and this influence
is evident when reading his works. What I found most profound about his writing in addition to
his sheer poetic eloquence was the similarity in meaning with both Havel and Frankl.
In his Being and having: an existential diary, Marcel (1965) reflects on hope’s meaning
and compares it to a prophetic power rather than a power of overtaking something or a power
that conquers over something. This kind of power perhaps like power in the Buddha’s and
Dogen’s time pre-dominates the power in our political world today which often instills fear and
anxiety among its people. In fact, we only need to recall the techniques required for military
39 expansion or financial domination to grasp his point. Havel clearly knew something about a
similar power having grown up in a communistic society where leaders clearly intended to exert
domination and power over the will of its people. Marcel’s hope however holds a different power
that is unusual and prophetic:
…a world where techniques are paramount is a world given over to desire and
fear; because every technique is there to serve some desire or some fear. It is
perhaps characteristic of Hope to be unable either to make direct use of any
technique or to call it to her aid. Hope is proper to the unarmed; it is the weapon
of the unarmed, or (more exactly) it is the very opposite of a weapon and in that
mysteriously enough, its power lies. Present-day skepticism about hope is due to
the essential inability to conceive that anything can be efficacious when it is no
sort of a power in the ordinary sense of that word (Marcel, 1965, p.76).
The Groundlessness in Hope’s Prophetic Power.
Hope’s power then according to Marcel has nothing to do with domination, fear, or
desire—it can neither dominate nor be dominated, rather its power lies in its prophetic
capacity—the kind I recalled from Frankl’s description of his fellow prisoners appreciating the
beauty of an exquisite sunrise in the midst of their transport from one prison camp to another.
Moreover, Marcel’s prophetic hope seemed to have similar qualities of groundlessness and nonduality mentioned earlier by both Wheatley (2003) and Trungpa (2001).
An image of a weaponless individual in the midst of political or military conflict armed
only with the fragile and delicate quality of deep hope moved me in a profound way. It is the
quality I experienced listening to the stories of my participants as well as learning about the
several examples mentioned throughout this literature review. Although many of Marcel’s works
40 are more the 60 years old my reader will no doubt appreciate their relevance and potency for
today. Interestingly enough Marcel was the only person I found who personified hope with the
feminine pronoun.
Clinical Medical Research on Hope
The clinical research in psychiatry, psychology, and nursing represented a scant review of
all that has been studied or measured on the topic of hope in the past few decades. The clinical
literature alone revealed over 5,000 citations with hope in the title of the article, and while hope
appears to be gaining relevance in clinical research the problem of an agreed upon definition
remained elusive and represented a commonality found in every discipline researched.
Nonetheless, one common thread found in the literature suggested that hope played a positive
role in the health and wellbeing of both sick and healthy persons.
The clinical research has accepted hope as a general belief in the “…future, a defense
against despair, and a safeguard for the human being by illuminating life itself” (Hammer,
Mogensen, and Hall, 2008, p. 549). Furthermore, a number of studies suggest that “hope” has a
positive effect on one’s immune system.
Changing Faces of Hope
At least in the clinical literature, it seems that hope plays a significant role in medical
care especially when cure of an illness is no longer the objective. Hawthorne and Yurkovich
(2004) state that in “…end of life, when science can do no more, hope endures, but the focus of
hope changes” (p.415). The medical setting is often a place where a patient’s hopes become
mixed with those of the physician or other medical staff. In other words, the medical
professionals including a doctor may see anything other than a cure as a failed hope where the
41 patient may very well change or alter her hopes as she progresses through her illness and moves
toward her inevitable death.
In this context, changes in one’s hope are necessary and may contribute to an interesting
but unusual dance between a process where hope both causes and alleviates one’s suffering. As a
simple example, a loved one may hope that her lover does not suffer a long and painful few days,
but instead passes quickly with relative ease. Yet the reality may be that the loved one lingers for
several days. Her first hope may initially cause her more personal emotional suffering because
she is forced to watch her lover suffer. But she then may alter her hope for something else—to
find an inner strength to sit beside the loved one with some sense of a calming presence.
Hawthorne and Yurkovich (2004) assert that hope in health care is often about altering
the course of the illness, but when this is no longer possible hopes change. The recent hospice
movement is one example that intends to address the constant changes a family and patient
experiences. Changes may be addressed in a number of ways which is why spiritual support and
psycho-social services are an integral part of hospice care. These changing faces of hope were
also apparent in the patterned stories of my participants.
