Love and surrender

LETTERS TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS

DAAJI shares some insights on the idea of surrender and why it is often misunderstood.

Dear Daaji,

The concept of surrender doesn’t resonate well with me. What can I do?

Dear Robert,

Many people have misunderstood the concept of surrender. Perhaps it is because of the idea of losing freedom. We must understand one thing—in spirituality, the simple invertendo happens where heartfelt surrender brings about real freedom.

Let me dive deeper into this topic by quoting from one of Babuji’s messages: “The simple fact of the matter, anyway, remains that whatever is there, be surrendered to Him. If the Lord be had at the cost of your head, you should know the bargain as quite cheap [Sheesh diye yadi Hari mile, tho bhi sasta jan]. The sages of yore regarded the state of acceptance of, and happiness in, the Lord’s will as surrender.”

Many seekers would perhaps choose this way of offering the head. Like the tradition of sati, it is simple and a one-time pain in order to have the Ultimate.

I have experienced time and again, and witnessed the same in others as well, that it is more difficult to let go of ideologies, opinions, fancies, and viewpoints—in short, the many faces of the ego. In Hindi, the many faces of the ego are also called the manifestations of the head, the mind. Once again, it is the ego and not the actual physical head. Fear of death is nothing in comparison with letting go of negative aspects of the ego.

If the ego is mastered, you will master even death and be truly gifted with the boon of “fearlessness,” the condition of abhayam. Mastering death does not affect the soul, for how is it possible for something that is never born to die? The death of the soul would mean the disappearance of Divinity, and can that ever happen? When the ego is tamed, metamorphosed, fine-tuned, and transcended we find true freedom, leading to bliss. Then we are reborn in the true sense. Can our identity ever disappear? No. The ego is the shadow of the soul—it can be a brighter shadow or a darker shadow—and it is the degree of darkness of this shadow that gives character to a person.

Babuji offers a simple approach to solve this nagging issue: “Now I give a prescription: ‘Yearning’ pure and simple to reach Him and Him alone! If the real thing is not there to begin with, just imitate it. If someone continually imitates a mad person, he is bound to go mad. Even so, if man continues to reach the Lord (Ultimate), the real is bound to be his lot, at last. Amen.”

The statement, “Yearning pure and simple to reach Him and Him alone,” is loaded with profound suggestion.

Yearning
Pure
Simple
Reaching the Ultimate
The Ultimate alone

Our yearning to reach the Ultimate ought to be pure and simple, without any selfish motives or desire of, “If I reach the Ultimate, this can be prevented, and that can be gained,” etc.

Babuji also inspires us indirectly, by saying that sages have ascribed the states of acceptance and happiness in the Lord’s will to surrender. For these sages, acceptance was a way to express their state of saranagati [surrender in the sense of shelteredness and protection]. Simple attention toward the goal works like magic in dissolving an impressive ego. Acceptance—not just any type of acceptance, but joyful acceptance—changes the outcome to an instantaneous possibility.

It is impossible to escape the mindful attention of the Guru when the disciple is in this state. The Guru cannot help but remember such a disciple with so much affection and great appreciation. For such a gift, the Guru keeps singing in praise of the Lord for availing such a disciple. He remains grateful to his Master on one side, while on the other side his affection for the disciple keeps building. The resonance between the Guru and disciple keeps mounting in mutual remembrance, mutual admiration, and mutual love, where both hearts come together like two giant oceans.

Henceforth, there is one way for both—to keep building this mergence.

After nine months, a mother must deliver her child, and if she does not, then both remain in danger. The long sleep ends for the fetus, who is now ready to embark upon limitless possibilities. Yet, it is a separation and not without fear.

The pure saranagati from the side of the disciple matures, and from the side of the Guru extreme love for the disciple takes hold. Within seven months, the disciple will take birth in another dimension as a Spiritual Entity (S.E.). The mutual bond of love keeps nourishing the soul of the disciple in the limitless womb of the Guru.

Souls taking this leap to become an S.E. are rare. It is all about a second birth, a spiritual birth, traditionally called “twice-born” or dwij. With such a birth, there is no feeling whatsoever of the fear and pain associated with all births into this material world.

Thus, we witness the life of a seeker slowly changing to that of a disciple, who in turn becomes a devotee and takes birth as an S.E. in the Brighter World. The growth of an S.E. in the Brighter World depends upon the lifestyle of the devotee here in this world.

It serves no purpose to crush your ego, what they call the little self. The same self, when realized, will shine forth as the atman [soul] as part of the Param-atman [universal soul]. If you try to destroy the little self, the little drop, how will it ever merge in the infinite ocean?

Please be assured of a safe journey.

All the best to you,
Kamlesh