Eckhart Tolle when asked about what is it that people need to do to be peaceful, he replied by saying that we need to “Accept what is”. Let’s look into what this accepting is about and what it can do to our lives.

First things first, with the word “Ego” I mean the set of unobserved thoughts and emotions we have; the programming we endlessly act out that creates suffering. The Ego can also be seen as an illusion which always tries to convince that we are somehow “separate” from the universe. The best way to sustain this illusion is to somehow be against something which strengthens the separateness. This manifests in inner complaining, resentment, making enemies, resisting this moment.

One of the most effective ways to go beyond the Ego is to unconditionally accept the present moment. It can also be called “surrender”. Acceptance is only about the present moment. Many people have a misconception about acceptance so let me clear it off right away using an example. You get fired from your job and you are in your home. Acceptance is to accept in that moment you are sitting in your home, accept that your mind is generating worry thoughts, accept the emotional pain in your body etc. All these are the realities in that moment and to be accepted. What don’t fall under acceptance are; accepting joblessness, giving up searching for a job, accepting you are broke and are a loser etc. Bring your complete attention to this moment. ACCEPT and then act. This helps you to come out the negativity and make a good plan. Realise what you learned from your previous job, look for opportunities, apply for jobs etc.

Radical acceptance leads to a flowering of our being and its advantages include

  1. Intelligence

Surrender puts an end to the old unconscious behaviour patterns. We are no longer acting like robots running on an old dysfunctional programming. Higher intelligence in us takes over our actions and so we face challenges in a better and peaceful way.

  1. Emotional Pain

More often than not we don’t like to face the emotional pain when it periodically comes up. We get taken over by the emotions which in turn bring negativity into our thoughts and actions. This cycle can be broken by completely accepting the emotional pain as it arises thus breaking the link between mind and the emotions and gradually dissolving the emotional pain.

  1. Synchronicity

When we are not fighting life but going with the flow of life the synchronistic events increase and we will be able to see clearly how unified all the events that happen in our life and others’ lives are. We will be able to enjoy the play of the world even if it seems as a gain or loss from the limited perspectives we have.

  1. Health

With resistance to the present moment we create energy blockages in the body and with acceptance we experience better flow of energy and thus better health. We also feel light as we have reduced the stress our thoughts can come up with.

  1. Unconditional Peace

When we surrender unconditionally, we feel the treasure of peace with us. Nothing really has the power to bother us anymore. Our innate power is with us not in the hands of other people or life’s events.

What you resist persists, so when you find resistance coming up in yourself please stop trying to push it away, Accept it. Yes Accept that there is resistance.

With Acceptance peace arises even in the toughest situations. In fact, a situation which earlier gave rise to enormous suffering will in fact become the door way to peace through unconditional acceptance. Our problematic mind dissolves and so we stop seeing our challenges as problems.

This reminds me about the tiny bit of resistance that arose in Jesus’s mind when he was on the cross.

“God, why have thou forsaken me” and then later realises “Not my will but thine be done”

Jesus on the cross with the worst fate a human can come across was able to surrender to God’s will. Let’s start practicing the same in our lives and let God into our lives. God is nothing more than the light with us and let us shine the light by ACCEPTING.