Deep Hope: Zen Guidance for Staying Steadfast When the World Seems Hopeless [Paperback]

From a respected Zen teacher, a contemporary take on the paramitas, six traditional practices for cultivating compassion and wisdom--a path of deep hope in the face of personal trouble and societal crisis.

Amidst the barrage of the daily news cycle and the tumult of our personal lives, it may seem natural to contract out of fear or anxiety. But is there a way to face our lives and the world without closing off our hearts? There is such a path, says Zen teacher Diane Rizzetto. It can be reached through the teachings of the Buddhist paramitas or “perfections”—giving and receiving, taking skillful action, practicing patience, engaging effort, meditating, and seeing clearly. Filled with stories, teachings, student questions, and practices, Deep Hope demonstrates the possibility of living with a hopefulness that is grounded in the present moment—a practice of spiritual nourishment and deepening wisdom.“This marvelous book springs from life itself. A treasure on the perfections, it is a clear and wise read for today's world.”—Joan Halifax, author of Being with Dying and Standing at the Edge

“The world is whole, and it is broken. Deep Hope reminds us that right here, in the midst of these challenging times, there is a life-affirming path that can sustain us and help us to repair the brokenness of our world. Rooted in her decades of Zen practice, Diane Rizzetto’s warm, insightful teaching of the paramitas opens them as a gift that returns us to ourselves.”— Peter Levitt, poet, coeditor of The Essential Dogen and The Complete Cold Mountain: Poems of the Legendary Hermit Hanshan  

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