Mike, I agree with accepting things as they are, but one must clearly understand what that means. Things as they are are what reality is. However many mistakenly think that means Buddhists must be passive and submissive. Not at all. The correct understanding is that a Zen person can work actively to change things in the world. After all whatever the results one accepts reality even if one is in the process of actively changing it to a new accepted reality. Whatever happens and is in the moment is reality and is accepted but there are many forces working to change that in the next moment and one can actively be one of those forces and still accept what is.
The key is that 'accept' means to recognize what is as reality. It doesn't mean one need accept (in the sense of submitting to passively) injustice and suffering without doing anything about it. After all if one changes it that becomes the new reality which in its turn is accepted as reality. Edgar On Feb 28, 2011, at 9:40 AM, mike brown wrote: > > Mayka, > > The story doesn't end there. Learn to accept the world as it is, too. You're > not separate from the world and the world is not separate from you.. or 'me'. > From recognising we all share the same Nature comes great Love and Compassion. > > Mike > > From: Maria Lopez <[email protected]> > To: Zen Forum <[email protected]> > Sent: Mon, 28 February, 2011 18:31:01 > Subject: [Zen] Don't Change - By Anthony De Mello > > > Dedicated to all those who accept us just as we are: > > There is this story by Anthony de Mello I like it very much for its > simplicity. > > I was a neurotic for years. Anxious, depressed, > selfish. And everyone kept telling me to chance. > > And I resented them, and agreed with them, and > wanted the change, but simple couldn't. No matter how I tried. > > What hurt the most was that, like the others, > My closest friend kept urging me to change. > So, I fell powerless trapped. > > One day he said: "Don't change, I love you as you are" > These words were music to my ears: "Don't change. Don't change. Don't > change.... > I love you as you are" > I relaxed, I come alive. And suddenly, I changed! > > Now I know that I couldn't really change till I found > someone to love me whether I changed or not. > > I this how you love me, God? > > > >
