--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As long as we have some definite idea…" description: "\"As long as we have some definite idea about or some hope in the future, we cannot really be serious with the moment that exists right now.\" — Shunryu S..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/shunryu-suzuki-1280_definite_as-long-as-we-have-some-definite-idea-ab_2847538.png" --- # As long as we have some definite idea about or some hope… ![“As long as we have some definite idea about or some hope in the future, we cannot really be serious with the moment that exists right now.” quote by Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/shunryu-suzuki-1280_definite_as-long-as-we-have-some-definite-idea-ab_2847538.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/shunryu-suzuki-1280_definite_as-long-as-we-have-some-definite-idea-ab_2847538.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/shunryu-suzuki-1280_definite_as-long-as-we-have-some-definite-idea-ab_2847538.png) > “As long as we have some definite idea about or some hope in the future, we cannot really be serious with the moment that exists right now.” [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Without future hopes, present seriousness fades; mindfulness requires letting go of expectations. **In simple terms:** Future hopes hinder present focus. Key Takeaway Practice present‑moment awareness. Themes mindfulness presence expectation Mood calm contemplative Type spiritual psychological When to use this quote - meditation - daily routines - stress management Key Concepts Zen Buddhism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does hope affect present engagement? - What practices anchor you now? A Different Perspective Letting go may cause aimlessness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Hope In The Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-in-the-future/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [When there is hope in the future, there is power in the present, and since hope is the foundational quality of all change, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/when-there-is-hope-in-the-future-there-is-power-in-the-present-and/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/where-there-is-no-hope-in-the-future-there-is-no-power-in-the-present/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [I expect if you are going to come out of the shadows, then you're going to want to have some type of hope in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-denham/i-expect-if-you-are-going-to-come-out-of-the-shadows-then-you-re/) Jeff Denham > [In Buddhism, we speak of touching Nirvana with our own body, In Christianity, you can also touch the Kingdom of God with your body,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/in-buddhism-we-speak-of-touching-nirvana-with-our-own-body-in/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [I am grateful to Guardiola for showing his interest and I hope in the future I can learn from him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adama-traore/i-am-grateful-to-guardiola-for-showing-his-interest-and-i-hope-in-the/) [Adama Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adama-traore/) > [Hope in the future is deeply rooted in our national psyche. It is part of the soul of our nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blase-j-cupich/hope-in-the-future-is-deeply-rooted-in-our-national-psyche-it-is-part/) [Blase J. Cupich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blase-j-cupich/) > [To lose hope in the future is to begin to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kijewski/to-lose-hope-in-the-future-is-to-begin-to-die/) [Karen Kijewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kijewski/) > [“I have lived long enough to know that if ye put yer hope in the future, those hopes will eventually bite you in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-wingo/i-have-lived-long-enough-to-know-that-if-ye-put-yer-hope-in-the/) Kate Wingo > [I've seen death in the past and hope in the future. All I've is a now for I can not see past this moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/i-ve-seen-death-in-the-past-and-hope-in-the-future-all-i-ve-is-a-now/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [So foolish is the heart of man that he ever puts his hope in the future, learning nothing from his past errors and fancying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-foolish-is-the-heart-of-man-that-he-ever-puts-his-hope-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For our hope in the future is cosmic, forging human history into eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-our-hope-in-the-future-is-cosmic-forging-human-history-into/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't want to be constantly associated with tragedy. I think I'd like to be associated with the idea of 'hope'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-chuvalo/i-don-t-want-to-be-constantly-associated-with-tragedy-i-think-i-d/) [George Chuvalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-chuvalo/) > [If I have tried to bring anything to federal politics, it is the idea that hope and optimism should be at their heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-layton/if-i-have-tried-to-bring-anything-to-federal-politics-it-is-the-idea/) [Jack Layton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-layton/) > [I love the idea of people walking away with the idea of hope and possibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-paulson/i-love-the-idea-of-people-walking-away-with-the-idea-of-hope-and/) [Sarah Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-paulson/) > [My idea is to give hope, because where there is no hope, there is no vision, and where there is no vision, people will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/my-idea-is-to-give-hope-because-where-there-is-no-hope-there-is-no/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) ## More by Shunryu Suzuki > [The point we emphasize is strong confidence in our original nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-point-we-emphasize-is-strong-confidence-in-our-original-nature/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [If you continue this simple practice every day, you will obtain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful, but after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/if-you-continue-this-simple-practice-every-day-you-will-obtain-some/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [You want to eliminate your evil desires in order to reveal your Buddha nature, but where will you throw them away?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/you-want-to-eliminate-your-evil-desires-in-order-to-reveal-your/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Ego is a social institution with no physical reality. The ego is simply your symbol of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/ego-is-a-social-institution-with-no-physical-reality-the-ego-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the experts mind, there are few.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/in-the-beginner-s-mind-there-are-many-possibilities-in-the-experts/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The seed has no idea of being some particular plant, but it has its own form and is in perfect harmony with the ground,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-seed-has-no-idea-of-being-some-particular-plant-but-it-has-its/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Whereever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/whereever-you-are-you-are-one-with-the-clouds-and-one-with-the-sun/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [When we become truly ourselves, we just become a swinging door, and we are purely independent of, and at the same time, dependent upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/when-we-become-truly-ourselves-we-just-become-a-swinging-door-and-we/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/zen-is-not-some-fancy-special-art-of-living-our-teaching-is-just-to/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [So the secret is just to say 'Yes!' and jump off from here. Then there is no problem. It means to be yourself, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/so-the-secret-is-just-to-say-yes-and-jump-off-from-here-then-there-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Our tendency is to be interested in something that is growing in the garden, not in the bare soil itself. But if you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/our-tendency-is-to-be-interested-in-something-that-is-growing-in-the/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The world is its own magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-world-is-its-own-magic/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [People say that practicing Zen is difficult, but there is a misunderstanding as to why. It is not difficult because it is hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/people-say-that-practicing-zen-is-difficult-but-there-is-a/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Each one of us must make his own true way, and when we do, that way will express the universal way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/each-one-of-us-must-make-his-own-true-way-and-when-we-do-that-way/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The purpose of our practice is just to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-purpose-of-our-practice-is-just-to-be-yourself/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) [Explore all 262 Shunryu Suzuki quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## More Definite quotes > [There are definite reference points to older Depeche Mode records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/there-are-definite-reference-points-to-older-depeche-mode-records/) [Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/) > [The album is a definite departure. 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