{"id":2744,"date":"2019-01-14T02:01:58","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T02:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/?p=2744"},"modified":"2019-01-14T02:01:58","modified_gmt":"2019-01-14T02:01:58","slug":"surrender-the-greatest-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/?p=2744","title":{"rendered":"Surrender – The Greatest Victory"},"content":{"rendered":"

When most people hear the word surrender, they think of something negative. \u00a0Giving up, losing, being humiliated, allowing oneself to be controlled or perhaps even imprisoned. \u00a0However, when used in a spiritual context, surrender also means to give up but here it\u2019s to give up everything that no longer serves us. \u00a0Spiritual surrender is to stop struggling against \u201cwhat is\u201d, to let go of the smallness of life and fully embrace its Totality.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Vedic texts, spiritual surrender is referred to as the the \u201cjoy of surrender\u201d. \u00a0Joy is the wonderful feeling we have for no particular reason so here surrender is simply letting go. \u00a0It\u2019s stepping out of all limitations, expanding beyond our usual conditioning and opening to infinite possibilities. It\u2019s offering the small self or personal identity to that of the Absolute. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When we surrender spiritually, we stop forcing solutions on situations we cannot control and instead trust and have faith that there is a Divine force taking care of everything in a perfectly orchestrated manner. \u00a0In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna, who represents the Divine, tells Arjuna, \u201cAbandon all varieties of dharma (purpose) and simply surrender unto me alone. I shall liberate you from all sinful reactions; do not fear\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eckhart Tolle says, \u201cSurrender is to say \u201cyes\u201d to life \u2014 and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.\u201d \u00a0Debbie Ford said, \u201cSurrender is a gift that you can give yourself. It’s an act of faith. It’s saying that even though I can’t see where this river is flowing, I trust it will take me in the right direction.\u201d \u00a0The ego loves to control everything. It creates the boundaries and limitations in which we imprison ourselves. Surrender allows us to break free and step into what Deepak Chopra calls \u201cthe wisdom of uncertainty\u201d. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With surrender we connect fully with our Source where the whole Universe conspires to support us. \u00a0We become timeless, eternal, infinite, joy-filled and all fear is eliminated. Individual aspirations and desires are surrendered to a Higher Power. \u00a0Our individual desires dissolve into \u201cThy will be done\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do we surrender?<\/b><\/p>\n

Faith <\/b><\/p>\n

To fully surrender we must have faith or as <\/span>Sri Aurobindo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0described it as “The soul’s belief in the Divine’s existence, its wisdom, power, love and grace.\u201d \u00a0<\/span>No need to think of anything else, no need to go anywhere else, no need to deviate anywhere from your goal. \u00a0A state of total confidence and respect for all things. This is to have faith in your spiritual teachers, the teachings and faith in yourself. \u00a0The<\/span> faith that helps us accept everything, the good and bad equally.<\/span><\/p>\n

Patience<\/b><\/p>\n

We also need patience. Faith and patience compliment each other. \u00a0Each is both, the cause as well as the effect of the other; and both are the means as well as the end of the other. \u00a0Between them they contain a complete code of conduct for a spiritual life.\u00a0Shirdi Sai Baba, emphasized them as necessary for harmony and wellbeing. \u00a0The patience to allow things to unfold naturally with the understanding that <\/span>everything you need will automatically come your way, at the perfect moment. <\/span><\/p>\n

Awareness<\/b><\/p>\n

Surrender requires us to be aware. \u00a0We need to remain focused and diligent and overcome any doubts. \u00a0\u00a0While the normal concept of surrender is one of contraction, spiritual surrender is one of expansion. \u00a0The more you surrender, the more your awareness expands and this can only come when we live with an alertness that stems from love.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meditation<\/b><\/p>\n

