‘P’ asked “Shekhar, why do make life so complex. Why don’t you just “be”. Acceptance is beautiful once you truly understand it…keep living in the moment….”
Your statement ” Acceptance is truly beautiful if you understand it” is so beautifully stated. It is what I am trying to do. Understand what acceptance means and strive towards it. Acceptance cannot just mean cowardice or inaction. Acceptance must lead to purity of action. Where action is separated from the result of that action. And how do I separate myself from the result of my action ?
That was what I was trying to come to terms with in my last post. That what we call ‘result’ of our actions is often independent of our action. It has an individuality of it’s own. It has it’s own life and often the relationship is the other way round. We are caught up in the Karma of the event (the result s we call it), and assume ourselves as one of the cause.
In fact the Universe in it’s true nature has no place for words like ’cause’ and “result’. The result and the cause are intertwined in an eternal bond, which is part of a universal matrix of the play of the universe.
So what does “Acceptance is beautiful when you truly understand it” mean unless you experience the the idea that time has a linear value only if you desire it. Or your Ego does, for it needs to see a distance between cause and result. The Ego needs to contextualize it’s actions by the result (or imagined result) of it’s action to know that it exists..
Yet this duality was what Buddha meditated over – trying to come to vision of Shunyata, of a vast emptying of the mind off our Ego and experiencing ourselves as in Unity with existence, where time and space have only imagined existences.
Yes, you are right ‘P’, ‘Acceptance is beautiful when you truly understand it’ ….. but I have a long way to go before I can truly get there. The journey began as a little boy reaching out to the idea of forever, and still goes on. You sound like you are much further ahead than I am, so I would love for you to share your experiences with our community,
shekhar
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Kavi Deepak Sharma
http://shayardeepaksharma.blogspot.com
http://www.kavideepaksharma.co.in
http://www.kavideepaksharma.com
Dear Shekhar,
What makes you say/believe that That what we call ‘result’ of our actions is often independent of our action. It has an individuality of it’s own. It has it’s own life and often the relationship is the other way round.
If it is your own experience kindly share it.
otherwise better not to share mere belief systems.. there is already a mesh of many that one has to unwind upon.
Though i am also amongst ones who is presently struggling hard to separate myself from the result of actions i get involved in, but when i don’t see that happening i also wonder why i am trying to do that? and perhaps accept it too, and then just be, and be along with it.
You are defending your own question Shekhar.you are not coming in terms and your logic is killing your journey.This is procrastination. By the time you come in terms with one aspect u are jumping to another. In name of some philosphy some mythic things u r getting lost.
why to ask all these questions action and it’s out come. life is very contextual and so called same action leads to different results every time.
what i am trying to do in my life is to live each moment honestly and try to stay true to self and my action. why we get so hug up on action and consequences when we have no control over it:))
enjoy
Dear Shekhar,
A person who is not contradictory is dead.
Arjuna was a human so he was in dilemma, But the character of Krishna was a representation of God so he does have all the solutions and answer to his questions.
I’ve been living in United States for almost 17 years now. It has become my action land (Karma sthal). As an active member of this society, I do have certain relationship with this country. Though I did not fight in the battle ground but still it disturbs me when America bleeds or feels down with fever…
Auto industry of this country is going through huge crisis at this point and as an artist I tried to put my 2 cents for it. I wish I had billions of dollars to support it…but for now whatever I got, I’m chipping in.
Though I dint have big bucks and big stars to put it in together for this film but It was emotionally essential for me to do something. So with just a handful of passion…a passion to do something for this crisis, I came up with this idea.
Please do check it out. If it’s not (asking for) too much then please embed it to your website. That will help me a lot. You said once “To whom this blog belongs to”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrCOMaYz7nw
Regards!
Sanjay
Dear Shekhar,
Lets step back for a minute and think of ‘action and result’ as separate from the linkage with ego ( I refuse to give it a capital E).
