It is so wonderful to recall that when we were newly born, we could do nothing and our mother did everything for us. When we grew into small children, we did some tasks on our own, and so our mother lessened her responsibilities. And today as grownups we do everything on our own.
We are also very proud of the things we do: run businesses, create houses, and earn money. It is because we possess this pride of performing our actions that we are responsible as the doer, and we have to suffer the consequences of our actions good or bad according to the Law of Karma. As long as we are bound by the Law of Karma we will not get liberated from this material bondage. Then how can we perform our actions in daily life, so that we may attain liberation and consequently the divine bliss?
To attain divine bliss we will have to simply surrender this pride of doer-ship to God just as we surrendered to our mothers as newly born children, by doing so we will become non-doers and God will become the performer of our every action.
God states in the Bhagavat Geeta (Chapter 18, Verse 66)
sarva-dharman parityajya…
“O Arjun! Abandoning all concerns of religiosity and irreligiosity, simply surrender to Me. Then I, who dispense justice to all, will cease to be a mere judge. Bestowing My Grace, I will pardon all the sins of your innumerable past lives, and grant you liberation.”
This is the immense Grace of God.
Question: What does it mean to ‘surrender to God’?
Swami Mukundananda: Just as devotion the term surrender has also been defined from varied perspectives by Saints. Surrender means to give up our independent desire, and to desire in accordance with the Will of the Supreme. A natural corollary of this is to utilize our body, mind and possessions in the service of God.
Further, surrender is characterized by complete dependence on the grace of God. This involves dissolution of the ego that depends upon crutches such as wealth, position, family, etc., and the development of faith that God alone is my shelter.
Some scriptures have explained surrender by enumerating six points:
1. To desire in accordance with the Will of God.
2. Not to desire against the Will of God.
3. To have firm faith that He is protecting us.
4. To always realize His Grace in all things.
5. To feel that all we have belongs to God and our Guru.
6. To give up the ego of having surrendered.
Q: What stops one from complete surrender? How can one overcome one’s inherent negativities and make progress towards self-surrender faster?
SM: Surrender is not a one-time procedure rather we have to keep surrendering at every moment. Our mind is made of Maya (material energy) and it naturally runs towards the world but we need to beat this mind with the intellect.
First, we must illumine our intellect with the spiritual knowledge given to us by our Guru. Then, with this purified intellect we must work on the mind, to detach it from the world and attach it to Names, Forms, Pastimes, Virtues, Abodes and Saints of God.
To speed up the process of surrender, we should strengthen the sentiment, “God and Guru alone are mine.” When we develop love for God and Guru, surrender becomes natural and automatic. If we can keep increasing our desire to serve, that is also a very potent tool for progress.
Q: How can we inflame our aspiration to traverse the path to God-realization?
SM: To inflame your aspiration for God requires chintan, or contemplation. Repeatedly contemplate upon the Divine knowledge of the scriptures, and the knowledge you have heard from your Guru and the Saints. Usually seekers feel great inspiration when they attend the lecture series, but once it is over, they find their enthusiasm waning. The reason for this is that while hearing the lectures, the knowledge remains fresh in their intellect. But then, due to lack of revision, the knowledge starts evaporating, causing a dip in their enthusiasm. Contemplation about what you have heard and read is the antidote for this, which will strengthen your decision that your eternal relationship is with God alone. And a strong decision will be your asset to further steps.
Q: If God is causelessly merciful then He should bestow His grace without our doing anything. If we first have to surrender, then how is He causelessly merciful?
SM: Surrender itself means to come to a state of doing nothing. As already stated, by simply giving up the pride of doing we are liberated from material bondage and rewarded with Divine Bliss. If we were required to do something to become beneficiaries of God’s Grace, then we could have had occasion to complain. However, what effort is involved in surrender? It is the process of giving up everything to attain everything. As long as a bird holds a piece of flesh in its beak, other birds chase it and do not allow it to rest in peace. The moment the bird gives up this piece of meat, i.e. surrenders everything, it attains peace. In the same way, surrender involves no effort at all. Without any effort if we receive Divine Grace, then that Grace is definitely causeless.
Q: If God is all powerful and He can do anything, then why does He not simply bestow His grace on everyone without their surrender and liberate all souls from the material realm. Why does He require us to fulfill any conditions for bestowing His Grace?
SM: This statement that God can do anything needs to be understood carefully. It means He can perform feats like the creation of world etc that are absolutely impossible for us. However He also has His own rules of action that He never breaks. For example, He has a rule stated in Ramayan:
Karam pradhan vishva kari rakha…
“The Law of Karma prevails in this world. Whatever you do, you shall reap accordingly.” This law has been created by God Himself, and He never breaks it. He says, “The rule is the rule. It is immaterial whether someone is My mother or father. This is not a homely affair that the Judge (God) has become a member of the family, and so there will be some concessions. Everyone will get the results according to their karmas.”
That is why everyone has faith that they can expect justice from God, although worldly people may cheat them, for there cannot be an unfair God. Similarly, there are innumerable other rules that God never breaks.
Swami Mukundananda is a world renowned spiritual teacher from India, and is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj and founder of JK Yog. He has received his degrees in engineering from world renowned institutes in India, IIT and IIM. He has inspired people all over the world on the path of spirituality, holistic health, yoga, meditation, service to society and God realization. For more information visit: http://www.jkyog.org/
Swami Mukundananda
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