Dharma and the meaning of surrender...

[maha]

Dear Hari,

Somehow lately this notion of surrender has popped-up in my life again and perhaps as well in the lives of others who read or will read this forum amidst uneasy transformational times.

Ekhart Tolle, for example, is advising to surrender to the ever present Now and is suggesting two stages of surrender - to surrender to the current moment of Now and the situation of Now, and if that doesn't work or is not possible - to surrender to our current inner feelings of Now or our feelings about the unacceptable situation. Ok, this helps to find peace in the moment and perhaps even leads to the four stages of Conscious Evolution described by you - Relaxation, Purification, Awareness and Awakening..

Though when we wish to come deeper in contact with the Divine... Or when others wish to support or help us they suggest us to surrender to God, or Radha-Krishna completely and give ourselves up to Their Divine Will. This was in a sense easy to do in the context of religious organization when we would do it in a simple manner - just do what the guru or authorities say and often in it give up responsibility for ourselves and our lives at the same time which later showed itself to be counterproductive.

On the other hand now we understand that the term 'surrender' in the doctrinal concept was most likely misunderstood or misinterpreted or simplified. Around 5 years ago you expressed it in this forum like this:

"I have dedicated the past years to redefining the meaning of "surrender," as the word does not seem to efficiently express what it intends. I see it important to accept the irrevocable connection to the divine couple as our essence. When one has accepted oneself and this natural connection, one's life is in harmony with Radha and Krsna (as well as all divinity in existence) and unfolds as it should, when it should."

Indeed this description is very beautiful, specific and clear.

Yet, what is actually the meaning of surrender? Or what should be the other term or notion to be used instead? Are our endeavors to surrender meant to be endeavors to come and be in contact with the Divine and then everything else unfolds on itself?

We can see that the word translated into English and into Russian does not even sound good. In English it has the second or even the first meaning of a defeated soldier surrendering to the victorious enemy. In Russian the root itself resembles the other word meaning 'to betray'. If we look the Sanskrit notion of 'sharanam' - it means more like 'to take shelter', right?

In general, the idea seems to be related to a part of an organism reviving its full connection in being integrated to the Complete Whole of a bigger organism, isn't it?

Giving up our own will until we see, or feel, or understand the will of the Divine doesn't make sense, or does it? Or is it better to just pray to Radha-Krishna - May Your Will Be and not mine! Or - May I accept Your Will as mine!

We can see that Bhagavad-Gita for example is all about surrender. Beside the ultimate 18.66 prescription to give up all dharmas and surrender to the Supreme, which if we try to understand in essence seems closer to your theme of coming in full connection with the Divine, with Radha and Krishna, right?

Still when we think of our daily practical life we cannot avoid notion of dharma - when we endeavor to be of service according to our natural capacities, characteristics and the necessity of the current moment. And then according to Bhagavad-Gita our surrender or yoga can be according to our abilities or various kinds of yoga that we can do - to do our things but dedicate results to the Supreme, and so on, and in any case to dedicate any challenges or austerities we undergo through willingly or unwillingly to the Supreme as the ultimate enjoyer of all sacrifice and austerities?

All in all, please help us to properly define this notion or 'surrender'? Or how to do it properly? What is the algorithm of it, if we can say so? Can it be the permanent policy or strategy or the mood or the mode of our life?

Thank you!

Sincerely yours,

maha

[Drpta]

I am sorry, I couldn’t help, but Russian word “предаться” which can be translated in English as “surrender” means “пере-дать-себя” or “give oneself up to” the root is “дать” or “give”. It is not correct to compare it with the word “to betray” in this case for it has different connotation. Russian word “предавать” which can be translated as “to betray” also means “commit to” or “commend to”. So one can say “I commend myself onto God”. But it is interesting that word “surrender” etymologically absolutely identical to Russian “предавать” since “sur-“ means “over” or “пере-” and “render” means “to give” or “давать”. Sorry agene for this comparative etymology exercise.

[Hari]

Well, etymology aside, how you define the concept of surrender is not dependent on what that word means or implies in your native language. Surrender is more a feeling than an action. Words can induce feelings, but they can rarely describe them fully. When we express our feelings in words, we express something dear to us. Let us consider surrender as a bad word attempting to describe a great concept.

Maha's struggle to make sense of this concept is admirable and I really enjoyed how he massaged meaning in his essay. I imagined a baker kneading a pile of dough, anticipating the time when the final product will be baked into its delectable form! Nicely done!

I would ruin your endeavor, Maha, by trying to comment on all your points, so I shall not. But I can attempt to jam a little with this word so we can spread it on the bread!

I hate this word, surrender. It is as misused as the word servant. Whenever someone tells me that they are my humble servant, I roll my eyes. They know as well as I know that they are no such thing and they are just saying something that seems to be expected as a social convention. Similarly, when someone says, "just surrender to the supreme," what they are really saying, or at least what I hear them say, is, "I have no idea how to solve your problem, so just give it all up and do whatever you are supposed to do and stop babbling and lamenting." Now this approach certainly is direct and might make the speaker feel good about their dedication to their cause, but it surely does nothing to assist the poor soul who came for advice in the first place. I mean, I have a problem, so I come for advice and am told to surrender. What does that actually mean? In the context of someone needing help, it means little.