You started off perfectly .. on the right lines and then somehow veered off, I think. There is no distinction between what we call as action and inaction .. we chose to ‘not act’ which in itself is a decision and hence an action too. Both of them would lead to a result that may or may not be the direct consequence of what we consider as ‘our action or inaction’ … the difference being that if the result was what we had in mind when we undertook the action, we call it a consequence of the same and if it turns out to be otherwise, we label it as destiny.
As I see it, what you refer to as ‘individuality’ of the result refers to the fact that no matter whether we chose to ‘act or not’ an event will take place … and in that sense, the result is beyond our control. No event can be the sole result of the action of one individual … and hence, one person’s action or inaction can not control the outcome of the same. Acceptance, hence, would be the realization of the same 🙂
Shekhar
Some one once asked a Guru, “If Enlightenment is just Acceptance of life as it is, then why should one go through rigrous Sadhna, Questioning, Tapascharya, Why we cannot just accept life as it is?
Guru replied, It is difficult for mind to accept life directly, Acceptance can never come with effort, it is the result of effortlessness.
One needs to put in rigrous effort , questioning, tapascharya, before reaching that effortless state of pure acceptance. Till one reaches that state , where all the questions drop, every question which arises in the mind need to be answered.
And this is the real need for reading Spiritual books, attending satsang, sadhna, witnessing, self remembrance. During the process Acceptance springs up in the mind, just as Flower blooms on the tree,as a result of watering, nurtuturing the tree.
Just like beautiful Garden appears, when all the weeds are plucked. Or an image appears in Shining mirror when the dust is cleaned from the mirror, similarly the real self is always there, but hidden under the false concepts,ideas of the mind.
Shekhar
There can be no dance without the dancer, no action without the doer. They both are two sides of same coin, just as an Actor assumes the role of Character the moment it comes on the stage, and forgets his real identity, similarly Self cannot operate in the world without assuming itself as ego. Even Buddha after attaining enlightenment, had to obey the rules of body, had to attend hunger, sleep, bear physical pain as long as he was alive in the body. Similarly one cannot escape the rules of duality, one cannot escape actions or the results of previous actions, when one is operating in the world of duality. I cannot assume that you are, unless I assume I am. To relate to you, I must exist, which is duality.
On the otherhand, when one is established in the self, and identifies itself as the witness instead of the doer of the committed actions, there is no associated psychological pain or mental anguish, as one knows that one is enacting it’s role on the stage of duality and is not the cause of those actions.
Somebody commented:
“Shekhar, why do you make life so complex. Why don’t you just “be”. Acceptance is beautiful once you truly understand it…keep living in the moment….””
The folly of language.
We take the word to be the real.
“keep living in the moment”.
My dear friend, when have you ever left this moment?
Can you ever get out of this moment?
Is there a “you” to get out of this moment?
Take a look…
Shekhar, you say you have a long way to go before you get there…
Get where? Is there anywhere other than here? Apart from mind projection?
Can the mind transport “you” into reality?
Where ever “you” imagine to get, can only be a state that will fall short of your exceptions…the mind will tell you that this is not it…it has to be better(that is the mind’s legitimate job)…the ultimate state.
What is the ultimate?
Apart from being a word? Does ultimate not exist only in “your” imagination?
Truly, Is it not an imagined state?
How can “you” reach an imagined state?
Can “you” truly say that you have met “someone” who has got “there”? Wherever that is…
What is “there”?
For once forget the Buddha and Karma and the rest and taste “yourself” directly…
Buddha’s teachings can be summarized in this one liner stated by the Buddha himself:
“Events happen, deeds are done, but there is no individual doer thereof”
We talk a strange language.
My Consciousness…
My ego…
And then believe it to be the real.
Can “you” truly separate “you” from consciousness?
Which one is “you” and which one is consciousness?
Can “you” truly separate my from the ego?
Which one is “you” and which one is the ego?
When a doctor performs a surgery on the body, can you ask him to to take the “you” out of the body?
What is this “you”?
Can it be even be found?
How can something that does not exist get somewhere?
We depend upon the mind to make life simple.
