The True Meaning of Sharanagati/Surrender It appears to Me that the real meaning of the word sharanagati or surrender has not been properly understood. Our elders, by the study of many scriptures and texts, have conveyed to us the meaning. Despite this, we get the impression that the word surrender means putting at the disposal of God our body, our mind, all our powers, and all that we have. We take it that “placing these before God” is the true meaning of the word surrender. This is not the correct and proper meaning of the word. Our body is not in our control at all. Our body, under some circumstances, is posing to us several problems. Under such circumstances, when the body is not under our control, it is not understandable how we can say that we will take such a body and surrender it to God. When we look at the mind, it is even worse. It leads us to many distorted meanings. While we are not only not in control of our mind even for one moment, but we are even slaves to our mind, and we foolishly enjoy the mind’s wanderings. Under such circumstances, to say that you are surrendering your mind to God is something quite un-understandable. When you must struggle so much to control your own mind, even for a short while, and when your attempts in this direction are often futile, to take such a mind and put it at the feet of God and say that “I am surrendering my mind to you,” seems to Me to be ridiculous. Let us take the case of your various organs. When the situation is that the mind, which is the ruler and controller of all your organs, is in such a condition, what is the point in talking about the organs and surrendering all your organs to God. So, when you say that you are surrendering to God your thought, your word, your deed, it is simply a kind of trivial satisfaction to yourself. This cannot represent the truth and the meaning of the word surrender. God also never wants you to surrender and hand over to Him everything that you own. In fact, God has never asked for such a thing. If you make a proper attempt to understand the true meaning of the word sharanagati or surrender, you will understand that sharanagati really relates to another aspect and it should be interpreted in the background and context of Divinity only. Only when you accept and when you believe that the Divine is present in every human being and in every living thing, that Divinity is omnipresent, can you understand the meaning of surrendering in thought, word, and deed and you will also become one with God. There is some justification for your talking of sharanagati or surrender when you are in full control of your mind, your words, and your body. As soon as you can recognize the aspects of the omnipresence and the omnipotence of God, the feeling of ego, the feeling that there is an “I”, which is a distinct thing, will disappear. ~Summer Showers 1972 Of course, you can and do announce, “I surrender my mind, my thoughts, my feelings and imaginings to God.” But your monkey-mind escapes from your hold; how then can you capture it and claim it and surrender it to God? What authority do you possess to offer something you are not master of? The whole process reminds one of the Telugu proverb about gift by son-in-law of the property owned by the mother-in-law. How can anyone give another what he does not own? Is your body under full control? When blood starts flowing out of a vein on your hand, you cannot stop the flow. You rush to a hospital and call out, “Doctor! Doctor! Tie a bandage!” When you suffer from a stroke, and limbs on one side are paralyzed, you are helplessly unable to repair them. How can you dedicate your body, which you cannot rule over? Such statements like surrendering body, mind, and heart are only rhetoric sanctioned by tradition and long usage. The act of surrender is often highlighted as atma-arpana [complete surrendering of the self]. The expression is even more ridiculous. When you are atma in essence, how can atma (self) offer it to itself? The body is a composite of the five elements; it cannot avoid disintegration, but the dweller within the body has no birth or death, no desire or despair, no attachment or bondage. In truth, that dweller is the God of Gods who resides as atma in you. This is what the seers have experienced. So atma-arpana is a meaningless expression. You have nothing in you or belonging to you that you can claim as yours to offer to God. Then, what does surrender of the self signify or imply? To experience God as Omnipresent, to be aware of nothing other than God—this is true surrender. To see God in everything, everywhere, always is true sharanagati. ~Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 15, Dasara, Vijayadashami

The I Principle The physical body that performs japam (Name recitation) or dhyanam (meditation) or the various other spiritual practices is but a water-bubble. The mind that is based upon this physical body is but a mad monkey. With the help of this mad-monkey mind and this water-bubble body, how can you hope to achieve the permanent atma? Japa, dhyana, bhajans (devotional singing), austerities, sacrifices—these are all methods for temporarily controlling the mind. But there is one practice that will have a permanent effect, and that is self-enquiry. You should go on enquiring “Who am I? Who am I?” until you reach the stage where you find out who you really are. The enquiry should go on thus, “Here is my body, here is my mind, my heart, my feelings, my intellect, my memory power. I am not any of these. Someone has praised me. Someone has censured me. But to whom does this pertain? Only to this physical body.” In this way you have to develop a sense of detachment and sacrificing nature. How can a physical body abuse another physical body? That is inert and this is also inert. How can inert things criticize or admonish? They cannot. How can they even worship anything? They cannot. But then can atma criticize another atma? That is absurd. One person who has seen God says, ‘God exists.’ Another person who has not seen God, says, ‘God does not exist’. If a person has not seen God, then how can he assert that God does not exist? Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 20 (1987) Those who have faith in the Gita should note that it has clearly declared that this world is ephemeral and “a vale of tears”, and enduring peace and bliss are not to be found by attachment to it. The source of lasting peace and happiness is within us. That is the atma (the Divine Self). It is by realizing it that peace and bliss have to be secured. One must constantly develop the consciousness that the atma is everything—the doer, the deed, and the outcome thereof. When the consciousness is broadened this way, in due course it leads to Self-realization. If your vision is broad, your destination will also be of the same magnitude. A narrow outlook can lead only to a narrow alley. If you are immersed all the time in the petty trifles of mundane existence, when will you ever understand the reality that is beyond the physical and the mental? Set your sight on the Supreme. The illumination will come in a flash. Everyone should develop the consciousness that “I am atma. I am Brahman”. When one says, “I am Brahman”, it is evident that there is “I” in Brahman. Who is that “I”? “Brahman” means pervasiveness. In declaring “I am Brahman”, the consciousness of all-pervasiveness should be developed. Brahman is all-pervasive. It is equally present everywhere. You should regard yourselves as all-pervasive, omni-self. Whatever you do, whatever you see, whatever you speak, saturate it with Divinity so that you may be aware of your reality. Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 20 (1987) The whole world appears to contain innumerable names and forms. One should not be enmeshed with these names and forms. It is only when the names and forms are set aside and the underlying source is identified that it is possible to recognize the truth. And that truth is tattwamasi (That Thou Art). That is Prajnanam Brahma (constant integrated awareness is Brahman). That awareness is Ayam Atma Brahma (This Self is Brahman). When you analyze the mahavakya (Divine axiom) tattwamasi, it will lead you to the awareness “I am That” and “That I am”. When you are able to realize this truth, you will find that the principle “I” underlies everything in the universe as the principle of unity. We have to recognize that “I” principle, which is universal. It is a futile exercise to get into arguments and counterarguments over this matter and waste one’s time. The only aspect you have to realize is “I am Brahman.” When somebody questions you who you are, the proper answer would be “I am I”. “I am the word, I am the form, and I am the name”—this “I” represents and explains everything. When somebody questions who you are, do not reply by quoting your name. The name represents the name given to the body. You are not the body. Hence reply, “I am I.” Everyone should strive to attain that state of unity.

The Purity of Heart No sadhana (spiritual practices) would help in realizing God if one is devoid of purity of the heart. The different kinds of sadhana like fasting, meditation, etc., would help to develop one’s faith in the omnipresent God who, in fact, resides as the indweller in you. People generally think that God gave darshan (being in holy Presence) to such and such person. But the truth is God never gives darshan to people who have no purity of the heart. Hence, if you wish to have the darshan of God, you must develop purity of the heart. All kinds of sadhana are meant only to attain purity. The moment you attain purity of the heart, the omnipresent God will manifest right in front of you. Unfortunately, today in the world there is a dearth of gurus who can firmly lead the seeker on the path of purity. They confine themselves to some mechanical techniques of meditation in exchange for money. In fact, one does not need to undertake any complex system of meditation. One can undertake the simple sadhana of constant contemplation on the omnipresent God. Few teach such simple methods nowadays. People listen to and read about several intriguing kinds of meditation and start a sadhana that catches their interest or imagination. Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 38, 2005 Whatever scriptures one may study, whatever sadhanas one may practice or pilgrimages one may make, unless one succeeds in getting rid of the impurities in the heart, life will remain worthless and meaningless. Purification of the heart is the essence of all scriptural teachings and the basic goal of life. In this context, the Gita refers to swadharma (duties that accord with one’s nature) and paradharma (duties prescribed for others) and says that swadharma is conducive to the ennobling of the individual, while paradharma is fraught with fearful consequences. Swadharmo nidhanam shreyah Paradharmo bhayavaha—“Adhering to one’s dharma is commendable, while practicing paradharma is full of dangers.” Swadharma does not mean the dharma (duty) relating to any caste, community, race, or religion. Swa means atma. It is the dharma that is related to atma, that is swadharma (Divine duty). Paradharma is dharma related to the body consciousness. All duties associated with the external world are comprised in paradharma. These duties will inevitably involve one in the bonds of Samsara (worldly life). Though they may confer temporary pleasures, they are bound to result in fear and anxiety. Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 17, 1984 What is it that you should observe on this New Year Day? Many such days have come and gone. But how far has there been a transformation in the heart? Many years have come and gone. But your hearts remain unchanged. The first task is to purify the heart. You should not be content with celebrating the New Year as a festive occasion. To enjoy a feast, you do not need a New Year. The New Year should be marked not by a feast but by the awakening of new and pure thoughts in the heart. Of what use is it to be concerned only about eating from dawn to dusk? What is the purpose of life? It is not eating, sleeping, and dying. You must control the senses and use them for sacred purposes. The power of the senses is derived from the Divine. The small human eye enables us to look at stars billions of miles away. Where is this power got? It is from the divine within you. Hence, everyone should always think of God, whatever one may do. Then one will be free from bad thoughts. Man must manifest his humanness by transcending the animal nature. Realize your inherent divinity. Regard the whole world as your field of action. You have come as a pilgrim to this world of action. Ensure that your pilgrimage proceeds on right lines.