In the spiritual as well as the psychological context there is much discussion about embracing and accepting. Some speak of a radical acceptance: one should radically accept oneself, life, his/her feelings, etc. But in fact these are only catch-words. What is thereby actually meant? Is it about tolerating, being forced to bear, in order to create an emotionally acceptable separation, an optimal detachment, a seat in the inner ivory tower? Certainly not! These would only be forms of spiritual bypassing.
When does acceptance take on a liberating dimension? When does it have a deeper reaching meaning?
Through my experiences along the Spiritual Path I have come to the following conclusion: In order to be able to truly accept something, the necessary element of Inner Stillness must be present.
Acceptance that is not carried by the fine frequency of silence and permeated with full dedication, is either a mental distancing of oneself and a division from emotion, or, a stressful subordinating and demeaning of oneself. Both lead to an even larger confusion and embolden the illusionary world of the Ego and more.
Acceptance in its liberating dimension, on the contrary, is an unconditional embracing of the total inner and outer choppiness, in and through the power of silence. This is however, bound to, and dependent upon, the relinquishing of our egocentric strivings and motivations. How should silence come about when I, without stop, constantly replenish my heart with personal wishes and ideas, that is, mental and emotional noise? I acknowledge all my narrow-mindedness and insufficiencies and shortcomings and have a deep yearning for liberation from the heavy load of my isolated, limited ego. Within me, there arises a craving after the inner, unshakeable Peace, for the Peace that surpasses all understanding. I experience always and again, that this state of consciousness is the condition, for the acceptance meant here, to even begin to find fertile soil.
Acceptance is, in this sense, a purification of the ego’s resistance to Silence. It is the giving up of the resistance against the true, original and undying Self. It’s all about the abandoning of everything that stands between and prevents the development of the true life. The pain that goes along with this we must permit with every fiber of our being as we stand on the finely woven carpet of the Silence: we follow the trail of the pain, we penetrate it until its waves have pervaded us and the carpet of Silence completely engulfs and envelops us. Then we are attuned to a deeper state of being- yes, we are then one with the true Being. This is the holy battle of the mysteries. This is the “holding out of the other cheek” after the slap in the face. This is the water that wears down the wall of rock. This is the invincible force to which every world power must eventually surrender, sooner or later.
It is my experience that there stands before acceptance a situation of Insight, of understanding that all resistance against that which exists is useless. I must consciously decide this for myself, to step aside with my “I”, my ego, and let the Silence take effect. Acceptance first begins with the Silence.
Before being able to accept a situation, that inwardly we tend to resist, there stands the contact to the Silence, the devotional attuning to this one frequency which radiates to us out of a fully other order of life. Tied together with this power, and this alert, deeply experienced presence of the Divine within us, can acceptance take place in a truly liberating sense.
It will then turn our inner life to a mutual movement with the “Rhythm of the Silence” which becomes the focal point of each and all our steps and movements. It is kind of a dance to the melody of Silence, to that what always was, what always is, and what always will become, even after our “dance” in this world has long come to an end.
Therefore call the Masters of all the Ages to us:
Be still! In the Silence is hidden your true, undying and infinite Being. There you will find the Peace, for which your Heart has so long yearned.