Despite facing unthinkable discrimination, King was hopeful that hardened hearts would change and the days would come when not only in the US but all over the globe, people would treat each other equally and on an even keel. We all need this kind of intense and infinite hope. Remember the Dutch adage that even hellfire is not eternal. No situation is so bad as not to give a glimmer of hope.
With hope, you needn’t grope for any other psychological booster. Once the Buddha’s disciple Ananda asked him, ‘Master, what’s the key to a contented life?’ ‘Hope,’ said the Buddha, adding, ‘Contentment is a state of mind. It’s an individual’s perception of fulfilment. Since man never feels fulfilled at any given point of time and aspires to have more, it’s hope that helps him reach that state of existence gradually. And, mind you, it’s not a mirage.’ Hope is not an illusion. As King put it, ‘…the world has thus far survived on seemingly outlandish hopes.’
January 15 is Martin Luther King Jr’s 95th birth anniversary.