Transcend Suffering With Acceptance

Whenever we suffer it is due to some kind of hidden resistance. Resistance simply means we are not accepting the moment. The ideas that are popping up in our head are anti-Now.

In other words, we don't want situation the way it is right now. We want it to change.  We want something else, something aligned with the wishes of the ego/self. We want to turn the situation to our benefit. Who has this desire of changing the situation? The ego, meaning, self identified with the body. Why does it have this desire? Because it wants to survive. It derives its existence from pleasures. It thrives on so-called happy moments of life. It constantly seeks for the same pleasures again and again. If it doesn't get this pleasure it feels pain.

Human life is entirely based on running away from pain and desiring pleasures. We can divide our experiences into two categories - wanted and unwanted experiences.

How to transcend and overcome this unconscious cycle of pleasure and pain?

Try accepting the situation. Be it wanted or unwanted experience see them with an equal eye. That's what being equanimous is. No matter what you experience don't go to extremes, don't judge with your current understanding. Know that your understanding might be limited. Instead, live this moment with full acceptance. This is the way of the wise.

Acceptance will take you into profound peace. In the process of getting deeper into acceptance, ego will resist a lot. Ego would want happiness through its ways. Those are short term pleasures, that binds you with the world. At that time bring in the understanding that world is extremely unstable place and we can not expect it to be forever constant and full of happiness. It's nature is ever-changing. We can never find long-lasting happiness from a limited understanding of the world. Thus, understanding how your mind works is the key to knowing your true self. 

In short, accepting the moment means not engaging with the egoic desires occurring in the mind. Just let things be as they are without judgement or control. Do this in your mind. With such mind-management technique, you will experience a deep sense of peace and contentment here and now.