Freedom is found not through escaping the present experience,
but by diving fearlessly into its hidden depths. You must be
open to exploring suffering - how and why it manifests in you,
where it originates. You must be willing to look at your pain,
fears, sadness, longings. They are part of the wholeness of
life. You must be willing to face them head on and find deep
acceptance for the seemingly unacceptable aspects of yourself...
Beyond the personal story of my own suffering, I discover the
pains is not really my pain. It's the world's pain. It's humanity's
pain...
but by diving fearlessly into its hidden depths. You must be
open to exploring suffering - how and why it manifests in you,
where it originates. You must be willing to look at your pain,
fears, sadness, longings. They are part of the wholeness of
life. You must be willing to face them head on and find deep
acceptance for the seemingly unacceptable aspects of yourself...
Beyond the personal story of my own suffering, I discover the
pains is not really my pain. It's the world's pain. It's humanity's
pain...
It's one thing to know who you really are [your Beingness]
when life is easy and things are going well for you. It's
another thing to remember this in the heat of the moment,
when things fall apart, when life gets messy. We find another
way of looking at suffering, a radical new way of relating to
it. We can see the messiness and the beauty of day-to-day
human existence as something to be avoided, or transcended,
or we can see it for what it really is: a secret and constant
invitation to wake up... It's about finding out who you
really are, beyond who you think you are, beyond who you've
been taught you are, beyond the story about who you are,
beyond all your concepts and images of who you are.
when life is easy and things are going well for you. It's
another thing to remember this in the heat of the moment,
when things fall apart, when life gets messy. We find another
way of looking at suffering, a radical new way of relating to
it. We can see the messiness and the beauty of day-to-day
human existence as something to be avoided, or transcended,
or we can see it for what it really is: a secret and constant
invitation to wake up... It's about finding out who you
really are, beyond who you think you are, beyond who you've
been taught you are, beyond the story about who you are,
beyond all your concepts and images of who you are.
...we must face reality with open eyes. We must move away
from denial, wishful thinking, and hoping and tell the truth
about life as it is. Great freedom lies in admitting the truth
of this moment, however much it clashes with our dreams and
plans - and self image... Acceptance is about seeing reality,
from denial, wishful thinking, and hoping and tell the truth
about life as it is. Great freedom lies in admitting the truth
of this moment, however much it clashes with our dreams and
plans - and self image... Acceptance is about seeing reality,
seeing things as they actually are, not as we wish them to be.
And from that place of alignment with what is, all creative,
loving and intelligent actions flow naturally.
And from that place of alignment with what is, all creative,
loving and intelligent actions flow naturally.
Freedom is about embracing all that appears in the Ocean
of our present experience. Maybe the true calling in life is to
accept present experience deeply - to let go of how this
moment should be - letting go of our false self-image.
of our present experience. Maybe the true calling in life is to
accept present experience deeply - to let go of how this
moment should be - letting go of our false self-image.
Great freedom lies in fearlessly facing the darkness and finally
coming to see that the darkness is inseparable from light...
Life cannot be good or bad. Life is simply life. It's about
seeing the Mystery of Life that is already here.
coming to see that the darkness is inseparable from light...
Life cannot be good or bad. Life is simply life. It's about
seeing the Mystery of Life that is already here.
Jeff Foster
Excerpts from - The Deepest Acceptance
published in 2012
Facebook
Excerpts from - The Deepest Acceptance
published in 2012
As many of you know Jeff has been dealing with a
severe debilitating illness for the past few years,
having to come face to face with Acceptance...
He writes about his experience on his Facebook page...
severe debilitating illness for the past few years,
having to come face to face with Acceptance...
He writes about his experience on his Facebook page...
~
Photo - taken by my brother
at Plum Cove, Gloucester, MA
at Plum Cove, Gloucester, MA
Jeff Foster is facing a very severe illness and has shared his ordeal on facebook with such honesty and humbleness...Hope he will recover fast!...
ReplyDeleteThank you Michel... Yes, I am aware... I think I may have read about it in one of his Newsletters. It appears it has effected the nervous system. Very debilitating and exhausting... Am sure he is learning Deep Acceptance... How ironic that he wrote his book The Deepest Acceptance many years ago!
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