CHAPTER 9 : Surrender and Acceptance
What happens when one lives in Yoga? One has built a connection with the Divine. One has realized that we may be alive in a body-mind complex, but in reality, we are not this. We are the Divine Soul. Therefore, one lives Peacefully and Blissfully. But how does one do that?
Those who realize the truth about Yoga, realize the true challenge of Life. They realize that the way to overcome misery and suffering and be in a state of Bliss and Peace is to live in Yoga. Having realized the Divine truth, they commit to walk in life with the two feet of Acceptance and Surrender.
First, Yoga starts with devotion for God. It evolves beyond breath control and other practices. Then a true Yogi starts living with the 4-fold path. It is Yoga of Meditation or Action, Devotion or Education. Nothing else! While a true Yogi lives in Yoga, what makes him walk on the Yogic path are these two virtues, Acceptance and Surrender.
Yoga and Acceptance : When one is united in Yoga, be it Dhyaana Yoga or Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga or Gyaana Yoga, one is still alive in this world. Yoga or Union with the Divine can be disrupted in a moment if we react to circumstances. Whatever is happening, is unfolding as per a Divine Will. Nothing is happening by chance. Several universal laws govern the universe and circumstances around us are controlled by the law of Karma, the law of action and reaction. Yoga cannot exist without Acceptance. If one continues to regret everything that is happening, then how can one be in Yoga? One can only be in Divine Union if one realizes that the Divine is in command of this cosmic show on earth. One knows beyond doubt that the Divine Will is perfect. Nothing is good or bad though it may appear to be. Yoga calls upon us to accept whatever happens as part of the Divine plan realizing that there is a meaning and purpose in everything that happens. Everything happens for the good, though it may appear as evil. The Divine has a plan which we must Accept and not question. The moment we don’t Accept and we wonder, then our Yoga is disconnected. Yoga is about realizing our limited comprehension and the Omnipotence of the Divine. The Divine is Omniscient, knows everything and all powerful. How else could this Cosmos exist? Have you ever thought about it?
We are made up of about 37 trillion cells and each cell can affect our life. We may become blind tomorrow. Our vocal cord may rupture, stealing our ability to speak. One nerve in our body can cause us to be paralyzed for life and if our eyes get affected, we can see nothing. When will we realize that there is a Divine magician who is performing magic within each of us? How else could the heart pump blood through the millions of blood vessels? The Human body itself is a marvel and this should make us Accept the Divine Will and be united. Not just us, there are over 8 billion such individuals and then trillions of animals, birds, insects, sea creatures and plants, each of them, doing their part in this cosmic drama called Life. A true Yogi, Accepts the Divine Will. While a true Yogi contemplates in Yoga, he doesn’t question the Divine Will.
A normal man questions God and says how cruel God is. “Look at the tiger eating the deer!” Alas, he says it out of ignorance. One who lives in Yoga Accepts the Divine Will, realizing the truth that all this is nothing but a projection of the Divine Energy. All this is a manifestation of the Divine. But because of ignorance of this fact, many of us think that the design of the Universe is cruel and evil. Thus, we suffer. Our own ignorance makes us suffer, because we are not united in Yoga with the Divine. Because we consider ourselves to be feeble human beings, we experience misery. Those who are blessed to live in Yoga, live in Acceptance of the Divine Will, with eternal Peace and ever lasting Joy.
Yoga and Surrender : Out of the two feet that Yoga stands on, the second is Surrender. What is the connection between Yoga and Surrender? First, Yoga Accepts the Divine Will. Then Yoga makes us Surrender. One who lives in Yoga, lives without fear, worry or anxiety of the future. A normal man is always worried about disease, despair and disappointments. A Yogi has transcended these. Nothing matters to a Yogi. He is fearless. He is even fearless about death because he knows that he never dies, only the body dies. Once the body dies, he will be liberated to unite with the Divine. Therefore, Yoga is all about Surrender.
We human beings are so concerned about the future. This is because we believe this world to be real. We don’t realize that it is like a dream which will soon end. Although we know that we are not going to be here forever, we live as if we are the owners of our possessions and we believe that our relationships will last forever. We ignorantly think “this is my house, my car, my money”, when in reality nothing is ours. Yoga eliminates this myth. We live united with the Divine knowing the truth. This pours another grace upon us. It blesses us to Surrender. One in Yoga doesn’t think, “I am the owner, I am the father or mother, son or daughter.” Yoga causes the Realization that we are just energy and then Surrenders to the Will Divine.
“Thy will be done, Oh Lord, not Mine”. This is the Yogic mantra for one who Surrenders in Yoga. It is but natural for a human being living on earth to be attacked by his own mind with negative thoughts. Yoga uses the intellect and Surrenders. The intellect plays a very important part in Yoga. Without Yoga, the intellect is a slave to the mind. Yoga uses the intellect to kill the mind. Once the mind is slayed, we can Surrender and live like waves dancing in a Blissful sea.
Look around you! Don’t you find people living with petty annoyances troubled by problems that are so insignificant, hassled by issues that are meaningless? This is because they do not Surrender in Yoga. Yoga blesses us to Surrender. After all, we are a little bubble that will soon burst. What is the bubble? We know it is nothing but air. Once the bubble bursts, the air inside the bubble will merge with air that is everywhere. Is this complicated to understand? While it seems simple, why can’t we realize that this body that thinks it is me, will soon return to its five elements that it came from. Our life started as a zygote when two cells fused. We were tiny and insignificant in the beginning. In the end too we know we become nothing. At death, we are worthless. Yoga helps us realize this truth, living in Surrender. It helps us live with Peace and Bliss, fearless, without worry, without stress or anxiety, Joyously, Peacefully, Blissfully, till our journey in this body-mind complex ends.
What else does Yoga do as it makes us live in Acceptance and Surrender? It leads us towards the ultimate goal of our life – Liberation.
Yoga walks on two feet,
Peace and Joy are its treat.
When we Accept without wonder,
And instead of Hope, we Surrender,
Then we are in the driver’s seat.