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10 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

most common ways to misunderstand acceptance is that foundation for our behavior. Being angry and upset are
to accept some difficult condition, to have acceptance of feelings that will be very difficult to sustain over time.
something going wrong, means we will be passive in the They will usually burnout as they are too exhausting for
face of this difficulty and not feel the need to respond. us to keep them alive indefinitely. Plus, sometimes we
This is a mistaken view as acceptance does not stand should act but since we lack the anger and the outrage
against of ground of Buddhist training, Right Action. If I to motivate us, we then fail to act. The right motivation
have a serious illness, it is not helpful for me to not accept comes from just trying to do what is good and accepting
the fact that I am ill and my body is having difficulty. I can our karmic conditions. This right motivation is
still try to be at peace with my illness and accept what something that can keep flowing indefinitely, whether
is unfolding in my life. That does not stand against the the right changes happen or there is no progress.
fact that I need to have Right Action and I should do all
that I can to try to cure my illness and relieve my body of Acceptance does not mean we do not feel bad about our
whatever distress I am dealing with. It is the underlying own suffering, feel bad about someone’s else’s suffering,
spiritual attitude that we try to cultivate in Buddhism or do not feel moral outrage at some egregious wrong
of dealing with all of life’s difficulties in a responsible in the world. Acceptance does not mean that all the
manner but also accepting that life is going to always be difficult feelings such as outrage, fear, anger and worry
providing us with conditions we do not want and we can do not arise in us. In fact, the open mind and heart
still accept them and responsibly deal with them. of the meditative mind means we are more open and
aware of all these difficult feelings. However, we can
The reason people often feel acceptance sounds passive just let them arise and past and do not feel the need
is that they have an underlying belief that many difficult to cling to them. If we can take some positive actions,
situations require us to be upset, angry, worried or it is good to do that. However, to keep dwelling on the
fearful in order to motivate us to respond. People will difficulty will just create suffering for ourselves without
often feel that the fact that something is going wrong in generating anything positive. We maintain staying in
the world requires them to be upset and outraged, and a state of suffering because of something going wrong
this flow of strong emotions accomplishes something in the world for long stretches of our lives. Right and
positive. Yet the changes in the world do not happen wrong conditions are always going to exist and we need
just because we feel upset or angry but come out of to not cling to either and we can work at seeing both as
what actual right actions that we do that will bring ephemeral and empty.
positive change. In Buddhism, we are practicing taking
the Buddhist precepts to heart and being driven to do Nelson Mandela was unjustly imprisoned for 27 years in
what will bring about the most good in all our actions. A South Africa. Yet it was clear when he spoke, both before
good parent can see their child doing something wrong and after his release from prison, that he was not filled
and instead of being driven by anger, they can correct with anger about his mistreatment or anger about the
their child with love and compassion. A Buddhist is dreadful mistreatment of the black South Africans by
trying to see all beings with an attitude of kindness the white government. Nelson Mandela’s lack of anger
and compassion. We are also trying to acknowledge and outrage allowed the white South Africans to trust
that there must be some deep karmic reasons for that if they allowed Nelson Mandela and black citizens
all the mistaken behavior that we encounter. We are to gain democratic control of the government, there
often willing to see the mistakes of small children with would not be horrific reprisals and mistreatment for the
compassion but the mistakes of adults we judge and white population. Nelson Mandela was a good example
then often judge harshly. Yet both children and adults are of right action with his lack of anger and his forgiveness
being driven into wrong behavior by difficult karma. and he provided a living example of how this universal
truth which had been taught more than 2500 years ago
If we use anger and outrage to motivate us to act by the Buddha, can transform the world.
when we see something wrong, we have a very shaky