On Accepting What Is

by Charlie Day
www.desmoinesmeditation.org

This talk was prompted by an email exchange with a friend from the West Coast who is not a meditator but knows of my interest in meditation and Buddhism. The email ended with the statement: "I am juggling so many things these days that they overlap - give me some Buddhist inspiration so I can get this all done without losing my mind!"

My response to him was: "You asked for it, so here goes. ‘What is, is’. It's always been that way and it will always be that way. Buddha said that suffering, dissatisfaction, frustration, upset, stress or whatever you want to call any negative experience is caused by "wanting it to be different than the way it is."

Accepting that what is, is, does not mean approving of what happens or being passive, indifferent, or insensitive to the reality of the need for action or change. It means accepting the way it is without reacting negatively. It means letting go of any negative reactions that may arise so that one's energy is not wasted in emotional reactivity to what can't be changed, since it's already happened, or worrying about a future that has not yet arrived. It means using that energy more effectively and efficiently in making any changes that are possible and beneficial.....(continued)

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