University Students—The Research on Hopes and Fears
Within the past 20 years there has been a growing concern for the mental health of
college students comparatively speaking with regard to earlier generations. The current group
known as millennials seem to face a wide variety of complex issues especially as freshman and
have little knowledge or skills on where to obtain help when they face difficult problems. One
study (Laven, 2008) found that levels of “stress,” compounded with feelings of being
overwhelmed led to unprecedented cases of depression. The study also found that those students
who experienced emotional disruptions were more likely to have lower performance evaluations
42 in the classroom. Moreover, they infrequently inquired about help from campus professionals
often because they did not know what resources were available to them. Instead they often
sought the comfort and counsel from close friends, family and religious leaders (Laven, 2008).
These findings are consistent with my own personal experiences as a current faculty
member. While students today have the advantage of technological resources that were
unavailable to previous generations of college students the advent of technology in some ways
has posed both positive and negative consequences. Information can be gathered much quicker
and in voluminous quantities, however, this fact also contributes to an overwhelming feeling of
swimming in an endless morass of impersonal data.
In another study (Kunzendorf & Buker, 2008) that expanded beyond the population of
college students, hope and interest were explored in the context of acquiring existential meaning
in one’s life. Three different instruments were used to measure hope, interest, and existential
meaning. The Purpose of Life Test was used to measure meaninglessness versus existential
meaning; the Hopelessness Scale was used to assess hope verses hopelessness, and the Boredom
Proneness Scale was used to evaluate one’s interest versus one’s boredom. Among some of the
significant findings this study found that loss of hope was associated with suicidal ideation.
Snyder (2002) is a recognized name in academic research especially for designing a
quantitative instrument that measures hope known simply as the Hope Scale. In one study he
integrated the newly emerging field of hope theory with educational research in order to explore
what factors may predict academic success in the university setting. These are in addition to the
usual factors of intelligence and ability. Interestingly, Snyder defines hope much differently from
many others discussed in this thesis. According to Snyder (2002) hope is defined as the process
of thinking about one’s goals, along with the motivation to move toward those goals (agency),
43 and the ways to achieve those goals (pathways)” (p. 820). Because he identifies three dimensions
cognition, planning, and action he describes hope as a general human constellation that motivates
one towards a future goal. Furthermore, the article recognizes an important distinction between
optimism and defines it as: the general outcome expectancy that good things will happen.
In his study, participants were classified in two ways, those with high hope scores and
those with low hope scores. The study revealed that high hope scores were predictors for
graduating from college and for having higher GPAs. The low hope scores corresponded with
students who often did not complete college and also had much lower GPAs. High hope
individuals were able to overcome obstacles when they were encountered whereas the low hope
participants were overwhelmed and seemed to give up on their goal, which explains where they
also had a higher dropout rate from college
While this study provided new and valuable insights regarding behavior among certain
kinds of college students, one could debate what exactly the Hope Scale was truly measuring. In
the context of my understanding of hope, I would suggest that the Hope Scale used in this study
was not exploring the same kind of human experience described by Havel. In fact, some may
argue that Snyder’s Hope Scale is more likely measuring a kind of self-directed behavior rather
than the deep hope Havel describes. Havel’s deep hope perhaps can never be measured with an
objective instrument or inventory. An attempt to do so seems to diminish the very quality that
gives it unique and transcendent properties in the first place.
Perhaps most significantly, the students in my study may have scored in the high hopes
category despite their significant experiences of loss, despair, depression, and general feelings of
being overwhelmed. To suggest that at the time of their suffering they were people of “high
44 hopes” would have been a misnomer. Like several of the examples address throughout this
chapter, their suffering was the impetus for deep hope.
Summary of the Chapter
I began this chapter began with a quote from Gabriel Marcel regarding the prophetic
power of hope because I saw in Marcel’s description similar qualities to Havel’s deep hope and
the notions of non-duality and groundlessness. As noted in my introduction, I have attempted to
build a plausible connection between hope and the role it may play in alleviating human
suffering. In order to achieve this it was necessary to explore Havel’s writings on hope and the
context for his perceptive. I felt it was also necessary to familiarize my reader with some history
about the word and its origin since there was an apparent shift in meaning from its early Greek
connotation. Clearly it was essential that I address hope from the early Buddhist tradition as
noted from my examples of the Pali Canon and Dogen’s work.
Furthermore, reasons why this study would illicit controversy were examined particularly
through a review of contemporary Buddhist thinkers, like Trungpa, Wheatley, Chodron, and
Beck. A compulsory exploration was also given regarding hope in the recent clinical research.
