A desire is simply a doorbell ringing in your life, and on the other side of the door is the absolute presence of the person, thing or experience that has come to you, initially, as a feeling or spark of interest.
Genuine acceptance of life “as it is” will open the door to spiritual expansiveness.
This is the first principle found in my book. It is a challenge to me because I often misuse the word, acceptance, in my own mind. I see it as condoning or embracing. Or I sometimes feel that to accept is to give up, to lose a part of myself to another's (negative) power. However, acceptance is only about acknowledgement. Acknowledge that this has happened, whatever it may be. It is done.
Before we can change anything we must first accept the reality of its presence in our world. Take a deep breath and say, "This exists. It has happened. You are here." Then, look at our beliefs around the circumstance. Are our beliefs resourceful? Do they support our well-being or negate it? Are we willing to live on planet Earth and be, at least in part, a flawed human? Another principle in Mariposa is that the flaw inside us is our connection to each other.
Acceptance of life as it is brings humility and peace as well as expansiveness. As Byron Katie says, "Reality rules. Reality is God." Let something be bigger than we are -- it is a giant relief to do this. Let life move through us, live us. If we have done something for which we feel shame or guilt, than accept that we have done it. Yes, this has happened, and life moved through me in this way. What is the next step now?
Byron Katie's approach to healing, http://www.thework.com, has been helpful to me as I look at my beliefs and learn more about acceptance.
*Qualities and Messages to be Found in Mariposa *
-
Genuine acceptance of life “as it is” will open the door to spiritual expansiveness.
-
There is no such thing as the “Other.” Everyone is a mirror.
-
The lie we live by is that we are separate from God.
-
Everything we need, in order to be euphoric, alive, and in love exists within – fully accessible at any moment. The key is surrender.
-
Love, Praise, and Gratitude will give us the experience of life we seek.
-
Joy can be found within our sense of aliveness.
-
Sooner or later we will fulfill our dreams.
-
Awaken to and acknowledge our true motivations in our relationships, and forgive.
-
We are ensconced in mystery throughout our lives.
-
Life is a journey, but it is also, and more importantly, an experience, in the moment.
-
The flaw in us connects us to each other.
-
The nurturing Spirit of life wants to be known by us. It always hovers nearby, seeking to join with us.
-
We are all on a quest for a wholly inhabited life. |
 |
| Concho River | | |
Without desire, we wouldn't be able to get out of bed in the morning. The Buddhist concept of desire is more about the idea of "want." To want something or someone is to say that we are in a state of lack, and the universe then respectfully gives us more deficiency and emptiness. A desire is simply a doorbell ringing in your life, and on the other side of the door is the absolute presence of the person, thing or experience that has come to you, initially, as a feeling or spark of interest. Most people feel this spark and immediately translate it as an absence rather than a presence. And our mind then works to define the shape of the desire, based on contents in its file. The file only contains information linked to our past. This is why the fulfillment of a desire sometimes manifests differently from our inner image. The mind can be limited in its capacity to truly recognize the actual shape of the desire being presented to us. Often, the person, thing or experience is much better than we can imagine. It's always best to look at the image in our mind, connected to the desire, and say to the Universe, "I accept (this person, thing or experience) or something better." Be easygoing in your acceptance. Allow its manifestation to be natural and normal, just a part of your day, your world, and don't try to control it. The fulfillment of desire is meant to be a lovely, graceful interaction with the Universe or God.