SELF-SURRENDER

                     SELF-SURRENDER

Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Surrender is isvarapranidhana - the devotee consecrates all his works and their fruits to the Lord. The devotee has no will of his own. He says unto the Lord, "I am thine. All is thine. Thy will be done. I am an instrument in thy hands." In surrendering one's will to the Lord, his will becomes one with the cosmic will. He becomes one with the Lord. There is no loss in surrendering one's will to the Lord.

Self-surrender is complete surrender of the Self to God. Self-surrender makes the devotee feel the reality of divine grace and the Lord's readiness to bestow help on him at all times. The divine influence streams into his being and moulds it to make it a fit medium for divine realisation and divine instrumentality.

Surrender and grace are interrelated. Surrender draws down grace and grace makes surrender complete. Surrender starts the purification of the heart and grace completes it. Without grace complete unification is not possible. Grace divinises your being in order that the constant inflow and inspiration can be received and retained. It is through divine grace alone that one's whole being is galvanised and rejuvenated.

The self-arrogating little ego persists and resists again and again. It clings leech-like to old habits, cravings and desires. It wages guerilla war; it resists surrender. It demands certain objects for its secret gratification. The whole being should be surrendered. That is the reason why Lord Krishna says: "tameva saranam gaccha sarvabhavena bharata, (flee unto Him for shelter with all thy being, O Bharata)". The citta, the ego, the mind, the intellect and the soul, should all be placed at the feet of the Lord. Mira did this and so obtained the grace of Lord Krishna and became one with him.

The vulgar, stiff, obstinate ego is harder than diamond, reinforced concrete or steel. It is very difficult to melt it. Constant vigilance and ceaseless effort are necessary to slay this dire enemy of peace and wisdom. It keeps subtle desires for its own silent appeasement. Introspect. Find out the subtle desires that lurk in the corners of your heart through the search-light of concentration and discrimination. Kill them through regular, silent meditation.

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