Additionally, I attempted to provide a cursory exploration of suffering among traditional college
aged students. Lastly, this review intended to provide the foundational understanding for
exploring my research questions.
Even after reading of this review there will be Buddhists who lament the fact that I have
connected hope with the Buddha’s message of liberation from suffering. My defense rests with
Havel in that he has offered a refreshed description of hope where the emphasis is indeed with
the present and lacks attachment to future outcomes or results. My major purpose for conducting
45 the study in the first place was to intersect it in an obvious and meaningful way with Buddhist
chaplaincy work. This review is now followed by a description of my methodology.
46 CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
“…research is a caring act: we want to know that which is most essential to being. To care is to
serve and to share our being with the one we love. We desire to truly know our loved one’s very
nature. And if our love is strong enough, we not only will learn much about life, we also will
come face to face with its mystery.” (Van Manen, 1990, pg. 5-6)
An Act of Love and Care—the Ultimate Research
The above quote from Van Manen seemed appropriate to open this chapter in my attempt
to further connect The Three Tenets of the Peacemaker Order with this study. Van Manen, a
noted human scientist, is referring to the general act of research, but for this study his words
added an even deeper appreciation for the relationship between the researcher and the
participants. Just as Van Manen (1990) suggests that ultimately a researcher cares and loves
those she studies, in a similar vein a chaplain extends loving kindness and generosity of service
to those in need. One could argue that to do good research is a form of academic chaplaincy that
fosters a deliberate respect for new knowledge and wisdom gained and a genuine reverence for
the mysteries that rest beyond the sophistication of academic inquiry.
The Design—A Hermeneutical Phenomenology
This chapter details the design of my study and the way in which it was conducted. As
noted in the introduction, my intention was to understand as accurately as possible the sufferings
of three college students and what role if any hope may have played in their experiences. As
noted in the introduction of this thesis such an endeavor required me to be very near and close to
these phenomena. Phenomenological methods were most appropriate to use because they allow
the researcher to explore human experiences in exceptionally in-depth ways. The method
immerses the researcher into the field of study so that lived experiences are revealed with their
authentic sense of vitality. As a result I was then able to accurately describe and re-tell my
47 participants’ encounters with exactness and precision. Their descriptions eventually became the
written text that was analyzed as data in hermeneutical fashion for themes of meaning. Hence,
the formal type of method I used is called hermeneutical phenomenology.
Narrative research of this type is intended to be extremely individual and subjective
because it specifically expects to understand the phenomenon from the personal perspective of
each participant. Its validity and rigor however are no less credible or scientific than its more
quantitative complements. Its purpose and intent are simply different from those that seek to
prove or predict.
Criteria to Participate
For the purpose of this study it was necessary to self-select students who had experienced
some kind of significant suffering. Although the specifics of their suffering were not known to
the general university population, it was common knowledge among their friends and classmates
that these students had endured some dramatic and difficult life experiences. The criteria to
participate were quite simple, one only needed to have experienced some kind of significant
suffering. As their former teacher I had learned through general class discussions and written
assignments about their life experiences. I privately asked each of them if they would be
interested in participating in my study and all accepted. At the time of the interviews none of the
participants were enrolled in any of my classes.
My Participants
All participants were attending a small private liberal arts university in the mid-western
part of the United States. They were all 20 year-olds who had experienced the death of a close
family member and one student had cared for his father as he was dying of lung cancer. Two of
the three were currently taking medication for depression and anxiety. All three were considered
48 excellent students as indicated by their high grade point averages: all held at least a 3.3 and two
of them had 3.9 averages.
Their academic majors and minors were diverse and included marketing, exercise
science, economics, philosophy, and psychology. Their reported religious affiliation was varied
including one Buddhist, one was Christian, and one listed “other” as his religious choice. All
were single and had never been married but all had either been in or were currently in a
significant relationship. By usual social standards each person was a member of the middle class
and had a least one parent who had attended college.
The Interviews
At the beginning of each interview, each person was requested to complete an informed
consent form and a demographic form (see Appendices A & B). One section on the form
demographic asked for their definition of hope. It was explained that each interview would be
recorded and was planned to last approximately 30 minutes, but depending on their responses
interviews could be shorter or longer. If after the interview I had questions about the meaning of
any responses I would contact the person for clarification. I further expressed my interest in
talking with them about their suffering and assured them that all conversations would be treated
with utmost respect and confidentiality. It was noted that their true names or identity would
never be revealed but that the data collected would become part of a formal thesis for
publication. All accepted.