What are we all seeking? We seek connection to Radha and Krsna, those divine beings filled with divine, loving energy within which we all knowingly or unknowingly reside. Those who know where they are and who they wish to embrace, do nothing to prevent that connection from happening. Those who do not know where they are and within whose energy they live, are continuously preventing the connection by defining their existence as something other than what it truly is. Consider this: One way to look at the word surrender is to see it as the act of stopping fighting. This meaning has a very sublime quality to it. Stop fighting your nature and simply accept who you are and the energy of all those around you who are essence like you. Stop standing before the deity and blocking the wonderful energy of God, just accept it. Do not fight. Do not fight with yourself!

Oh, this is a really nice point. Surrender means to stop fighting with yourself! Here is an image: I am a really good guy, but I have been told all my life that I am not a good guy and that I deserve nothing in this life but trouble and pain. So when anything other than trouble and pain come or someone mysteriously sees me as a really good guy, I reject this because it does not fit the pattern I have always accepted. I fight it. This fight should be given up as it is counterproductive to my spiritual attainment. Better to surrender by stopping fighting against myself and just accept that I am fine as I am -- I do not need to be what others say or think I am. But that feels real hard. If I have accepted a bad image as my self, changing that idea is very difficult because it bucks against the entire pattern of my life! Therefore, I try to maintain the status quo by fighting this concept as best I can.

Give up this fight and let go of all these strange ideas. It is not harder than you think to do this; rather, it is easier than you think. You need to let go of all these things you hold onto that do not help you. You need to free yourself of the burden of defending illusions.

This is surrender at its ultimate! When we are who we are and no longer as we are not, connecting to the divine is natural and the flow between ourselves and the divine beings is normal. We do not need to surrender to the supreme because we are not fighting against God. We are fighting ourselves as we insist on being someone other than who we are. When we let that useless idea go, our connection to God is guaranteed because it is our nature and this nature cannot be changed by anyone or anything. It is the essence we are and all other ideas are self-defeating.

My answer is intended to supplement your essay! I hope it has done so!

[Drpta]

What about that powerful daemons and atheists who are sending challenges to God? For hum they should surrender?

[maha]

Dear Hari,

Your answer is not only a cool supplement but is the missing link which binds all my questions together and gives the image of a whole where it all falls into its place.

Yet what amazes me even more now is that factually you've been giving this whole concept or even better to say methodology from all possible angles theoretically and practically all these years when I've been interpreting your lectures and still it sounds to me as something far out and yet to be achieved!!! I could try to justify myself that while interpreting I couldn't really put or implement it on myself at the same time as I was busy following the logical threads and channeling your energy, but i feel that that really is not a reason. I now suddenly also understand your somewhat disappointment which you were expressing after your lectures in Russia that from the questions the listeners had asked you realize that they (or at least some of them) after all these years still do not catch the essence of what you are trying to deliver. Maybe that was also a reason why you stopped lecturing and broadcasting? Because you felt strongly that everything is said and now is the time for actions or implementing the methodology?

I truly see it now in myself that one can seemingly understand the concept and even feel strongly the effects of your meditations and then go back to the 'normal' life only to 'happily' continue fighting with oneself, or with the demons in oneself, or with imperfections in oneself or whatever is more attractive to call it.

Those years I didn’t feel much this contradictions as regularly acting as your interpreter would allow me to be absorbed in your moods and energies over long times, but now I feel it very sharply. What a wonder that such a seemingly simple act of fully accepting myself in my essence which I already am, always was and ever will be is so inconceivably hard to implement. It must be similar to a monkey trying to let go its hand out from inside the hole in a tree but not being able to do so because of not letting go of that thing which its hand is holding inside the hole.

That is so pity! We can of course find the whole range of reasons for us not accepting ourselves: self-criticism inherited and reinforced into us from our parents, teachers and society, always finding the reasons for our non-luck or unsuccessful endeavors in our own badness or not-worthiness, the general poor state of modern society in the matter of personal integrity of its individuals and so on and so forth.

Unfortunately these reasons do not give the salvation from them but at most provide even more justification for us not accepting ourselves.

Oh, Goodness! What how can I accept myself?

Yet I must admit that listening to your lectures again and again always helps and gives a hope!

[Hari]

My continuing to speak would require me to simply repeat over and over again basic concepts and points. You might have noticed in these forums how I shy away from repetition. I do not feel that repeating subject matters makes them easier to understand or accept. There are limits to how much one person can feed another person information. At one point we all require to find our own way by researching the various options available to us using the tools we have been given. My attitude, for better or worse is, "Here. I gave as much as I could. I felt that with these tools a serious person can find their way to themselves. If you cannot work with this now, then my continuing to present the same thing in slightly different packages is not going to make it easier for you. The commitment required must come from within. You have to want it. You have to seek it out. I can assist in some way, but please do not ask me to repeat myself. I know it might be easier for you to just ask me about this or that, but it is harder for me. The lectures are available. Please listen."

Or not. It is up to you. None of you are children. None of you are neophytes. You have brains. Do some work. Find the material. Share it with others.

And accept yourself. You are fine as you are. Embrace this and uncover essence. Have fun.

[maha]

Thank you very much!!!