It’s like asking the water not to be wet…
Very ironical…we seemingly search for the truth and hope to find it in concepts….
This is very radical for the mind and watch it dismiss it instantly…again, that is what mind is…it wants to continue at any cost…
but you are knower of this mind, are you not…
Look forward to your comments….
To me acceptance means to accept the present situation completely and not carry the burden of past. Further, it means to BE HAPPY with the results of whatever decisions you took. Most people carry the past burden, do not accept it and keep being disturbed. Acceptance is accepting whatever happened with you, whatever is/was given to you and looking positively to put your best in your next action.
To an extent I agree with you that result has an individuality of it’s own. Yes, we should not THINK too much about result before doing something. That dilutes/impures our intention to do a particular action. But God did give us the ability to judge the result hence there should be healthy thought towards result before taking any action. Otherwise it would be like ignoring the power we already have which is not a wise thing to do.
Ajay
Indeed, it is one thing to read and talk/ discuss about ‘acceptance’. It is another to understand it. (And it is truly beautiful when one reaches a point when one does understand it.)
What is beyond even that however, is when you ARE acceptance. BEYOND the intellectual understanding of it. Far, far beyond anything the mind can comprehend.
The last 4-6 weeks have been quite a quantum leap in my own personal journey. I had understood what ‘acceptance’ is since a while, and had become increasingly aware of how I was not accepting of a situation as and when. However, I was still not able to fully ‘be’ that acceptance.
What helped me with that was finally being able to ‘LET GO’. Letting go of what, how and when something will happen in my life. Letting go therefore of this futile attempt to control something that is outside of me. (This also includes letting go of the need to control other people, what they do, how they do it, when they do it, etc etc.)
Slow, deep and relaxed breathing, and letting go of ALL expectations, and expected outcomes. FULLY plunging into uncertainty, CELEBRATING the uncertainty (as opposed to worrying about it), and completely surrendering, in full trust that the best will materialise when it’s meant to, in the best way possible.
And what a liberating, transformative experience/process! Truly AAHAA!!
It doesn’t happen overnight – it’s a constant iterative process, and one is always liable to slip, but in time, one kinda stays on track. One develops the stance of the ‘witness’ that can observe the mind trying to revert back to the old ways, but with increased awareness, it is actually possible to just ‘be’.
How does one develop increased awareness? Through increased connection to the stillness within, which in turn happens through meditative practices, purging oneself of accumulated energetic debris, decluttering, simplifying one’s life.
I’m been lucky in the sense that Life put me on a long, long sabbatical – a time when I’ve been given the opportunity to only focus on the spiritual alchemical process. It’s been an immensely challenging and intense process, but now that I’ve passed through the stormy waters, I can appreciate the great power and magnificence of it all. As I started ‘accepting’ the process more and more, as opposed to vehement resistance in the early days, I made more and more progress and started feeling/seeing the ‘magic’ more and more!
So it’s helped that I’ve not been encumbered by career or other material motivations through this time. I’m almost 34 now, and now that I’ve reached critical mass, it’s time to reconnect with the external world and use my new energies to help contribute to a positive transformation of world consciousness – success in both the spiritual and material realms.
So here comes theory put to practise – how am I going about doing anything to put my plans into action?
By doing absolutely NOTHING in the form of stimulus. Other than of course –
Staying connected to the stillness within. And staying alert.
RESPONDING to whatever I feel motivated to. (Like writing this note, for example.) And then stayed detached from it.
In other words, perform right action at any time, and stay detached from the outcome.
The right person/s and opportunities will manifest at the right time. Complete trust in that.
Acceptance, in action.
To add to my previous post…
There are many,many aspects to this ‘acceptance’. Life will constantly throw us instances where our acceptance is tested out. It’s work-in-progress always.
Acceptance of self is a big one. So, to use your own example, acceptance of the fact that you currently cannot accept, is in itself a powerful beginning in acceptance!
You accept yourself as you are right now. And love yourself completely for it. With your so-called flaws, shortcomings, the whole deal.
Complete acceptance of self. No judgment. Only love.