In order to further respect their privacy and ensure anonymity they were given fictitious
names in the following chapter. One woman and two men participated in interviews that were
guided by 12 open-ended questions. All interviews were conducted on the university campus in
my office and were audio recorded. Interviews lasted in duration of 20 minutes to an hour and
49 half.
Interview Questions
The interview questions were:
1. Describe what have been some of your life experiences that have given you pain or
suffering?
2. How have these changed or affected you?
3. Who or what eased your pain while you were suffering?
4. What was most helpful to you as you suffered?
5. What was most harmful?
6. What were some of your hopes during that time?
7. What advice would you give to someone who experienced a similar kind of suffering?
8. What gives you pain or causes you to suffer right now in your life?
9. Who or what eases that pain or suffering?
10. When you reflect or think about your life right now, what are some of your greatest
hopes?
11. What are some of your greatest fears?
12. Is there anything you would like to add that you have not already said?
Procedures of the Study
I transcribed all interviews and total time for transcriptions exceeded seven hours. Each
interview was analyzed and coded for particular themes of meaning in the context of suffering
and hope and are detailed in the following chapter. To ensure ethical procedures and because the
content of our interviews could have potentially stimulated unsettling feelings, each person was
reminded of counseling services available at the university. The day after each interview I
50 followed-up with a personal contact to thank each person for participating and to check on their
well-being in the context of our previous discussion.
51 CHAPTER FOUR
FINDINGS: SUFFERINGS REVEALED AND EXPERIENCES OF THE THREE TENETS
“May all beings be free from suffering...”
the Four Immeasurables
This chapter details my findings including what led up to the personal sufferings of each
participant. Themes of meaning were elicited through common patterns and expressions of
human suffering. Intersections with Havel, Webb, and contemporary Buddhist thinkers were
made.
Living The Three Tenets: A Way to Understand the Meaning of Suffering
Glassman (1998) states that one of the primary vows of a Zen Peacemaker is to heal
one’s s self and others and by doing so one recognizes the true meaning of “no separation.”
Training to be a chaplain has manifested some of my own healing as demonstrated through the
research in this study. The Three Peacemaker Tenets, not knowing, bearing witness, and acting
with compassion were alive in my consciousness as I began each interview. I knew that in many
ways even as a researcher I would bear witness to delicate memories and felt truly privileged to
be at each person’s side during their moments of reflection.
Without a doubt the fact that I had been their instructor had some influence on what and
the way in which they entrusted their sufferings to me. There appeared to be some unspoken trust
between us which created an atmosphere where authenticity could unfold. Past experiences with
them had provided general information about their circumstances, but specific details were
unknown to me before our interviews. The Precept of not knowing was at the forefront of my
awareness as I had very little information about what each person would share concerning the
depth and trauma of their suffering. Had this been known previous to the study I may never have
initiated it. It some ways our encounters with each other seemed like sacred exchanges and to
52 place them in a formal published thesis almost diminished or tarnished their meaning. Clearly, I
had the distinct and honorable privilege to listen to each person’s intimate story of suffering and
regarding some of the specific details, our interviews marked the first time they had placed
words on their experiences.
Those Who Suffered and Endured—My Participants
This chapter begins with a short introduction of each person including the particulars of
what caused their sufferings and how they coped with these. When appropriate, I have quoted
their actual words from the transcribed text.
Lance
In a first impression one might assume that Lance was a typical 20 year-old who enjoyed
all of the thrills and pleasures of one who attends a small private liberal arts institution. First
impressions however are rarely accurate and hardly ever complete which explains why the depth
and fullness of Lance’s young life could have initially gone unnoticed. His exquisite good looks
and boyish charm, extraordinary athletic talent, and refined ability for scholarly discourse
masked his serious illness of clinical depression. He reminded me more than once during our
interview that his illness however, has been the primary impetus for his aspiration to attend
medical school and become a psychiatrist.
As a freshman in high school Lance began to notice a change in his attitudes and energy
levels and the unexpected death of his elderly and frail grandfather seemed to agitate matters. By
his sophomore year Lance knew that something was indeed wrong. He no longer enjoyed
wrestling and frequently felt tired and run down. His mother suspected he may have contracted
mononucleosis and took him to his family doctor who was the first to diagnose him with
depression.
53 Although Lance was prescribed mild anti-depressants matters grew progressively worse
during his junior year of high school. His uncle, for whom Lance was named after, died a painful
death from cancer, Lance quit playing football, and he ended his relationship with a long-time
girlfriend. All of these life experiences led to Lance’s abuse and addiction to prescribed
medications and his inevitable emotional breakdown at the age of 17. On the verge of physical
collapse Lance admitted his suicidal tendencies and eventually spent several weeks in a
psychiatric unit.
