How "Not Knowing" Eases Suffering - Talk with Dr. Rick Hanson

When we cling to what we "know," we often suffer - because we narrow our perspective and can get trapped in a cycle of expectations and disappointments. This prevents us from seeing the true nature of our ever-changing reality, as well as the many opportunities around us.
In my Wednesday Meditation and Talk from April 10, I talked about how embracing "not knowing" can help dissolve suffering, releasing us from the shackles of our minds.
Some key points that I covered are:
- When we embrace not knowing, we can come to rest in a deep peace, which is what we meditated on. (You can watch/listen to the meditation here: rickhanson.com/meditation-tal... )
- The balance of useful knowing and opening into a sense of "don't know"
- How embracing uncertainty promotes an open mind and reduces the impulse to overanalyze or prematurely judge situations or people
- How to apply the attitude of not knowing to what the Buddha called the five major hindrances: doubt, ill-will, attachment to sense-pleasure, regret/remorse/agitation/restlessness/worry, and sloth/torpor/procrastination
You are welcome to join my free Wednesday Meditations - which are open to everyone - by signing up for free, here: rickhanson.com/wednesday-medi...
You can see the meditation that went along with this talk here: rickhanson.com/meditation-tal...

[@Peachy_Pea_007]

You are amazing, Dr. Rick. I have received your newsletters for years. I absolutely love your work. Thank you sincerely for being YOU! 💫

[@j.shepard6818]

Amen a recovering knower

[@bell10877]

Wonderful 🙏🏼

[@aileengonsalves5109]

Your talks are always really brilliant and useful and help me enormously and this one too is extremely exciting - a real game changer - I’m in the theatre and spend all day saying I don’t know and ‘discovery first’ and it’s the most wonderful way to work - this really helps me to do this in all parts of my life and wow that Yeats poem! Thank you 🎉

[@j.shepard6818]

Thank you for sharing this wisdom 🙏

[@tzvitaylor3168]

Really a game changing attitude. Thank you

[@clare5571]

I’ve saved this to my best ones playlist. Thank you so much.

[@ruthlevy3404]

Rick, I happened on this teaching which is in the essence of my being and teaching, specifically family therapy. Blessings for the skillful teaching, the relevant quotes and connections to Buddhist Psychology. I have wonderful memories of seeing you years ago at BCBS. 🙏

[@hsiao-yenyu6811]

Lao Tzu “ If you know you don’t know, it’s superior. If you don’t know but think you know, it’s sickness “

[@patinoche]

Such a wonderful talk and, practice ! Thank you so much 🙏

[@nicholastalbert7393]

I have been wondering for awhile that if not knowing is the end to suffering, should we continue science?