Try that. Just enjoy the process – love yourself as you are, no need to change anything.
Don’t ‘expect’ any particular outcome and accept
the outcome that presents itself.
But start with accepting and being perfectly cool with not being able to accept.
It’s OKAY.
It really is.
😉
dear shekhar, your friend deepak chopra has talked about acceptance very eloquently (as he always does) in one of his books…he has called it the law of least resistance, and you have touched on it herein by stating the detachment we need to practise towards our deeds.
however, as you say it is difficult to define it. where does resistance start and where does it cease? so often we ‘do’ just so that we don’t become ‘inactive’.
but i guess our inner compass can help us, if we can tune into it right, which again is difficult in times of stress and when we are striving for a goal. but i feel it is possible, definitely not there myself, far from it, but feel that the compass is there, as GOD’s soft voice which tells us to stop every now and then…and just be.
love, shivani
Dear Shekhar, you are courageous in showing this humility.-(..but I have a long way to go before I can truly get there. The journey began as a little boy reaching out to the idea of forever, and still goes on).
I was also invested in the idea that there is a journey to be made. Can you drop that idea and all others. By recognising that through your body/mind life also loves to ponder over itself. Allow it to do so, through various concepts, ideas and words. To be the river or the bank which watches it pass by is the question.Acceptance does not come by trying to answer the questions you pose. It comes from relaxing the false sense of ownership over them.
Ganpati Bapa Moria
After going thru the worlds of philosophy,religions,mythologies I reached the summit of freedom-MahaGanesha.
Even Shiva is bound with his karma/duty of distruction;Vishnu with preservation; Brahma with creation.
MahaGanesha, the diety even Shiva and Parvati prayed to, to have shree ganesha and kartikeya as children is the ultimate.The eternally free from the beginning middle and end of the Universe.
“Om Gan Ganpatiaya Namoh Namah”
Laddoos in one hand and freeing axe in the other this God Almighty comprising of every aspect of the Universe even Brahma Vishnu and Mahesh doing their duties within Him, with Buddhi Riddhi and Siddhi as His consorts and a mouse for His vehicle is the superior most being-The Ultimate God who even the dancing and penultimate God Shiva feels the need to pray to.
MahaGanesha is the diety for those who desire eternal freedom.Mind you freedom doesn’t mean freewill but sure freedom from Karma/Prarabda and destiny.
This results in accepting the bounties of God Almighty and enjoying every moment in Freedom.
Hmmm…
karmanye vadhikaraste ma faleshu kadachana
Dear Shekhar – watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upQPmWCJo1g&feature=related
And if you find he speaks to you, do let me know. The next time you are in London we can meet him.
Yes shekhar, you are right- every statement you wrote makes perfect intellectual sense. You wrote
“Yet this duality was what Buddha meditated over – trying to come to vision of Shunyata, of a vast emptying of the mind off our Ego and experiencing ourselves as in Unity with existence, where time and space have only imagined existences”
So its only when one gets a fleeting glimpse (not visual but experiencial)of this shoonyata, one realises the possibility that exists, the realm that is there. So near yet so far.
However, no matter what one reads or intellectually understands, there is no replacement for experiencing it, which, a hundred words cannot define…cannot explain. Just realising the potential that is possible makes every thing what we call life so worth living!
I truly dont know if I am “ahead” as you put it as this is a game of snakes and ladders…one day up and the other down…I know I have a loooong way to go…..
however, if anyone has a true longing, he does not have to search for answers, existence will reach out to him….
When you live in the present moment, theres no past, theres no future. Slowly, theres less of an ego- some day it will eventually fall away…
Cannot help endorsing P’s view fully. Acceptance, ultimately, is the only teaching of all religions. Karma theory of Hinduism, Thy will be done of Xianty, total detachment of Buddhism, – the trajectorry of all these theories is towards acceptance, surrender – unconditional.
Does the Stoic philosophers propogate this concept of acceptance? I dont think so, ‘cos it’s shot thru with pessimism – the acceptance in this school of thought should,i guess, be termed ‘resignation’ – and there is a world of difference between this Stoic resignation and acceptance.