Currently Lance is a junior in college and has matured into an extremely sensitive and
socially aware young man. While his drive for professional success remains a prime motivator
Lance recognizes that his illness will always need self- monitoring. Lance is philosophical in his
reflections and notes that his depression has given him a unique lens for understanding the
experiences of others. He sees this as a benefit and feels that it will one day allow him to be a
more empathic psychiatrist. Not surprisingly, Lance aspires to work with adolescents and young
adults.
Dep
Like all of the participants in this study, Dep is a young woman of extreme intellectual
ability. A 20 year-old international student from Vietnam, Dep has declared two academic
majors and one minor. She has been actively involved as a student leader on campus and found
time to work and volunteer for causes she deemed worthy.
Although Dep was not alive during the Vietnam War, her mother and father were and
their experiences no doubt have influenced the choices they have given Dep and her sister. In
fact, one of the reasons Dep came to the United States was the result of the experiences both her
parents lived through—they felt she could receive a better education and life away from the
54 confines of the current communistic power which occupies her native home land. Her parents
once knew the freedoms a democracy granted and they wanted their children to experience
similar privileges.
One of the first things a person would probably notice about Dep is her emotional
sensitivity which makes her appear much wiser than her youthful physique conveys. While she
clearly loves and misses her family, they have also been principle contributors to her greatest
sufferings. As a very young child Dep was physically and emotionally abused by her mother.
Dep recalled being screamed at and physically struck on several occasions. Although her scars
are not visible in a physical sense, upon intimate dialogue with her one quickly witnesses the
emotional wounds she continues to carry.
Perhaps her greatest suffering has come from something over which she has no control,
her sexuality. Dep is gay and because of the potential shame and ridicule this would unleash on
both her and her family, she is compelled to constantly lie about the person she loves. She savors
the close bond she has with her father but feels a constant need to hide this part of herself. On a
few occasions she has tried to discuss this matter. He is a practicing Buddhist and has shared
with her that he has been a good person and therefore undeserving of a karmic experience that
exposes such shame from having a gay daughter.
Dep like Lance has been diagnosed with depression and is currently in therapy. She takes
medication and practices an individualized style of meditation which helps her function each day
in a “more healthy and peaceful” way. Dep plans to study in Europe before attending graduate
school and eventually hopes to work in some ambassadorial role.
55 Timothy
Timothy described his family as the most important thing to him and during the last four
years he has taken on an even greater role as its chief guardian and protector. As a senior in high
school, Timothy watched his father and close friend die a swift and horrendous death from lung
cancer. As the eldest of three children, he had developed a special bond with his father. In fact
they were “best friends” and he stated that when his dad was diagnosed with cancer, his life “was
forever changed.” Since his father’s death Timothy has become the “man of the family” and
assumes a self-imposed emotional and financial responsibility for his younger siblings.
Timothy is also a fine athlete and has enjoyed tremendous success as a varsity basketball
starter. He poignantly described how for years during a game he would glance into the stands to
see both his parents cheering. Today he admits that while he is very grateful his mother never
misses a game, now when he looks into the bleachers and sees her sitting alone, he is reminded
of the vacant place his father’s death has literally and metaphorically left behind.
Timothy is quite contemplative about the life he hopes to craft and places the role of
fatherhood among his greatest aspirations. As an athlete Timothy has a keen appreciation for a
finely tuned and healthy body and plans to attend graduate school to become a physical therapist.
Themes of Suffering and Meaning
The interviews revealed several notable themes of meaning but five seemed most
prominent as each person had mentioned these at one point during our time together. The most
common was the feeling of isolation and loneliness that resulted from their individual suffering.
Although each person was clear about the excruciating emotional pain they felt during their
suffering they all acknowledged that such suffering provided a deeper sense of who they were as
56 a human being. In retrospect they saw value in their suffering because it seemed to contribute
something meaningful in their lives.
While Lance entertained notions of suicide, everyone, including Lance, mentioned an
inner strength that allowed them to move forward in some way. In other words, no one was
willing to give up and succumb in a completely negative way to their specific suffering, despite
the hopelessness they may have felt.
Each person mentioned that their suffering also contributed something meaningful in
their lives. They noted that in the end, they had become fuller more mature persons because of
what they endured. Although my participants did not specifically articulate this I clearly saw it in
their recollections of their sufferings, especially when I asked how their suffering had impacted
or changed them. All of them had lost a part of their innocence and as a result they seemed to
have wisdom beyond that of the usual 20 year old I typically see in my classroom.
