self-surrender

Bhagavan, our Guru, declared the secret of the correct meaning of the last verse of the Gita in the following way: 'One should make surrender of oneself to the supreme one by giving up the attributes falsely ascribed to the real Self, namely that one is a 'soul' and so on.'

What is called surrender of oneself to God is the final consummation of the practice of devotion. This can be achieved by the purified mind when the might of the ego is greatly reduced.

Just as a small magnet becomes united to a big one by the juxtaposition of the opposite poles, so the finite soul becomes one with the Supreme Being by the conjunction of its head with His Feet.

The self-surrender is truly made by him who always has the feeling, 'Let all things happen according to your will. In all respects, I am bound to you.'

He that has surrendered himself will be at peace, remembering that He (God) is the bearer of the world's burden. The one that bears the burden will be ridiculous, like the figure on the temple-tower appearing to bear the tower on its own shoulders.

As one traveling in a carriage puts down his luggage in the carriage itself and completes his journey, so should he also resign his own [samsaric] burden to God and complete his life in this world.

The wise one should resign to God his cares concerning the good of the world, just as he resigns to Him his cares about his own body and family.

The ripe devotee must pass his time, patiently enduring whatever happens to him, whether pleasant or unpleasant or otherwise, without yielding to sorrow or joy, with his heart absorbed in Him.

When the ego dies, having been swallowed by divine grace, the devotee's self-surrender becomes true and complete.

As would be the offering [to Ganesa] of a portion, taken from an image of Ganesa made of jaggery, so is the surrender of one's self to God, since there is no self apart from Him.

Since the Self is the Supreme Being Himself, by whom, how and to whom is the surrender to be made? True self-surrender is only the extinction of the ego, by which the sense of being different from Him arises.

'If you desire to give yourself to God, then first seek out and know your Self. The gift of oneself to God will be accomplished in this way.' So said the most holy one.

~ Sri Ramana Paravidyopanishad