Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18

UNDERSTAND SURRENDER

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We must understand two things. The first is about listening to one's mind and the second is about not listening to the Master. Vedic chants end with the word namaḥ. What does this mean? It means 'I surrender to You.' Each time you utter a vedic prayer, you say, 'I surrender to You, my Lord.' Is there another system of prayer that so thoroughly destroys your ego?

So, just because you do not
surrender to a Master or a favorite
deity, because one is human and
the other is stone, do you think you
are the Master, free and
independent? You surrender to
someone else for money, power or
lust. One of these will surely
happen. How much more sensible
it is to follow and surrender to
someone out of intelligence,
because that person is more aware
and complete, and can guide you
on the path to completion?

Illustration of Krishna playing the flute

Why are we reluctant to surrender to another person? It is because we have been captured by our mind and senses. We are in a jail and we are captive. We fear losing the identity that our mind and senses have created for us. We fear letting go of that identity. Our mind fights against shifting our allegiance from that ego and identity to someone else.

Realize that you are a slave
to your senses and not the
master of your destiny as
you imagine. Be aware that
your pains and sorrows
arise from the mistaken
belief that you are the
master of your destiny.
Once you realize this, you
will look for an alternative.

Devotion and Knowledge are not
Separate Please understand that
bhakti (devotion) and jñāna
(knowledge) are not separate.
Where there is devotion, there is
knowledge and where there is true
knowledge, there is devotion. The
entire purpose of Gītā is to enrich
you to complete with your root
patterns and drop the ego! All you
need to do is understand one verse
of Gītā, one statement of Kṛṣṇa, in
its entirety. That is enough to
enlighten you. This is what
Vivekananda meant when he said
that the study of one handful of
earth can teach you about the
entire earth. You need depth, not
breadth of knowledge.

Every word of Gītā, every
word of Kṛṣṇa, is energy.
That is the knowledge that
you need to imbibe and
experience. This is what the
‘knowing, tattvato jñātav’
that Kṛṣṇa refers to. Once
you ‘know’ this energy,
you reach this energy. You
become Kṛṣṇa. You are not
only devoted to Kṛṣṇa, you
become Kṛṣṇa.

There are two paths. One way is to
‘know’ the truth so clearly and
completely that there is absolutely
no doubt about your trust in the
Master. There is no doubt that you
are the same consciousness as the
Master. Once you know this, there
is no duality, there is the space of
advaita, non-duality. You and the
Master are the same. This is the
height of devotion.

The other way is the deep
surrender that happens within, the
unbridled love that arises within
you and through which you merge
with the Master. Along with the
merger, comes the knowledge that
you are no different. Seemingly,
knowledge comes from devotion;
jñāna comes from bhakti. The truth
is that both happen simultaneously.

Duality happens when you are open to that Cosmic energy but you still feel separate. You are like the ocean drop that knows it is part of the ocean but sees itself as separate. To reach this stage, you need to be open. When you are closed, you do not even accept that there is this huge ocean of which you are a part. You are ignorant. Duality or dvaita is the first step

Next, you become available. Not
only do you know that there is this
huge energy around you, but you
become aware that you are part of it.
You are a part of the Whole. You
realize that as a drop, you are a part
of the ocean. This is qualified duality,
viśiṣṭādvaita. Then you suddenly
realize and know that you are the
ocean. There is no difference or
barrier between you and the energy.
You are the energy. You are God.
This is non-duality, advaita. You just
are. From being open, to being
available, you just are. When you
‘know’ Kṛṣṇa, there is nothing else to
know. Then, you become Kṛṣṇa..

GOALS:

Helping the students
experience surrendering.
Helping the students
experience Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.