Why is it that spiritual literature always mentions the need for surrender? We are told to “let go”. What does it mean to surrender or let go? Does it mean simply to give up, stuffing our emotions and concerns down deep, biting our tongue when disturbing things happen, pretending that something that is really bothering us is not important? If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that our primary response to reading about surrender is FEAR. “What will happen to the person (me) that I know and love? What exactly am I supposed to surrender? Why would I want to surrender? What the heck am I surrendering? Is this annihilation?”
Spiritual surrender is not blind resignation to whatever comes along in our lives-good and bad in fact, the idea of spiritual surrender does not even present itself until they a person is spiritually prepared which means having attained a level of awareness able to understand that the surrender of many familiar three dimensional concepts and beliefs is a necessary part of the spiritual journey and is somewhat automatic in the higher levels of spiritual consciousness.
Spiritual surrender is the letting go of all that is not spiritually real through the realization of what is real and what is not. For years most students of truth have enjoyed reading spiritual literature, utilizing various metaphysical tools, going to discussion groups, taking classes, and practicing the latest rituals or techniques guaranteed to bring one closer to God. However, all of these things encourage a person to continue seeking outside of themselves, which is old and false energy.
Spiritual surrender is a place within ourselves where we are able and willing to let go of all that is based in that which is old and false in order to move more fully into that which is real, beyond duality and separation. It is a state of consciousness able to see the real behind material appearances and so not responding or giving power to appearances but instead resting in reality.
As human beings living in third dimensional energy of duality. separation, and many powers every person has had lifetimes of programming from which they learned to surrender personal opinions, beliefs, concepts, or ways of seeing the world to the experts, societal norms, religious doctrine, religious “leaders”, government, and those in power. Spiritual surrender is impossible for anyone still locked into the tools and games of the third dimensional belief system because a person’s actions can rise no higher than their state of consciousness.
Spiritual surrender indicates a spiritual readiness to leave behind everything that no longer serves. Our reactions to words, pictures, ideas, and world events change and prompt us to ask ourselves; “What am I believing that is causing me to feel this way?” which can be as benign as not liking the dress someone is wearing. In and of itself the dress is nothing, but if I am labeling the wearer as being good or bad because of it, I am in the third dimensional energies of separation.
Every individual is entitled to their preferences, but preferences are not judgments. “The dress is very interesting, unusual…It would not be my choice…” instead of “She has no sense of style.” It is a conscious withdrawing of power from the persons, places, or things we have in the past, given power to. Surrender means getting out of the God’s way, allowing IT, my true essence, to live and express in, as, and through me.
The false concepts and beliefs of third dimensional collective consciousness are always impersonal but become personal if or when a person claims them as being personally theirs. “I am depressed. I am a victim. I am stupid. I am unworthy. I am a failure.” etc. etc. Ask yourself; “What am I still believing that was originally taught to me by a teacher, parents, the experts, friends, or religion? In the light of what I know now to be spiritual truth, are these teachings at all relevant ?” Honest self-questioning takes the seeker to where they can recognize outgrown beliefs as benign as believing that a person must serve only turkey for Thanksgiving, or as non-benign as intense hatred toward a certain race or gender.
Every person must determine for themselves what they believe and what has their become obsolete. In spite of what many organized religions teach, no saint, sage, guru, or even the master Jesus can do the work of evolution for another. There is a book called; “My Stroke of Insight” by Jill Bolte Taylor who suffered a stroke and writes about it. In her narrative, she minutely examines the antics of her left brain and how easily we get caught in “mind games”. Eckart Tolle also examines this subject, especially in his book; “Practicing the Power of Now”.
Ego is simply that sense of self that believes itself to be separate from God and all other life forms. The ego must be protected and validated at all times, eternally struggling for survival. The bottom line of third dimensional belief system is, “You will never be good enough.” which is how human beings acquired their sense of insecurity, the need to defend themselves on all levels, and the endless search for completeness where it does not exist.
As a person spiritually evolves into a consciousness of who and what they really are, the need to protect who they thought they were simply disappears because they realize that the I that I really am needs no protection. I am all that is, now-not after I say enough mantras, light enough candles, have enough crystals, do enough ceremonies, or die and pass a judgment determining whether I may or may not get admitted to “heaven”.
Through the conscious surrendering of all that we have spiritually outgrown we begin to lose fear and move into trust, a process that happens without our having to say a holy word, burn a candle, chant a chant, or follow a guru in spite of what the third dimensional world around us may try and make us believe. Our only job is to choose to spiritually evolve which allows a much deeper sense of spiritual evolution to begin.
Spiritual surrender is not for the faint-hearted. At some point all serious students of truth must ask themselves; “Is there a Source/God/Creator or not?” If there is, then I can only ever be in and of it, for nothing could exist separate from Omnipresence. It would be very wise then to accept and surrender to it.
“I am able to surrender because I now realize that IT is expressing ITself as me and knows when and how to manifest ITself as my highest good.
MCR 6-14-09 updated 9/25