The Numbing of Isolation—Feeling and Being Alone
After explaining what had led to his initial depression Lance admitted his addiction to
prescribed medication, “… I started abusing prescription pills and that was pretty much the end
right there that was the ultimate suffering, you know…loneliness and addiction combined …that
was probably the worst I’ve been through...”
Timothy felt he had one close friend from child who understood his situation to some
extent. He said,
… one friend in particular I could actually talk to. He has been my best friend
since I was 4 years old…so he was so close to my family that my dad was almost
like his dad and vice versa…cause our families are really close, so it took a hard
hit on him as well, so that was somebody…I mean we talked about it a lot and I’m
57 definitely not one to be able to talk about those things, I’m much more of a person
who will sit there and think about it for hours rather than say a word to anyone.
He was really the only person that I ever talked to about it.
Dep also expressed feelings of loneliness especially as a child. She felt that there was no
one to confide in and no one understood her pain. In the interview she noted that as she has
moved into young adulthood she is re-learning to confide in others. Dep shared:
…I grew up not knowing who I should look up to or who I should go to for advice. And I
just never had someone that I could talk to about my feelings…I was very lonely and kept
all of that inside me and it built up to where I could not express my feelings around them
anymore. So I tend to deal with them by myself. I’ve been used to wrapping this pain
holding my pain inside.
Pain and suffering are difficult experiences to endure at any time, but to be in that in-between
place of late adolescence and young adulthood seemed to accentuate their sufferings and
isolation.
Loss of Innocence
During Timothy’s interview he expressed how his father’s death changed his senior year
of high school in a dramatic way. In fact, it almost seemed to rob of his youth although Timothy
showed no sense of animosity about his situation. He movingly noted caring and worrying about
his younger brother and sister and I found myself thinking how fortunate his younger siblings
were to be in his entrusted care. Regarding the impact of his father’s illness and death Timothy
said,
It forced me to grow up…fast, a lot faster than other people my age, just because
all of the sudden I became the man of the house, I felt like I had a younger brother
and sister that I had to care for more than I did in the past and more than other
58 kids my age who had younger siblings of similar age. So I think that was the
biggest thing…
Although the circumstances were quite different for Dep, she too noted an early loss of
innocence. Mentioning the difficult relationship she had with her mother Dep recalled one
experience. Dep enjoyed learning and singing and wanted to share this with her mother:
I was not even in first grade I was maybe five and I was singing these songs I had learned
from school and I’ve loved singing since I was very young and she would just yell at me
to get out of the room because I was annoying her and she was trying to get some work
done… the image I had of my mom… was the image I had all the time every night and I
hardly ever spent that much time with her. And those little words that she said when she
yelled at me and she told me to shut up… just denying the innocent but very important
things to me. Back then it deeply hurt me in a way and that now that I’m grown up that
doesn’t bother me but I remember when I was that age that really hurt and would I cry
just cry. It was really hard.
A Deeper Sense of Self
Lance attributed a creative period of writing to his extraordinary depression and felt that
he was able to see and understand a deeper purpose to his life. Moreover he stated that he
acquired a more profound sense of who he was as a result of his depression and suffering. He
reflected:
it was despair, but at the same time there was, I feel like I had a certain type of
mental clarity… …I didn’t really care about a lot but I felt, I don’t know if you’ve
ever heard of the tem depressive realism…, yeah..I read about that a while ago,
but that, like that fits the description perfectly… that’s when I got into
59 writing…my interest for philosophy and deeper subjects, I feel like I went a lot
deeper…then I would have had I not be depressed…
Depressive realism is a relatively new term in psychology that suggests depression gives
the person keen insight into the true nature of reality. Lance continued by describing his
heightened appreciation for life’s truth:
I saw more of the truth of life, I guess you know, it’s not always happy, it’s not
always sad either but…just a more realistic view of life I suppose umm…overall
without my experiences I wouldn’t have my interests in psychology I wouldn’t
have my interest in philosophy.
