Why chasing after enlightenment will trap you in suffering | Robert Waldinger
Why Chasing Enlightenment Will Trap You in Suffering | Robert Waldinger
In this inspiring and thought-provoking video, Zen teacher and psychiatrist Robert Waldinger challenges the traditional notion of enlightenment as a final destination or mystical state. Instead, he emphasizes that enlightenment is an ongoing process—an “ever-shifting recognition of the present moment.” Drawing from his experiences as a Zen master, Waldinger explores concepts such as mindfulness, impermanence, and compassion, illustrating how they can relieve suffering and foster deeper connections with ourselves and others.
He explains that Zen practice is less about achieving a perfect state of being and more about embracing all aspects of our messy, chaotic human experience. By accepting impermanence—the idea that everything is in constant flux—we can find freedom from the pressure of self-improvement. Waldinger underscores the importance of “beginner’s mind,” encouraging us to approach life with curiosity instead of rigid expectations.
Ultimately, the video advocates for enlightened activity in each moment, rather than a futile quest for an unattainable state of enlightenment. Join Waldinger on a journey of self-discovery that encourages compassion and acceptance, helping us navigate the challenges of life more gracefully.
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Author Video Description
“The idea is that we move from a place of wanting the world to conform to what we like [towards] not needing other people to be different from who they are.”
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Most of us feel we have miles to go with self improvement. That we want to become calmer, wiser, more finished. What if this pursuit actually keeps us trapped from that becoming? Zen teacher and psychiatrist Robert Waldinger argues that enlightenment isn’t a destination or a rare mystical state. Rather, it’s the ever-shifting recognition of the present moment.
This quiet state of noticing, Waldinger says, can be extremely liberating, freeing us from the pressure of becoming.
0:00 Everyday Zen: mindfulness, impermanence, and compassion
0:45 Zen and community
2:52 Awakening
3:28 Impermanence
5:44 The Four Noble Truths
10:14 Having a beginner’s mind
15:22 The concept of enlightenment
Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/the-big-think-interview/zen-101/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description
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About Robert Waldinger:
Robert Waldinger, MD is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a practicing psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and a Zen teacher and practitioner.
For the last two decades, Waldinger has been the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This study, conducted over more than 85 years, has analyzed the entire lives of 724 families to determine the activities, behaviors, and dynamics that enhance a person’s life-long well-being. Waldinger has dedicated his career to examining these elements and discovering what brings true fulfillment to human existence.
He is the author of several books, including his most recent, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.
About Big Think
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Video “Why chasing after enlightenment will trap you in suffering | Robert Waldinger” was uploaded on 10/30/2025 to Youtube Channel Big Think