The Second Guru Habit is Acceptance.
We are strange creatures - "We don't change what we should, and we spend enormous amount of energy trying to change things we can't!". Somehow the grass always seems to be greener on the other side. The person on the other side is probably thinking the same about you :)
Why is acceptance so hard? Do we know whats better for us than the power that creates and sustains the whole universe? Acceptance has been one of my personal challenges in my life. The reason why acceptance is so hard for us is because we think happiness lies in material needs. No wonder we are so bloody unhappy! because the material gratification is always temporary and ever-changing, and when it perishes it takes us with it. "We are like dogs chasing their own tails in an endless loop!"
If we do manage to get something sacrificing everything else in the path, we can always lose it too. Just look at the unemployment situation in America, where are the high flying execs now, who compromised their health, values, time with their family only now to be in debt to their necks, due to overextension of themselves!
Acceptance also allows you to spend your precious time more wisely, one thing that is priceless is your time on Earth and Peace of Mind. No amount of money or self gratification can buy you that!
Why not spend that time in pursuit of spiritual investigation, insight and development of supporting positive habits. Our innermost desires are only to satisfy our spiritual hunger and to love and to be loved in its purest form. However our limited frame of reference substitutes material desires instead, which gives us temporary and superficial gratification only.
Acceptance and real happiness can only come with Self Moderation, Meditation, Compassion and the Company of people who value the truth over the lies of the world (SatSang - True (Sat) Company (Sang))
Self Moderation teaches you that happiness does not lie in Self Gratification, and teaches you self control, stopping you from getting into more entangled into this world of suffering.
Meditation stills the restless mind, and gives it what it needs, rest, silence, solitude, so that it can recharge for the next challenge coming its way, it also keeps us sane!
Compassion shows you that real happiness lies in giving and sharing rather than hoarding.
Discontent company will automatically make you discontent. SatSang reinforces your own values, and gives you the momentum for permanent change, and an opportunity to learn the right thoughts and habits for true happiness.
To close I would like to mention something I said in passing to a friend of mind one day: "Half the battle to be a spiritual person is to learn acceptance and be thankful for the things you have been given." I hope this contemplation of the great Virtue of Acceptance has given you some appreciation how important it is for our happiness everyday.
Wishing you Love, Compassion & Peace of Mind,
Kirpal
This work by Kirpal Chauhan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
No comments:
Post a Comment