The Difficulties and the Process of Surrender

In our present times, nature is working to create individualities out of the mob and the mass that has so far driven humanity. The process of creating individuality is part of the Divine plan since without it we are a plaything in the hands of all kinds of forces and even our will and impulsion are driven by cosmic agencies giving it a colouring as if it is we who are thinking and feeling and wanting.  The task of creating an individual is itself quite a painful one and requires constant opposition by people and circumstances around us. Surrender in its real sense begins once our individuality is formed. During this phase, it is important to make our choices and these choices should be made keeping the central goal of yoga before us. This way step by step our nature begins to get organized around our true psychological centre which later makes the working upon nature so much easier. During this phase, it is good to read and form some kind of a broad and plastic framework about how to navigate ourselves through life if we are to undertake the journey of yoga. This obedience to the words of the Master is itself an important aspect of surrender. Though Sri Aurobindo and the Mother caution us against turning Their words into rigid dogmas, yet, even with the imperfect understanding the mere fact that we wish to follow the Guidance opens us to this deeper inner Guidance at some point or the other. The will to act according to the demands of the yoga is even otherwise the most logical thing to do given that one has put forward this aim out of one’s own free choice, as the thing to be done.

Meanwhile what we can do it to offer and consecrate whatever we do to the Mother. What this means is that while our actions are still being dictated by self-will rather than the Divine Will, while we are still moved by the forces of desire and ignorance we are bringing all these countless movements within us I contact with the Divine, hiding nothing, concealing nothing. In practical terms it means remembering the Divine Mother before and after the action and as often as one can in-between the act. As a result of this practice, our motives begin to get purified of self-will and we find a new impulsion, a deeper inspiration begin to take the place of the desire-self within us. Obeying this deeper and higher impulsion gives us peace and joy whereas denying it for whatever reason brings unease within our heart. Here we see that not only the outer actions but more importantly the motive forces begin to change. The motive behind our actions is no more self-satisfaction but to serve and do a work for the Divine whether within oneself or in the world. It is this change of our inner motive that forms the crux of the yoga. It requires us to become conscious of the hidden motives of our actions. All these hidden springs of action that lie concealed behind specious justifications begin to get uncovered before our eyes. It is here that stepping back from the restless surfaces of life and observe and become conscious of oneself helps greatly.

Naturally, this cannot be done in a short time. We begin to discover quite disconcerting things hidden carefully within the neat folds of our nature. We discover the tendency to give a favourable explanation for all we think and do. But even when we have thus discerned the real motives we discover how our will is not ready to follow the way that has been shown. We discover how we are tied to habits from which it is difficult to dislodge our soul. Two things help here, two that are complementary movements. One is to offer our difficulties to the Grace with an aspiration and prayer for it to be removed so that all in us become true and beautiful and divine.  The invocation of Grace in our life to remove our countless limitations and imperfections once detected with a sincere will to change is a crucial movement is an important part of surrender. At the same time, the effort should be mainly directed towards the discovery of our psychic being since its emergence greatly facilitates the yoga.

Finally, the last stage of surrender wherein the force of Yoga begins to work in all the details of life showing us what is yet not surrendered and needs to be brought up before the Light and offered to Her. If faith and devotion develop and one opens to the Mother it saves a lot of time and the process becomes smoother and easier. A time comes when the surrender enters its perfection and it becomes impossible for us to act from any personal motive. All we think and feel and will and do becomes a constant flow of Her Light and Love and Harmony and Bliss.