| Surrender to God is considered to be the | | | | changes as you start seeing the world like you |
| greatest requirement of every religion. The word | | | | never thought existed. This vision is called the |
| "surrender" is defined as: to yield, give up or over, | | | | divine vision where you find only divinity, love, |
| submit, abandon, relinquish, cede, waive, or | | | | compassion and good that are identified with God. |
| capitulate. In spirituality and religion surrendering | | | | What to Surrender? |
| means that a believer completely gives up his | | | | It is not easy to surrender. Surrender comes only |
| own will and subjects his thoughts, ideas, and | | | | from faith and it takes years to build faith. Yet |
| deeds to the will and teachings of a higher power. | | | | one has to start from somewhere. Jesus said in |
| There is no religion which does not emphasize the | | | | Bible (Mathew 17:20) |
| need of surrender to God as the first and the | | | | "If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, |
| foremost requirement. | | | | you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to |
| Surrender to God is considered to the most | | | | there,' and it will move, and nothing will be |
| important requirement in Islam. In fact, the | | | | impossible for you." |
| meaning of the Islam itself is "submission", or the | | | | Thus even the smallest seed of faith results to |
| total surrender of oneself to God. Surrender is | | | | the tree carrying tons of fruits of love and trust. |
| considered to be the simplest path to salvation in | | | | Faith and surrender are interrelated as both grow |
| Hinduism. In Gita Lord Krishna clearly says, | | | | together. |
| Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender | | | | Indian scripture describes surrender to be of |
| unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. | | | | three types viz. surrender of Body, Mind and |
| Do not fear. (Gita 18:66) | | | | Wealth (Tan, Man, Dhan). |
| Yet surrender is the most difficult act for most | | | | (1) Surrender of Body |
| people as surrender is not a matter of choice but | | | | Our body is the biggest source of pleasure and |
| arises only from deep conviction. Man is the only | | | | pain. The pleasure of body and senses are |
| specie in this world who works according to his | | | | paramount in the mind of most people who |
| free will while other species follows their nature | | | | believe in the theory of "Eat, Drink and Marry". |
| and tendencies. We are all trained to use our mind | | | | However, if you decide to surrender your body |
| and intellect to know the truth and take decision | | | | to God, then the body becomes an instrument to |
| in our life and it is extremely difficult to discard | | | | serve the God. Instead of being the master, you |
| the reason and logic from our mind even if we | | | | become the servant of the God and your body |
| wish to. Gautam Buddha always warned the man | | | | merely a means to serve. |
| against blind faith as he said, | | | | Commonly, we expect the whole world to serve |
| "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or | | | | us. In our family, we expect our children, our |
| who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it | | | | spouse, and our parents to serve us as they all |
| agrees with your own reason and your own | | | | have some responsibility towards us. In a society, |
| commonsense". | | | | we expect society to serve us in achieving our |
| Yet, even in Buddhism, the path of surrender | | | | goals. However, once you surrender and become |
| gradually became the way of life. The very | | | | and instrument of God, you see God in everyone |
| essence of Buddhism lies in surrender as evident | | | | and you serve everyone as if you are serving |
| from the following prayer of Buddhism which a | | | | God. So in your family, you do not exercise any |
| monk sings every day. | | | | authority over your spouse or children but serve |
| Buddham saranam gacchami. | | | | them like you would have served your master or |
| Dhammam saranam gacchami. | | | | God. |
| Sangham saranam gacchami. | | | | It is then you realize how the world start changing |
| (I go to the Buddha for refuge. | | | | as then a different picture starts emerging from |
| I go to the Dharma for refuge. | | | | the same TV. The members of the family and |
| I go to the Order for refuge.) | | | | society start loving you and caring you forgetting |
| Often, we wonder how one can surrender himself | | | | their hatred and excesses. They start posing faith |
| to another person or an ideology. If one | | | | in you which further increases your resolve to |
| surrenders, one may lose his identity and become | | | | surrender. |
| a slave to the higher power or the master. Yet, if | | | | 2. Surrender of Mind |
| surrender is the very basis of religion and | | | | Our mind is constantly active and always in the |
| spirituality, there must be some good reason for | | | | habit of finding a reason for every action. The |
| it. | | | | reaction of the mind is based on the personal |
| Surrender of Remote | | | | experiences and the lessons learned in life. When |
| How can we surrender when we can not take | | | | we surrender our mind to God, we seem to |
| any decision without applying our mind? Let us | | | | accept that "Let thy will be done instead of mine." |
| take a hypothetical example. We all use remote | | | | Instead of using your mind to find the right path, |
| control to view the different channels of the TV | | | | you seek the guidance of God in finding the right |
| programs. The remote control acts like a link | | | | path. Instead of using your gut feeling or |
| between our mind and the TV channel. As soon | | | | commonsense to solve your problem, you look at |
| as we wish to change the channel, our hands | | | | the scriptures for solution. Instead of following the |
| press the number of the channel and the program | | | | policy of an eye for an eye, you offer your other |
| on the screen changes. Thus all the time, we see | | | | cheek to your enemies. Instead of working for a |
| the program which we wish to see. In other | | | | goal and keeping your eyes on the fruits of |
| words the TV displays the program as per our | | | | action, your perform all actions without expecting |
| free will. You may like to view movies, news, | | | | any fruits. |
| Stock market, Business or Music channels. The | | | | The surrender of mind means instead of using |
| choice of all members of a family may different | | | | your mind to solve the problem and search a |