The Value of Suffering: Seeing Life with Renewed Clarity
Lance also shared how his depression seemed to give him a renewed sense of clarity. He
said,
…during my depression I felt like I wrote a lot more vividly, I could describe a lot
more but, I guess my question was just why? My main one was why all the
suffering…if I was depressed and I looked out the window and saw a tree, I mean
it might seem poetic to me, whereas it’s just normal to someone else, just a
deeper…I don’t know if it’s an appreciation for the world, but there is a
deeper…you feel a lot more insight I feel when you are depressed, things are
more artistic and valuable, precious kind of, just because you are trying to find
meaning in everything, just so you have meaning for your life…A lot of it started
off…if I would have an epiphany about something it would transform into
feelings, I would write and apply my feelings as a whole to general psychology or
60 but mainly I wrote a lot of philosophy just wondering about the world, kind of just
questioning a lot of things…
Not Giving Up and Moving Forward
All three participants articulated an internal sense or force that propelled them forward in
some manner. Dep emphasized the growth some of her sufferings had provided and in a more
philosophical tone stated:
You know, there is going to be hard stuff that come by. I feel like I have grown
stronger after going through these in a sense. I’m still very emotional, I’ve cried
many times over them, but…I feel that I’m better prepared for things in the future.
It makes me more appreciate what I have right now, and more appreciative of the
good things that have been in my life and not focus too much on these negative
things.
Timothy listed among his greatest hopes the opportunity to attend a “quality physical
therapy school and…have a family, and be as good of a parent as my parents are/were.”
Timothy’s definition of hope most closely matched with the descriptions of Havel and Marcel.
Timothy said that hope “…is something that gives us a reason to live. Without hope we have no
motivation to do anything in life…it is the driving factor for everything.”
Summary of the Chapter
In this chapter I have attempted to emphasize the major themes of meaning as accurately
as possible. Loneliness and isolation were the prevalent experiences my participants shared as
they suffered and what gave me consolation as a researcher and as a chaplain was the healing
that each person described. As illuminated through their own words, their hopes certainly
changed and waivered throughout their suffering. Some hoping may have caused more suffering,
61 but in their recollections I saw patterns of deep hope and meaning. Timothy’s closing quote
above could have easily been the spoken words of either Frankl or Havel.
62 CHAPTER FIVE
RENDERINGS OF PERSONAL MEANING
The only thing that can explain the existence of genuine hope is humanity’s profound and
essentially archetypal certainty—that our life on this earth is not just a random event among
billions of other random cosmic events that will pass away without a trace, but that it is an
integral component or link, however minuscule, in the great and mysterious order of Being, an
order in which everything has a place of its own, in which nothing that has once been done can
be undone, in which everything is recorded in some unfathomable way and given its proper and
permanent value… (Havel, 1997, 239).
A Reason to Hope: Revisiting My Purpose
To the outside observer the three young persons in this study looked like three beautiful
people with not a care or worry in their world, but as their stories have just revealed each had
suffered deeply and profoundly. In my introduction I explored a potential reason to study hope’s
role during the suffering process and shared observations where one’s hope helped them endure
experiences of darkness and despair. Hope, I believed like Havel’s quote above, mattered and
made some kind of meaningful contribution to life and to those who suffered. My reasoning was
often although not always confirmed by several writers and researchers mentioned earlier,
especially in the works of Vaclav Havel. My understanding however was in direct conflict with
traditional Buddhist teachings and as a member of the Zen Peacemaker Order and a chaplain, it
inspired me to design this particular study.
This study therefore explored contemporary meanings of hope in light of Buddhist
principles and traditions. It further addressed language used in the original Pali Canon and
Sanskrit writings, Dogen Zenji’s references to hope, as well as orientations described in the
philosophical, theological and clinical literature. Such exploration provided contextual and
historical understandings for comparative meanings of Engaged Buddhism. Furthermore,
63 through in-depth narrative interviews of traditional Western college students, the study examined
Western attitudes of meanings in hope.
What I Found
The literature exposed a plethora of significant analysis regarding hope’s definition,
meaning, and reasons that ignite one’s hope in the first place. Hope is indeed a complex human
phenomenon and as described in this study it is often experienced under unique and quite
different conditions. Some have confused it with optimism or conflated it with faith; some
believed that hoping is part of our genetic make-up while others completely refuted this notion
by arguing that hope is simply a social construct. I, like Webb (2008) however view hope with a
modicum of both characteristics and accept that hope’s abstract essence is persistent and will
forever contribute to its elusive and mysterious nature.
Exploring the Research Questions and Their Potential Answers
So what role does hope play in one’s suffering? How does hope intersect with The Three
Tenets of a Zen Peacemaker? These are difficult questions to answer with any sense of precision
however in my study I observed that hope is potentially prevalent in both answers. My research
and interviews both suggest that hope could most certainly cause one more suffering, but telling
someone who suffers deeply, to give up all hope, seems as cruel and antithetical to Engaged
Buddhist practices of bearing witness, living with the unknown, and behaving in compassionate
ways today as it did when I first contemplated this study. Perhaps that says more about my own
attachments to deep hope than it does about the scholarship this study intended to discover.
