Acceptance in Spiritual Beliefs

What are your thoughts on acceptance? Accepting all that is in regard to spirituality and divine will? Accepting light and dark as of equal importance and necessity in this universe?

I have my own thoughts on accepting the nature of this universe yet I do not completely understand the idea of accepting all the good and the bad. I believe that even from the worst circumstances, there is always the possibility of much good to come, depending upon one's reaction to the bad. There are always lessons to be learned too.

But I do not personally believe in merely accepting the dark side of nature. Or perhaps it is that "accepting" is not the most appropriate word to use? I just feel there is a problem in discussing this matter and using that word, because then some people take this concept and believe that bad things which happen are meant to be "accepted" as part of a divine plan. In "accepting" this, I feel some mistakenly believe that action against the bad things which occur is to go against accepting things as they happen.

Please share your thoughts! Thanks.

Great post! I have to think about this.....as my mind is too tired tonight to give it justice.....Take Care Feathers

[BlueSky]

Nice thread. Personally I accept that the way the universe works, anything is allowed to happen in it. I also accept that it moves like a sine wave, like the Yin Yang symbol, changing ing, interdependent on its opposites, containing a part if it's opposites as it moves and changes. I react freely how I may and perceive them good or bad as I may.
But basically the universe isn't allowing good and bad and perceiving them as equal. The universe is allowing and moving....period, and we are perceiving. In my humble opinion.

[Emmalevine]

The danger with acceptance is that it can develop into a sort of spiritual lethargy where someone doesn't want to make changes to their life/self due to believing it's in 'Divine will.'

Like with anything, there needs to be a balance. I try to accept what's happening right now in the sense I'm not resisting it or trying to pretend it's not happening. I face it's going on with awareness. But if it's something that needs changing then that's what I do, or at least aspire to do.

I don't know if I believe that everything happens for a reason. I'd like to think that but maybe some things are just random and/or bad luck. But even so it can be up to us to transform certain experiences or events to create good out of them. We don't have to accept them lethargically.

Acceptance isn't really just putting up with life or behaviours that we don't like, and if life is actually practised that way, it can be dangerous.

To me, acceptance is accepting the presence of thoughts, feelings, and what is actually in my physical life. That acceptance can be the impetus to change or the realisation of responsibility for what it is we are creating.

[Miss Hepburn]

I believe it helps tremendously to know and understand
how something works....that, to me is the doorway to acceptance.

There is an idea prevalent even in spiritual people, let alone
in non-spiritual people that the Mind of God can not be known.
That would not be true.

Know your enemy, know yourself, know your Creator, know
your car, know your dog, know your furnace!
Nothing is a mystery.
Seek knowledge..research, read the teachers and go within in stillness.
That's what I say, if "acceptance" is your focus.

[lemex]

You know the greatest difficulty with lesson, is when one already knows the lesson others now must learn. If it's all about that.

[athribiristan]

What is good without bad? If there is no badness then the good does not exist. Without bad, we would not call it good, it would simply be. The concept of duality is helpful here, the Yin-Yang of Taoism. Within good is the seed of bad and within bad is the seed of good. Without the concept of either, everything simply is. This is the acceptence of which you speak. To cease to allow a thing to be defined in relation to other things and simply allow it to be what it is.

[kkfern]

i do not accept divine will. i know we each have free will.

i do accept light and dark in nature. but not the way some people think if evil or dark beings.

i do believe in accepting the advice of helpful people.

kk

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by kkfern

i do not accept divine will. i know we each have free will.

A major part of my life is to accept Divine Will...but where I'm coming
from is that my Father God's Will is everything is for my
good...that was Jesus' whole mission representing his Father...
healing and love wherever he went...telling us about the
Kingdom of God....not to worry, have no fear, give him our burdens,
that our heavenly Father would give us according to His riches...and on
and on...ask and receive...He is our refuge...all that is what I accept and
never want to block.

I have studied what exactly His Will is for a long time.
He wants me happy and to grow closer to Him.
No one need agree with that...that's just me.
So far so good.