In taking refuge in the Dharma, I agree not to fight the world, gobble it up, or reject it, but to allow everything to exist along with me.
This acceptance may set the mental conditions for the "softening" that can come with meditation, a softening to one's own being, a tenderness toward and appreciation of oneself with all one's imperfections, and ultimately an appreciation that extends out to the world around us.
— Sandy Boucher, Opening the Lotus