Time Bound

[Mark Hovila]

Yes, of course we should accept that war occurs, or that there is violence
within ourselves.  The alternative to acceptance is denial, or
self-deception.  Do I mean that we should approve of war, violence, etc?
Certainly not.  But again, if we find ourselves approving of it, we should
accept the fact that we approve of it.  The word "accept" often gives
people trouble, as it has multiple meanings.  I simply mean we should face
the facts, unpleasant as they may seem.  Our egos are very selective in
what they accept.  They may choose to accept only the good things about
ourselves, or some may choose to accept only the bad things.  If we truly
are able to face What Is, without judgment or interpretation, the ego has
no more role.

Mark



----------
> From: Martin Gifford <marting at NSWCC.ORG.AU>
> To: Multiple recipients of list ADVAITA-L <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Time Bound
> Date: Sunday, June 29, 1997 11:39 PM
>
> At 11:18 PM 27/06/97 -0700, you wrote:
> >Dear Nageswar,
> >
> >To expand on my earlier post, when I say meditation is facing the facts,
to
> >me that is the same as saying meditation is facing (or accepting) God.
God
> >is All That Is.  In our usual state, we try to actively avoid facing All
> >That Is by engaging in activities designed to prop up the falsehood of a
> >personal self, or ego.  One of the things the ego does is tell us that
the
> >world (including aspects of ourselves that we dislike) is "unspiritual"
and
> >that we must retreat within to find God.  But this is merely an escape,
an
> >avoidance of God, a denial of God's omnipresence.  It is an attempt to
hold
> >onto the fictitious personal self by creating a so-called better, more
> >"spiritual" personal self.  Facing the facts means to accept, without
> >interpretation or judgment, all that we see, hear, smell, taste and
feel,
> >as well as the reactions of our body-mind.  In complete acceptance there
is
> >no person, there is only Freedom.
> >
> >Mark
> >----------
>
>
> Well, spot on! That's surrender.
>
> BUT....
>
> It depends what we are to accept. We can't accept actions that arise out
of
> dualistic ideas. Actions that arise out of the feeling of separation
cause
> further ignorance and suffering in ourselves and others.
>
> Do you include violence, etc. as the "unspiritual aspects of ourselves"
that
> we should accept?
>
> Many people think that we should accept war, violence, etc. as part of
life.
> But they come from ego which is the lack of acceptance, which is the
sense
> of separation.
>
> To me the "unspiritual aspects or ourselves" are anything that comes from
> the idea of separation.
>
> Regards,
>
> Martin Gifford.