Surrender

If I perceive myself as a union of mind and body, my awareness naturally draws me into the complexities of that existence. I become preoccupied with thoughts about what nurtures or harms this mind/body and its cherished connections—family, friends, possessions, and the fundamental needs of survival. In this state, I find myself entangled in the myriad activities of the mind, moving restlessly from one thought to another. This perceiving myself as body is nothing but ego.

However, if I recognize myself as something greater than the mind/body—my higher self, or simply the profound feeling of being—I gain the ability to witness the thoughts and feelings of my mind from a distance.

Envision a bustling network of streets, each with numerous intersections. Engaging solely from the perspective of the mind is akin to navigating these streets, searching for an escape. In contrast, operating from the vantage point of my higher self is like soaring above this landscape (bird view in simple words), observing it all and guiding the person on the ground toward wise choices. This elevated perspective allows me to see emotions and thoughts from a distance as they arise in mind, directing my mind gently on how to engage with them.

“Samsara” represents the experience of identifying solely with the mind and body, perceiving the world through a lens that places your physical self at the center. From this perspective, all the events which universe is unfolding are categorized into those that bring joy and those that bring sorrow to that tiny entity of a body, thus introducing duality (good/bad, pain/pleasure,) into your experience. This attachment to duality can lead to a cycle of suffering, as you navigate life through the fluctuating tides of preference and aversion.

Surrender is the profound realization of your existence beyond the confines of mind and body, allowing you to witness the unfolding of the universe in its purest form as you are not body (nothing physical) to assess the events against and categorize. In this state of being, you transcend the need to assess events as favorable or unfavorable, freeing yourself from the labels of good and bad. For those who have surrendered, the dualities of existence—such as pleasure and pain—lose their grip, revealing a deeper truth that exists beyond judgment. In this state of enlightened being, our bodies serve as instruments through which the universal energy expresses itself. we become conduits for the divine flow.

Embracing surrender allows you to rise above the cycle of suffering, connecting with the eternal flow of existence and embracing all that is with an open heart.

Here lies a profound paradox: the more you fixate on your body, the more it seems to suffer. Yet, as you transcend identification with the body—ceasing to worry about it and instead using it as a vessel to respond naturally to the flow of life—it begins to thrive effortlessly. I find myself amused by the countless discussions on what to eat, what to avoid, and the endless pursuit of vitamins and minerals for bodily health. These efforts often overlook a fundamental truth: the well-being of the body is deeply rooted in the ease and harmony of the mind. When the mind is at peace, the body follows, blossoming in its natural state of vitality. This principle extends beyond mere physical well-being to encompass the needs of survival when you surrender.

Appendix:

#1

Surrender in spiritual contexts is often misunderstood. Surrendering to God, whether it be to Krishna, Jesus, or Allah, makes no sense to me, as that is not resulting in freedom but making us dependent on someone else. The surrender is not to look for God as an external entity, but to realize one’s inherent oneness with the divine.

#2

The ego, stands as the most fragile construct in the vast expanse of the cosmos. Its existence is so tenuous that it vanishes completely and instantaneously the moment one shifts their perspective from identifying with the physical form to recognizing their true essence beyond the body.

This insight illuminates the paradoxical nature of the ego:

• It seems all-powerful when we are trapped within its perspective.

• Yet it proves utterly powerless in the face of expanded awareness.

#3

Surrender is about inner transformation, not manipulation of external reality. I have heard misconceptions - such as thorns turning to grass or clouds providing shade specifically for surrendered individuals as they are free from all karma. These beliefs stem from a literal and materialistic interpretation of spiritual concepts, missing the essence of true surrender.

A surrendered person may experience a thorn prick differently - not because the thorn has changed into grass, but because their relationship to pain has transformed. They might walk in the sun without discomfort, not because a cloud magically appears, but because they’ve transcended the usual aversion to discomfort.

The paradox lies in the fact that while the external world remains unchanged, the internal experience of the surrendered individual is radically different.