Additional Clarification:
In many spiritual practices there is a grasp of becoming “aware”, which one can do nothing but do. However, because of the layers needed to develop an individual will, there are many degrees to this recognition. There are three directions one could go in their practice of awareness, stagnation: which refuses change, regression: which becomes aware of less, and progression: which becomes aware of more. When one is training to progress in awareness, they actually need to master awareness and recognize what it is alone without any distractions, therefore they must first regress. Then one can choose to expand their awareness beyond what is believed as “their own”, because they recognize the only thing that is “their own” is the awareness as the perceiver.
Layers of Interpretation:
On “Acceptance”
1. Put-up with
Usually with a struggle to accept, there are experiences where the perceiver seems to be in battle with one or more others on any particular subject. A major resistance is present to the subject and/or the persons involved presenting the subject. “Resistance” can be said to be the opposite of acceptance, and to recognize it (in one’s self) is to recognize the first and largest obstacle impeding complete acceptance. If we can humbly recognize that when we “do not like” or “do not want” anything we do indeed have resistance within, to what seems outside. Then the situation has become a helpful support on our healing journey, revealing the “blocks” we possess within, keeping us from peace, enlightenment, and revelation.
2. Tolerate
Often as one grows with resistance there is a getting used to and tolerating what they have continuously deemed as undesirable, problematic, or negative. This can lead to peaceful scenarios by offering reverence and personal suppression, but it also must be maintained for it is one of the easiest forms of peace that can be disturbed. Usually this tolerance is built up for particular persons or places requiring it of us. Then we tend to lower the resistance with other persons and places, making up for our suppression to an excess where it tends to be inappropriate. Otherwise this suppression form of acceptance has built up a tension which will explode when the resistance is greater then the tolerance.
3. Allow
When attempting to accept, there is always an interpretation that one must allow everything. While this does seem to be what the fullness of acceptance does, this is usually in spite of one’s self. Nobly believing that one must put aside their wants, desires, and their resistances for others. Choosing to silence themselves and to give up any will of their own, for a lover, a friend, or even for “God”. And while this is definitely a necessary step on the journey, it can not be the last, for to accept everything does include one’s self and all its wants, desires, and resistances. Yet what a better way to train to surrender all resistance then to accept and agree to everything.
4. At a distance
It is common to believe that acceptance can be done while also concluding that what one accepts should not be in their life. While this is a degree of acceptance it is a partial idea that one could accept and reject at the same time. This misunderstanding is easily available, considering, for an example, one believes they have accepted a person as a negative and toxic person and therefore not someone they want in their lives. Definitely letting them live their own (unacceptable) lives, but refusing it in our own life. While never required to embrace the intolerable, one must eventually do so if they seek training in complete acceptance.
5. Participation
Eventually in the acceptance training one has felt the difference in themselves regarding their resistance and acceptance to an activity, and they learn to switch from resistance to acceptance. Something still challenging if one leaves themselves out of being part of it. While it seems that for one to fully accept the situation, they would have no issues participating in the situation without changing it. However, so easy is it forgotten that they are part of the situation. Therefore at this time, they begin to accept themselves as part of the situation also. That to suppress one’s actions and words there, is to change the situation. While acceptance embraces it, including themselves in it.
6. Embrace
Everyone on the journey of this realization must go through the necessary phase of embracing everything in the situation, including themselves. Learning not only to not judge others thoughts, words or actions, but also every thought, word or action that seems to come from themselves. Not only establishing a trust in one’s self even as they learned to trust others, but also to trust their creator. Often we are afraid of what we will do or say if we completely let ourselves go, which is natural to those who believe they are alone in themselves and have had many mistakes in their past from this problem. However, this is awakening the recognition that you are not alone, nor are you in charge of what you think, do or say. Then surrendering control with an actual acceptance of everything and everyone created in that situation, including your “self”.
7. Indifference
Often all of these stages remain to include a belief that they are on the journey for the achievement of something, including transcending the situation or world. Unfortunately, this belief derives from a desire for things to be different then they are. A lack of acceptance of life as is in general. Insisting that one is better then it, or deserves something greater then what they have and are “forced to live”. As obvious of a lack of acceptance as this may seem, when lived it does not seem so obvious. It is an aspect of the foundation of experiencing physicality. It is how we came to it, and it seems as easy to be the way out of it, however it is not. This desire for something other then truth can do nothing but develop more of itself. Only the truth of your reality would be the way out of it. To desire more then truth is all separation, to accept truth is truth. And Truth is all that is, how can you accept truth when you believe it is something it is not and then desire something else, even if you insist this is not the truth and this other is. You are blind to the truth and reality, while you insist it needs to be fixed.