How To Get Unstuck: The Benefits of Aspiration

Why Aspiration Matters More Than You Think

In our modern world, we often shy away from aspiration because we prefer immediate benefits—things that will help us right now or in the next moment. The idea of wishing for something in the future can feel ineffective or even uncomfortable. But what if aspiration is actually one of the most practical tools we have for transformation?

Most of us don't realize that aspiration is the mechanism behind much of what we do throughout the day. Our minds naturally function through wishes and "what ifs"—from wanting a glass of water to hoping for a peaceful mind. When we become conscious of this process, we can harness it to reshape our meditation practice, our daily life, and our entire approach to spiritual growth.

For me personally, aspiration affects the very next moment. It changes how my mind interacts with myself and the world right now, which naturally influences what comes next. This isn't just spiritual theory—it has huge practical benefits.

A Teacher Who Changed My Perspective

I'll share a story that completely shifted my understanding of aspiration. For about the first ten years of my traditional Buddhist training, I engaged in aspirational chants and practices because my teachers recommended them. But honestly, I didn't really understand why. I noticed an uncomfortable feeling where I preferred practices that had immediate benefits or didn't look so much like "praying."

Then I encountered a writing from a teacher named Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. During a teaching on aspiration, he shared how neglecting aspirational practice had been a big mistake in his own journey. He explained that when we ignore aspiration, we're actually ignoring what has the most transformative impact on us. We think we're looking for immediate change, but we're actually costing ourselves time by skipping this fundamental practice.

This personal testimony from an accomplished practitioner made a real impact on me. I decided to give aspiration a genuine shot, putting energy into both formal and informal aspirational practices. What I discovered was eye-opening.

The Hidden Aspirations Running Your Life

As I started paying attention, I realized that aspiration is actually the mechanism behind most of what I do throughout the day, whether I'm conscious of it or not. My mind naturally functions through wishes, aspirations, and "what ifs."

Think about it: "I want to go get a glass of water." "I'd love some pizza right now." "I wish I had the extra income to take that trip." These are all aspirations—maybe not spiritual ones, but we're using our minds in the same way. Sometimes these unconscious aspirations are beneficial (taking that walk), and sometimes they're not so helpful (aspiring to eat a pint of ice cream).

This realization was powerful: we can actually transform our minds, behaviors, and relationships on a daily basis through how we consciously bring aspirations into our practice and life.

What Aspiration Really Is

Aspiration is any kind of wish, desire, or motivation—whether conscious or unconscious. When we become aware of these mental movements, we can transform them into constructive motivations. We can notice the unhealthy ones and start changing them. Most importantly, we can include aspirations that will propel us toward what we want to become.

In Buddhism, these aspirations might seem vast and lofty—perhaps lifetimes away. But when we practice them regularly, they genuinely start to change how we think about ourselves and the world around us.

The Four Boundless States: A Practical Example

Let me share a specific aspirational practice that's common to most Tibetan Buddhist lineages—the Four Boundless States. Here's how it sounds:

"May all beings be happy and have the causes of happiness. May they be free from suffering and its causes. May they never lose the happiness free from sorrow, and may they be free from attraction, aversion, and partiality and remain in great equanimity."

Notice how each line begins with "may"—this is aspiration. We're not obligated to make these things happen; we're genuinely wishing that they could happen. This distinction is crucial and powerful.

When we chant this, we don't just mouth the words. We reflect on the meaning and try to embody that aspiration. Take the phrase "the causes of happiness"—this isn't just wishing for people to be happy, but for them to have the conditions that create genuine happiness. This can lead to rich contemplation about what those causes might be.

Why Aspiration Works Better Than Willpower

In my experience, when I try to will something into happening, it becomes very controlling and contrived. There's a big ego bind around it—"I need to do this," "This needs to happen right away in the way I imagine it."

Buddhist practice is really about the opposite. It's about letting ego clinging naturally dissolve through meditation, study, contemplation, and aspiration. Aspiration is powerful because it doesn't create that immediate ego trip where we need results right now.

Think about when you see something wrong with the world and immediately react with "They should do it this way!" That's not aspiration—that's fear, anxiety, maybe even anger creating constriction. You can feel it in your body as tension.

With aspiration, we create peace in the moment and make sustainable space for genuine love, compassion, and wisdom to arise. We need this wisdom, or our caring won't be functional. We won't be able to bring about benefits in a way that actually works.

How Aspiration Gets You Unstuck

Aspiration helps us get unstuck in several specific ways:

Breaking the Expectation Trap: One major reason I get stuck in meditation is constricting around expectations—trying to get somewhere in the session, trying to have a certain experience I think the teaching promises. This creates a big bind. Aspiration breaks this up because it doesn't make transformation immediate. I'm not demanding a great meditation state right now; I'm aspiring for it.

Releasing Hyper-Goal Orientation: We need goals, but when we're hyper-oriented toward them, it creates binding. Aspiration helps with this completely.

Working with Resistance: Sometimes you might feel, "I can't meditate. I'm really stuck. I hate sitting on my cushion right now." Try aspirational thinking instead. "May I be able to sit on my cushion and feel okay. May I be able to meditate every day." Make the aspiration first (and often), then do something else. It sounds simple, but it works. In a week or two, you'll find yourself naturally doing what you aspired to.

Moving Beyond the "Me" Framework

For those seriously interested in making progress on the Buddhist path toward awakening, aspiration is perhaps the most powerful practice. It takes us out of the framework of "me" and "mine"—"my awakening," "my enlightenment." It naturally dissolves the ego structure that can actually block the very thing we're seeking.

Getting Started with Aspiration

If you're drawn to the Four Boundless States, you can find recordings and practice with them. But there are many other aspirational practices. Find something that resonates with you, something you genuinely want to bring about in your life and how you want to serve others.

The key is developing an emotional and psychological connection to the meaning, not just reciting words. When we study the meaning and get interested in it, the words take on weight and depth. We start to embody what we aspire to, and that's where the real transformation happens.

Resources for Deeper Study

If you want to explore aspiration further, I recommend looking into teachings by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. Both have excellent books and online teachings on the power of aspiration. I also have a course on the Four Boundless States available through Tricycle magazine here.

Final Thoughts

Aspiration might seem like a subtle practice, but I've found it to be one of the most transformative tools in meditation and daily life. It works by changing how we relate to ourselves and our goals, creating space for genuine wisdom and compassion to emerge.

Try working with conscious aspiration for a few weeks. Notice your unconscious aspirations throughout the day. See how this practice affects your meditation and your life.

Remember, we start to become what we aspire to. That's the real power of this practice, and it's why I believe aspiration is one of the most practical and underrated tools for getting unstuck in our spiritual journey.