Acceptantance should not be informed by despair and helpless. Accpetance gives strength only when we liberate the ego from the earthly worldview (cause and result being one of them) and the rational, cognative and intellectual faculties of the human mind. For there are truths that lie beyond these, no matter what the scietists say. At least, i’d like to believe that.
acceptance is all – can make life quite simple, like you say.
But the path to that state of mind, believe me, is not a primrose one.
Tho’ sometimes, faced with an intense crisis in life, the truth explodes on you like a nirvanic experience.
wonder if this thinking aloud makes any sense to anyone other than myself.
Anyways, thanks for providing a platform for airing my views.
Hi Shekar,
We humans need to learn acceptance from animals. I don’t think that there is a cow in India or a sheep in NZ thinking who am I ? what is the purpose of my existance? or I totally accept I am an animal and someday I will attain “moksha”. They are busy eating grass and end of the day sleep without popping sleeping pills. And yes sir there are no insomniac animals.
These creatures abide the laws of nature and do not sin (as defined in the human world). I think they should be more closer to God than we humans. We are so arrogant enough to think that since we walk on two legs and have rampaged the nature we are superior being. I think we need to be more animal like and concentrate on taking care of basic needs without harming nature and its inhabitants and all will be well with us. The sad part is a man who behaves in an inhuman fashion is termed an animal when it should be the other way around.
I think we should live a simple life and quietly go back to nature when we are done living (immaterial of the circumstances). There is enough evidence in the world that great minds did lead simple life. But then these simple lives did nothing for selling products so we give them sainthood and spread the word that they were God-like so we cannot be like them. We are all caught in a self-created web that we never seem to get out of.
We need to understand we are animals we need to eat, drink and sleep and while doing all this maintain a harmony with nature. During the lifetime if we can do some good to the fellow animals is a bonus, and if not simply minding your business without harming others is not bad too.
This is what I feel watching the diminishing animal world around us.
Seema, extending your arguement: the animals are abiding by natural law by engaging in the basic survival routine. Humans however are not. The culprit here being their minds(desires,greed,thoughts etc) . Are their minds too not the same nature’s attribute? Or are you suggesting man’s cognitive and contemplative abilities are an evolutionary mistake – at best to be ignored. So did nature go awry when it came to the humans then? That way of looking at it would also be arrogant of humans is it not?
@ seema
‘We need to understand we are animals we need to eat, drink and sleep and while doing all this maintain a harmony with nature’
unfortunately this animal called man does not live by bread alone. That’s a truth that cannot be contested.
“I think we should live a simple life and quietly go back to nature when we are done living (immaterial of the circumstances). There is enough evidence in the world that great minds did lead simple life”
what is this ‘simple life’? Do you mean a life minus technology? do you mean an agrarian existence? Do you honestly believe that man can actually go back to primordial exisence?
Eat, drink and survive – the laws of mindless animal existence – is this what you really want?
@ deepak
mind is neither a villain or a mistake. the spirit of enquiry is the greatest gift of nature.
Touch, feel, experience, using the senses helps understand everything that happens inside us. Words can simply never compare. If we rid/reduce the outer clothing (the ego and its ilk) it is the experience, the harmony, the touch, feel that helps us comprehend the here and now. Everything becomes uncomplicated, easy and so peaceful.
dear shekher,while surfing for something about past life regression,astrology and stuff like that i came across your blog,and i would like to know is accepetance that easy for you or for that matter anyone ? all the philosophy gets dull when you are facing a situtaion like hell,a recent incident in mylife has shatterd me to da core so much so that i felt suicidal,the only reason for not doing so was ma kid wch was definitely my big responsibility and i am trying to cope or accept things as they have come to me,but da fact that they occured to me and da way they happened to me is somethin wch no human being unless he/she posses any super powers would be able to live with,i tried reading bhagwat geeta but it made me feel ok for that day ,da nxt day i am again in the same situation .