Research as a Healing Act
My participants discussed everyday ordinary hopes, vain hopes, transformative hopes,
and even deep hopes when recollecting some of their most profound suffering. Recalling Dep’s,
64 I remember her hoping that one day her father will see clearly enough to accept her sexuality as
well as the woman she loves. Timothy has hopes of attending a competitive graduate school,
becoming a physical therapist, as well as a loving spouse, and parent. And Lance one day hopes
to serve young adolescents and adults who have struggled with addiction and depression. All of
these hopes are unquestionably directed toward their future. All of their hopes may potentially go
woefully wrong and invite further despair and hopelessness. Listening to their sufferings I felt
the right thing to do as a chaplain and a researcher was to simply listen—listen as carefully as
possible to each story and re-tell it with the same authenticity it was imparted to me.
Perhaps then as Van Manen (1990) so eloquently noted we might both serve each other,
heal each other, and come “…face to face with life’s mystery” (p. 6). This mystery I feel is best
expressed in the Buddhist teaching of no separation. My students’ sufferings are my sufferings,
their precious life is part of my precious life and by sharing their stories with my reader theirs is
now a part of yours.
The Three Pre-Conditions
I began this study with three things I wanted to personally achieve; first, I intended to
deepen my practice, especially my sitting practice and that has proved to be my constant refuge.
Second, I wanted to make a concerted effort to intersect my chaplaincy work with my teaching
profession. And lastly, I intended to address suffering, especially the suffering of my students in
some meaningful way. To some extent all three have been addressed, but how successful I have
been remains to be seen.
Concluding Remarks
From this study and the stories my participants shared, I have learned that letting go of
hope is much different than letting go of one’s attachment to hope. To have deep hope I found is
65 to indeed have no attachments, to actualize the fundamental point, and to breathe the breath of
non-duality because to hope deeply as Havel described is to set one’s attachments completely
free. Havel’s deep hope is not something we give or gain, or even take away. Hoping is simply
being human. My findings suggest that while hope can potentially lead to unhealthy attachments
toward one’s future, especially during times of great despair, the hope revealed in this study has
a deep sustaining human quality that fosters a path of extraordinary meaning.
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70 APPENDIX A
Consent Form
Thank you for considering participation in this study. It intends to be applied research and it may
offer no direct benefits to you. Potential indirect benefits include insight into the process of
suffering and the role that hope may play.
You may choose to be in this study or you may decline at any time with no negative
ramifications. The researcher can drop you from the study at any time.
You will be asked to complete a demographic sheet and participate in an interview that will be
tape recorded. The time requested of you is anticipated to be approximately 60-75 minutes.
You might feel some discomfort associated with the discussion of the suffering process. If you
do feel discomfort you can stop participating in the research.
All data will be confidential and private and will be reported in narrative form. Your name and
identity will never be revealed and no identifying information will ever be connected to your
name. Results of the study may be used as parts of written thesis and journal articles that may be
submitted for presentation or publication to scholarly journals and books.
All conversations are confidential.
I have read the above and agree to participate in this study.
Name: ____________________
Date: _________
71 APPENDIX B
Demographic/Narrative Questionnaire
Gender:
____ female
Age:
____
____male
Ethnic background: African American ___Asian ___
Caucasian ___
Native American ___ Hispanic ___ Other ___(please indicate _________________)
Education:
Degree sought: (BA/BS/ or other please indicate) _______________
Major: ____________________________
Class Rank: (i.e. Sr. Jr., etc.) _______________
Religious/Spiritual Affiliation: __________________ (Please indicate: i.e. Baptist, Catholic,
Muslim, Orthodox Jew, Buddhist, etc.)
_______________ other
____ none
Number of times you attend worship services:
___once a week
___few times per month
___few times per year ___never
Marital status:
____ married
____ in a committed relationship
____ single
____ divorced
____ widow/widower
Children:
____ daughters
____ sons
____ none
How often do you set aside some quiet time to be reflective, contemplative, thoughtful, or
prayful?
___everyday ___a few times a week
___a few times a month
___a few times a year ___never
In what school activities do you participant besides attending class?
How would you describe or define human suffering?
What do you think is one of the best ways to help someone who is suffering?
How would you describe or define human hope?
What are some of your greatest hopes?
72