| and the TV views the program is based on the | | | | path, you take the help of scriptures and your |
| free will of the person who has the remote | | | | conscious which is the seat of God. These |
| control. | | | | methods may be extremely illogical and against |
| Now imagine that you give the remote to your | | | | the commonsense. |
| child. Now you suddenly can't see the channels | | | | What do you do when someone hurls abuses |
| you wish to see. The child is not likely to see any | | | | you? Perhaps you abuse him back or hit him on |
| of the programs which you like. He may perhaps | | | | his face. Yet the same situation was dealt in a |
| like to see Cartoon films, music channel and the | | | | different manner by Gautam Buddha as narrated |
| program which he loves. | | | | in this story. |
| What do you do now? | | | | A very angry man interrupted one of the |
| Depending upon your nature, you may do one of | | | | Buddha's lectures and proceeded to verbally abuse |
| the following:- | | | | him by hurling insults. The Buddha just sat there |
| 1. Use Power: You take the remote back and see | | | | calmly. Finally the man asked the Buddha why he |
| the program which you like and let the child see | | | | failed to respond to the insults and abuse. The |
| the same program. | | | | Buddha replied, "If someone offers you a gift, and |
| 2. Make Adjustment: If you have another TV in | | | | you decline to accept it, to whom does the gift |
| your house, you may either switch on the other | | | | belong?" The man replied, "To the one who |
| TV or ask your child to see his program on the | | | | offered it." Buddha responded, "Then I decline |
| other TV. | | | | your abuse and request you keep it for yourself." |
| 3. Escape: You may leave the room and do | | | | Such alternatives paths are available in scriptures |
| something else leaving the TV totally to your child. | | | | which we do not find practical even without trying |
| 4. Criticize: You continue to see the program and | | | | these paths do not look "normal" or "logical". We |
| keep on ridiculing it and telling your child, how | | | | somehow believe that bad people will always be |
| stupid the programs are and that he must see | | | | bad and good people will always be good. While |
| useful and good program. | | | | we put ourselves always in the category of good, |
| 5. Surrender: Sit with the child and enjoy the | | | | we seldom find goodness in others. However, |
| program as if you too like this program as much | | | | when we surrender our mind and look for |
| as the child. | | | | scripture or our conscious, we get to see a |
| Amongst the five options stated above, | | | | different world as we discover the same |
| surrender may be the easiest and the most | | | | goodness in all as we ourselves have. |
| difficult option depending upon your relationship | | | | 3. Surrender of Wealth |
| with your child. I you really love your children, a | | | | The third thing to surrender is our wealth. Gandhi |
| little bit of children must be in you. Hence you | | | | suggested the concept of trustee which means |
| must be able to enjoy the programs which your | | | | instead of considering the wealth as our own, we |
| child sees. There is no doubt that if you see and | | | | can consider ourselves as the trustee of the |
| appreciate the program of your child, your child | | | | wealth which needs to be spend for the benefit |
| will love you more than if you criticize or leave | | | | of humanity. Let us consider the case of our |
| the room. | | | | family, the smallest unit of society. If we |
| However, there is a far more important aspect in | | | | surrender our wealth for the sake of family, then |
| being present with the child when the remote | | | | instead of spending most wealth for our own |
| control in with the child as you can then | | | | happiness, we spend more on our family. This is |
| understand the mind of your child. You can really | | | | not uncommon and we love our family. In the |
| understand the mind of your child by observing | | | | same way, if a person loves the God, he would |
| what he likes, what he enjoys, what he hates as | | | | have no hesitation in spending his money for the |
| the selection of the program is a reflection of the | | | | poor and needy of the world who need the |
| will of the child. | | | | wealth more than him. Wealth may be an |
| In the same way, if one surrender to God, and | | | | instrument for the pleasure of body, yet it is the |
| then one may know the will of the God. | | | | biggest hindrance in entering the kingdom of God |
| Giving Your Remote Control to God | | | | as Jesus said, |
| Surrender to God is like giving your remote | | | | It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of |
| control to God. When we see the world using our | | | | a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the |
| own free will, we see the world as we are and | | | | kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24) |
| not what it is. It is because, as soon as we see a | | | | Surrender is Power |
| world which does not fit into our liking, we | | | | It is only by surrender that we one can ever |
| immediacy change the channel and see only what | | | | hope to understand the thoughts of God and |
| we wish to see. The result is that most of the | | | | develop faith in the scriptures. Faith in God also |
| world remained unseen to us throughout our life | | | | means faith in human beings who all have the |
| as we keep on coming back to the same channel | | | | presence of God in them. However, contrary to |
| over and over and over again. | | | | the logic and reasoning that one losses all power |
| Only when we surrender, we develop the | | | | by surrendering, a man emerges more powerful |
| capability to see the world from other's | | | | after surrender. The physical power gets |
| perspective. Every different perspective helps us | | | | transformed into the Soul power by which he can |
| in developing a better understanding as it exposes | | | | control millions. The physical power is limited and |
| to a part of the world to us which we would | | | | get weaker by the age but the spiritual power is |
| never see "willingly". | | | | unlimited that grows with the realization of spiritual |
| When we surrender to God, we see the world | | | | self. And surrender is the only method to |
| through the eyes of God as the thought of God | | | | spirituality which unites the mind of man with that |
| become the thoughts of the man. The paradigm | | | | of God. |