The Law of Acceptance

The Law of Acceptance is best illustrated by an old Sufi story about a farmer and his son.

One day the farmer went out to feed his animals, only to find his only beloved horse lying on the ground, dead. Soon the whole village learned of the news, and came by his house to express their dismay. They said, "We've heard of the awful news! It is terrible that you lost your only horse!" The farmer replied, "Maybe."

The next week, while the farmer was working the land, his son runs to tell him that he just captured a herd of wild horses. Again the villagers hear of the farmers news, and stop by saying, "You are so lucky! You have been blessed with an entire herd of horses!" Again, the farmer's only reply was "Maybe." A few days later, while trying to tame the horses, the farmer's son was thrown to the ground and his leg was broken. When one of the villagers heard of the accident, he stopped by to say, "What poor luck you are having, I am terribly sorry." The farmer's reply once again was, "Maybe."

Weeks go by, and the farmer's son is still lame. The emperor sends out his messengers to round up all the able-bodied boys in the nearby villages to fight a local battle. When the messengers arrive at the farmer's house, they see that the farmer's son is injured so they pass him by. A few weeks later, the neighbors, who lost their sons in the battle, again come by the farmer's home and say, "You are so lucky to have your son home with you." Again the farmer replies, "Maybe."

The Law of Acceptance teaches us that our lives are always evolving. And what may appear to be a tragedy, may be the perfect conduit for our dreams to be fulfilled. The Chinese symbol of crisis, is also the same symbol used for opportunity. In the midst of difficult times, wonderful outcomes often (and usually) surface. The Law of Acceptance ultimately means trust. We must trust that our lives are evolving. Trusting can be difficult when we are in the throes of pain, but it is exactly the solution for our evolution - surrender.

Acceptance is the opposite of resistance. Anger, sadness, disappointment, shame, guilt, envy, and resentment are all human emotions that we all feel from time to time. However, at the root of each of these is resistance to what is.

It would be good four us to practise daily affirmation by saying : I surrender, trust and accept that all things are working together for my highest good.

From the surah Al-Hadid, Allah s.w.t said:
No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence: That is truly easy for Allah. In order that ye may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favours bestowed upon you. For Allah loveth not any vainglorious boaster,- 57:22-23 - Yusuf Ali Translation:

If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears - Glenn Clark