surrender

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒅, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔, ”𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕, 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆, 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑰 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓.” 

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒂𝒚, ”𝑰 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓”, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓? 𝑰 – 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒈𝒐 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒈𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆, 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕? 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕? 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒆𝒕-𝒈𝒐. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔. 𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆; 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏.

𝐓𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞; 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫; 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 – 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫. 

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝: 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫? 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫! 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝.

𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄, 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 – 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝. 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲, 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭: 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭.  𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒  𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝: 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡. 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫.

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞; 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧. 

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮

Once you start feeling the mothering, the fathering that surrounds you, in the air, in the sun, in the moon, in the stars, you drop caring for yourself. There is no need to be worried. 

You start flowing with existence. You drop pushing the river. And then, Sagar, you will be able to understand what Zen is. 

💓𝑶𝒔𝒉𝒐

self

**Q: Why do I never remember that I am the Self?**

**A:** People speak of memory and oblivion of the fullness of the Self. Oblivion and memory are only thought-forms. They will alternate so long as there are thoughts. But reality lies beyond these.

Memory or oblivion must be dependent on something. That something must be foreign to the Self as well, otherwise there would not be oblivion. That upon which memory and oblivion depend is the idea of the individual self. When one looks for it, this individual ‘I’ is not found because it is not real. Hence this ‘I’ is synonymous with illusion or ignorance (maya, avidya or ajnana]. To know that there never was ignorance is the goal of all the spiritual teachings. Ignorance must be of one who is aware. Awareness is jnana. Jnana is eternal and natural, ajnana is unnatural and unreal.

*Ramana Maharshi – Be As You Are – by David Godman*