Surrendering to the Master
From form to formless We transit in surrender; Master moves in with Love.
There are many ways to enlightenment.
Ritualistic approach such as puja, yoga, and pranayama take a lot of time, perhaps many births. Puja and Yoga happen at the physical layer of one's mind body system, while pranayama happens at the next level of pranic layer.
At the next subtler level is mantra japa; while a mantra initiated by a realized Master would be very effective, chanting a mantra as in mechanically chanting the Vedas, sahasranamas and ashtotras do not have much efficacy unless fully internalized. Mantra japas work at the mental layer, the third layer. When visualization is used as technique one can go up to the subtle etheric layer at best. Any form can only take a person up to the etheric layer. The most subtle and therefore the most powerful form of approach to enlightenment is dhyana, silent meditation, especially one initiated by a realized Master. Meditation upon the formless can take one to the final nirvanic layer, when one becomes one with the Universe. There is no surer way to enlightenment.
Attitude of the seeker determines the speed of progress. Surrender to the Master is essential for spiritual progress. Surrender has three levels. Initial surrender is that of the intellect, leading to understanding and acceptance of what the Master stands for and says. This is not too difficult for most seekers, who become the Master's disciples. At the next level is devotion, surrender of emotions; the Master moves you in many ways; you can not bear to be without him and so on. At this level surrender to the form needs to be given up in favor of surrender to the formless. This is the block most devotees face. At the highest level is surrender of one's senses to the Master.
A bank manager used to take all the cash to his home everyday and bring it back with him the next day morning. He did this for a month and could not do it any more. He found himself trembling all the way while driving back home and was not able to sleep at home with all the money in his custody. He finally wrote a letter to his boss asking to be relieved of the job explaining why. His boss told him that even if the money was lost, he would not be blamed and that he could continue with his job. The manager slept peacefully from that day onwards.
What is the difference in him now? He is doing the same job, but why is the fear and the sorrow not there any more? It is because responsibility has shifted to the higher authority, that's all. This is what Surrender is. Do your duty, leaving the responsibility to Existence.
You need not surrender to God or to any Guru. There is a Life Force conducting this world. It is this Life Force that is causing the breath that goes into you to come out and the food that you eat to digest in your system. Simply surrender to this Life Force. The work that you do in your lifetime for your survival is lesser than the work required to convert a handful of food into blood inside your body. A research was once conducted to simulate the conversion of 'one piece of bread into blood'. They found that the machinery required for it led the industry to extend to 3 kilometers! Now do you understand the kind of mechanism inside you? Do you think that the Life Force that sustains this mechanism cannot sustain your life? It very well can. Only we don't have faith.
A seed has to surrender to the soil to blossom as a tree. It has to have faith in the soil and allow itself to die or to rupture in order to blossom as a tree. In the same way, we have to place our faith in Existence and surrender ourselves so that a new life, a life of Eternal Bliss with good health can blossom. How do we do it? Should we spend long hours at the temple? No. Every time you feel heavy in the heart or mind, just tell yourself that the Life Force that runs the world will take care of you also and move on, that's enough. You will see that all your depression and worries disappear and creativity blossoms in you. Surrender is your shortcut to God! It is the ultimate technique to merge with Existence.
Krishna tells Arjuna, as they walk: Arjuna, look, there is a green crow near that tree! Says Arjuna: yes, Krishna, I see that green crow. A little later Krishna says: Arjuna, look, look at that black crow! Responds Arjuna: yes, Krishna, I see the black crow. Krishna exclaims: Arjuna, you are an idiot, how can there be a green crow? Why did you say you saw a green crow? Says Arjuna without hesitation: Krishna, when you told me to look at that green crow, all I saw was that green crow.
This is surrender of senses, the most difficult to do. Your eyes see, your ears hear, your senses feel what the Master says, not what they experience. Truth is the Master, not the maya that one's senses see externally. When one reaches this level of surrender of senses to the Master, enlightenment follows naturally.
Sitting in front of the Master, drinking in his form, swaying to his energy, being immersed in his words are all easy. There is no effort involved in recognizing the divinity of a realized Master and accepting it. Merit in this is also limited. The enlightened Master is not on an election trip to get people vote as to whether he is enlightened. He knows, whether you and I know or not. All that the devotee does is doing himself a favor.
At the intellectual level, there is nothing impractical about what the Master says. All I say is practical. Just to understand and accept is not enough; you have to live those sayings. There in lies the problem.
The surrender I seek from you is not to my form but to my institution, the Dhyanapeetam. I shall live in those of you who live for Dhyanapeetam. All those of you who seek enlightenment actively and work for the movement of your own and others' enlightenment, will find me following you, whether you like it not, whether you wish for it or not; I shall dwell in your hearts.
Buddha created enlightened disciples in the 40 years that he preached, without even a mike. Today, with the media support that I have, with the internet, TV, books and tapes, I should create at least more enlightened beings in my life time. The more active my movement is, the stronger Dhyanapeetam becomes, the stronger I am, and the longer my physical body would last. Just some years ago I used to say I would live to 42; now as the movement gains momentum I feel I shall live to 123!
A Master does not take birth to fulfill his karma. He is born out of compassion to uplift people. Longevity of his physical body is determined by the speed and intensity of his mission.
Buddha said: Buddham saranam gachami; Dhammam saranam gachami; Sangam saranam gachami.
Buddha lived in his Dhammam and Sangam, more than his body. So do I. Only one third of my energy is in my body; the remaining two thirds are in my sayings and my institution. I live in my words and my institution; not in my body. The more powerfully you spread my sayings and the more powerful you make Dhyanapeetam, the more powerful you make me.
It's important that I'm with you; far more important that you are physically with me or near me. When you look at me, when you listen to me, you are physically with me. When you speak my words, when you spread my mission, I am with you. This is the difference between how a monkey carries its infant and a cat does; the infant monkey clings to the mother; this is very fragile, as fragile as the infant's strength. That's what you do when you cling to me. Be like the cat; the mother carries the infant; there is no way she will let go; not even upon threat to her life; that's the way I shall carry you when you speak my words and spread my mission. I shall live in you. I shall live in your words and actions.
When you look after Swami's work, Swami has no choice but to look after your welfare, both material and spiritual. Go and inspire people; that's the greatest service you can do to me and to yourself. The Ananda Sabha that you build must be in your Ananda Gandha! That's the greatest surrender you can make.
gurucaranambuja-nirbhara-bhaktaha samsarad-acirad-bhava muktaha sendriya-manasa-niyamad-evam drakshyasi nijahridayasthvam devam.
Being devoted completely to the lotus-feet of the Master, you, the disciple become released soon from the cycle of life and death process. By disciplining the senses and controlling the mind, you will behold the Deity that resides in your heart.