That was my first thought, and I think it’s safe to say that “nirvana”, at least, is an English word at this point.
Via cracked.com : apparently the Japanese have a specific idiom for “Something that is no use worrying about, because however bad it may be you can’t possibly change its outcome” : shikata ga nai, literally “it cannot be helped”. A kind of Zen resignation, albeit somewhat hopeful/happy in tone nonetheless. Which makes sense : when the worst is already happening, what’s the worst that can happen ? :}
If we get into phrases and sentences, one that helps me is “Things don’t go right, things don’t go wrong, things just go.”
Stoicism though does not just assume that things won’t work out. It promotes being prepared for that and accepting it when it happens. It really is the philosophy of the serenity prayer: accept what is outside of your ability to change, accept that pain and suffering are an unavoidable part of life, and focus not on avoiding those things but on those things within your power to impact, with an emphasis on being concerned with our obligations as citizens of the world.
There’s something different about the condition described by the op - the sense of release gained by resigning to defeat and by giving up the striving one has done. The stoic was always accepting that defeat was possible and was always ready to accept either achieving or not achieving the goal after best possible efforts, well, stoically, as the way nature ordained it.
I think.
I’m learning to live without you now
But I miss you sometimes
The more I know, the less I understand,
All the things I thought I knew, I’m learning again
I’ve been tryin’ to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it’s about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don’t love me anymore
- Don Henley
And then there’s the notion of “corban”. That is the idea that, if you will accept it, “Hey, yep, you’re my parents, and I ought to take care of you during your dotage. Except this: I’ve already pledged a whole lot of money to support the Temple, and so on, so I just can’t take care of you.”
I don’t think Jesus Christ thought much of that idea: https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Corban
That’s what I think. Think for yourself, okay?
(Let’s see how many people get this one.)
Saroon.