A person of high consciousness tends to embrace all things that come their way. The average person wants life to take form, unfold on a particular way, not another, but the more realized individual accepts all and everything that comes his way, perceived the deeper truth of all that is unfolding before him; of the necessity and utility of each and every thing.
E.g. one parent did not want to accept the child's interest in photography, expressing deep disappointment with that aim. But then she changed her attitude and accepted it, and the child grew up to become a successful cinematographer.
The more we open ourselves to all that is occurring around us, the more we will be in the right flow of life, the more life will be our friend, and the more we will understand the hidden clues life is offering us at every moment.
Embracing All and Every Thing
From an understanding of the nature of the Reality, Brahman, God, the Infinite -- as both the Unmanifest and the Manifest, the Creator and Creation, Spirit and Matter, and their integral relationship -- the following comes to mind about the way we view our existence:
-We need to ACCEPT everything in life, since all is Brahman. Not just 'this' at the expense of 'that', but all. The ego likes this but not that. But the Reality is beyond the ego. It embraces all and every thing; all planes and acts and forms in life. By embracing life this way, dualities, contradictions are overcome, as we move from the exclusive Part we are attached to to the Whole that is the Truth unfolding, engendering harmony and oneness.
-We also need to see the PURPOSE of all things in the scheme of things. We need to see each thing in its context; of its role in the unfolding, on its way to greater progress. (That way we see how even the trivial action of a person in the unfolding of an event serves an important purpose. That there are no such things as "interruptions" or "disturbances" or "side roads or issues" that take one off track.)
This leads to a profound RESPECT for all things, for all acts, for every person at any moment in time. It enables us to move from ego and selfishness to embracing the needs and concerns of others; i.e. self-givingness. It also engenders Non-reaction since nothing is outside us to disturb us (since we embrace and accept all in our purview).
Brahman is all and every thing (and even beyond to their integral relationship). And yet we can rise beyond exclusive mind to intuition and thereby perceive It, including the Dance of the All on its way to ever-greater progress. It is to have a glimpse of the Marvel of existence.
Accepts the Givens for Continuous Good Fortune
If you do what life puts before you, the work at hand, instead of complaining or wanting something else, good fortune will be your continuous companion.
Accepting All and Every Thing
Normally we are happy to pursue those things that please us, avoiding as much as possible those activities that we believe will bring less pleasure, or even pain. And yet the truth is that if at every moment we fully embrace what life puts before us -- pleasurable or otherwise -- life will instantly respond in our favor.
Over the years, I have experienced this phenomenon countless times, both at the macro and micro level. Here is a modest incident that demonstrates this principle in action.
After a successful day of instruction at a local college on the other side of the bay, I unfortunately left my computer power cord behind. Without it, my battery could supply only a few more hours of power, which meant I would soon be without a computer -- a potential disaster in my case. It also turns out that driving over and retrieving the cord would be very time-consuming, made doubly so by the fact that a renowned bridge linking the two areas was now out of service! I therefore contacted a staffer at the college and asked her to hunt down and mail the power cord to me ASAP. She agreed and indicated that it would likely arrive the next day. Since she was a busy person, and because of several other concerns I had, there were doubts in my mind that it would arrive so quickly. Still I hoped for the best.
The next day, as expected, my computer ceased functioning when the battery drained. As a result, I decided to head over to the local library to use one of their computers. This was a facility I have used on occasion for over two decades. However, when I called the offices beforehand, I learned that the library had permanently closed down! I then realized this was because the town was were about to open a huge, modern facility a few blocks away. Therefore, I decided to go head out to a nearby town to use their state-of-the-art library. Just before leaving, I asked my roommate to look out for the overnight package that contained my power cord.
I then walked out of my home and towards my car, but then suddenly shifted direction, realizing that the mail sometimes arrives early on the weekend, and I should retrieve that first. When I walked over to the box, I did not know if the mail had arrived; but when I opened the latch, there was the day’s mail. I then brought it back to my home, notifying my friend that I was still on my way out to the library in the next town. But just as I was about to head out again, I saw a FedEx truck parked right in front of my home! I thought, “That must be the power cord delivery!” I then looked to my left and there was the delivery person looking for our entrance way. He then found the door and handed me the overnight package. I could now resume all of my critical computer functions. A not so small disaster was averted.
I immediately understood that I had evoked this response from life because I had taken care of every detail required in that situation. Rather than skirt one issue or another, I paid close attention to the flow of things, and fulfilled every demand of life, whether pleasurable or not; whether perceived as positive or negative.
When we embrace life and all of its demands, it tends to flow in our favor. When we fight it, or accept one part but not another, we separate ourselves from its underlying natural flow, making things difficult, if not downright impossible.
Embracing life is to accept that each and everything is necessary for the right outcome of events. It is to perceive the Marvel of existence; that each and every thing plays a role in the unfolding and progress of life. Embracing life also enables us to align with the very best of conditions, as luck swiftly moves in our direction. Or, in this case, literally to our doorstep!
Mr. Bennet's Surrender to the Situation that Attracted Overwhelmingly
Mr. Bennet [in Pride and Prejudice], faced with a great obligation to his brother-in-law of several thousand pounds decided like the Vedic Rishis to surrender to the situation with equality. Life accepted his surrender and paid his debt of honor on his behalf. [i.e. when the very wealthy Darcy married his daughter.] (MSS)
Accepting the Given, that Which Life Puts Before You
Life is constantly putting situations before us that we can accept, neglect, or reject. If we accept and take up these givens of life, sudden good fortune can come our way. For example, when a salesperson overcame his reluctance and accepted a request to work a second consecutive weekend shift on his job, he instantly attracted the biggest sales of his life. Likewise, when an executive overcame his reluctance to accept his role as head of the company, the firm suddenly blossomed thereafter. Action Plan: Consider which aspects of your life you've been reluctant or hesitant to embrace. Once you understand the cause, make the concerted effort to overcome your reluctance or hesitation. Watch life suddenly and abundantly respond thereafter!
