The most important thing on the spiritual path is right attitude – in this case, an attitude of devotional self-surrender to God. Many good things will follow from such an attitude.
First it will bring physical, emotional, and mental relaxation, which alone permits things to happen without strain. Thus, inner unfoldment will take place naturally; you will not find anything occurring for which you are not yet ready.
Second, it will put experiences in their proper perspective, so that you do not get excited or make too much of them, but offer them trustingly back to God, and go on quietly with your daily practice.
Third, it will draw divine aid to you, without which no real spiritual progress can be made. . . .
— Letters to Truthseekers, Swami Kriyananda
From the moment we are born, we are constantly encouraged to develop survival skills. These skills, aimed at giving us an edge in utilizing resources we often see as scarce, foster a belief that some individuals are better than others.
As a result, we relentlessly pursue our goals and objectives. This continuous striving often leads to a deep sense of dissatisfaction. The training ingrained in us for survival and success becomes an obstacle when we embark on a spiritual path. When we embark on a spiritual journey, we initially understand spirituality on a superficial level and quickly compile mental checklists of what we should become, then start chasing those goals. Ironically, the very skills crucial for worldly success hinder our spiritual growth.
Our true purpose is to learn to surrender to God’s Will and become part of a greater reality. This surrender is not passive; it is an active self-surrender that requires courage to let go of our survival instincts and insecurities. It demands faith that God and Guru will place us where we need to be, freeing us from the need to plan every step to our advantage. In this state, we can engage in any Seva or any life activity including our job with devotion and faith while remaining self-surrendered.
This act of self-surrender does not mean passively expecting things to happen on their own. Instead, it is an internal attitude of letting go, which involves non-attachment to our preconceived notions and openness to new ideas and opportunities. It enables us to embrace change with joy and acceptance.
Sometimes, we view certain roles or activities as outward validations of our inner spiritual growth. For example, we might assume that doing seva as a meditation teacher is superior to other forms of seva. However, someone who is high up on the corporate ladder might benefit more from doing humble tasks like sweeping the floors, serving guests, or engaging in creative activities. The best role for each of us is the one that advances our inner spiritual development and helps us cultivate the necessary attributes.
Sister Gyanmata, Paramhansa Yogananda’s foremost disciple, exemplified this. She never taught or gave public talks yet achieved complete liberation through total devotional self-surrender to God in all her activities.
We need to tune into a completely different reality and adopt a new way of doing things. Resetting our survival-based attitudes is essential. While animals live by instinct, humans have access to a more subtle reality. By surrendering to God’s Will, we can attain a divine state.
Reflect on this: How can you start surrendering to a higher will today? What steps can you take to shift your focus from worldly success to spiritual fulfillment?