Meditation is an act of surrender and the single most powerful tool we have on our spiritual journey. \u00a0By turning our awareness away from normal activity and settling to quieter and quieter levels of the mind, we reconnect with our true, Essential Self. \u00a0When we slip into the silent spaces between thoughts, we surrender the small self and all its limitations, to our unbounded, eternal Self. We <\/span>submerge our own identity into that of the Divine, where \u201cI\u201d, \u201cMe\u201d, \u201cMine\u201d disappear into the bliss of Oneness.<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of our daily meditations at the Chopra Center, we ask ourselves four questions – \u201cWho am I? What do I want? What is my purpose? What am I grateful for?\u201d \u00a0We ask these questions at the level of our heart or our Higher Self and then just listen to whatever answer arises from within, without evaluation. This too is a form of surrender. \u00a0We are going beyond the ego to hear guidance from our Higher Being.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bhakti Yoga<\/b><\/p>\n

In the Vedic Tradition\u2019s four paths to enlightenment, Bhakti is the path of love and devotion. \u00a0This is also the path of surrender. In his Yoga Sutras, Patanjali says that Ishwara-Pranidhana (devotion and surrender) is the most important of the personal codes of conduct (Nyama). \u00a0\u00a0The Vedas tell us that devotion humbles the ego, an essential aspect of our journey. <\/span><\/p>\n

Bhakti Yoga tells us to set aside time each day for the contemplation of the Divine to become attuned to It and Its will. \u00a0To recognize our lives as spiritual and develop our finer levels of feeling. Serving humanity in everything we do and seeing everything as Yoga or union with the Divine. <\/span><\/p>\n

Patanjali also said that devotion and surrender is the path to experience unending peace and enter higher states of consciousness. \u00a0When we give everything to the Divine, we have nothing left to worry about.<\/span><\/p>\n

Love came and made me empty.<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>Love came and it filled me with the Beloved.<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>It became the blood in my veins.<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>It became my arms and legs.<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>It became everything.<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>Now all I have is a name.<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>The rest belongs to the Beloved.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0– Rumi<\/span><\/p>\n

To whom do we surrender?<\/b><\/p>\n

This can be a difficult question for many people on a spiritual path. \u00a0Do I surrender to a spiritual teacher or Guru? Am I submitting or selling myself out to some religious figurehead or deity that I don’t even know?<\/span><\/p>\n

No truly enlightened teacher will ever ask you to <\/span>surrender your body, mind or belongings to him or her. \u00a0If you are fortunate enough to find an enlightened teacher he or she will only accept what you freely choose to offer. \u00a0When you become filled with the blessings of his or her pure unconditional love, it is easy to surrender.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paramhansa Yogananda, said that spiritual surrender means self-offering of one\u2019s will to God. It is not passive. It is an active surrender to the will of God. \u00a0The manifestation of God will be different for different people based on their beliefs. To offer everything to the Divine in whatever form we choose is the first and final step to letting go of the old and building the world that we’ve always dreamed possible. \u00a0In fact, although in our possession, nothing really belongs to us, we just temporarily borrow everything. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, when we truly surrender to any aspect of the Divine, human or otherwise, we are really surrendering to our own Being in another disguise. \u00a0Whatever we need on our spiritual journey isn\u2019t given, it\u2019s received. It\u2019s received by our ability to attune with our own Higher Self and this ability develops with surrender, love and devotion. \u00a0Automatically we are elevated to our highest level so help doesn\u2019t come from outside but from our own Being. Complete surrender is the final fulfillment of our spiritual life. As we\u2019ve heard, surrender isn\u2019t about giving anything up. \u00a0We don\u2019t have to leave our family, quit our job, give away our possessions or live in a monastery. Surrender isn\u2019t about doing, it\u2019s about just allowing. Allowing the truth, beauty, purity and goodness that is and always has been us, to flow effortlessly through us and radiate out into the world.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When most people hear the word surrender, they think of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-meditation-and-mantras"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2744"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2745,"href":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2744\/revisions\/2745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rogergabriel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}