The Power of Surrender

When you meditate what do you feel? When you take a dip in the emptiness that you are - that emptiness is full of all glory, all bliss. We get so fried by our desires and fears and our anxiety and wants and dislikes we need to rest. That rest is what meditation is. Meditation is that which leads to Shiva Tattva, Shiva principle. For a moment you see the whole world as ephemeral, as temporary. The dream nature of everything lifts you to the reality that you are. The way is devotion. 

Divinity accepts everything. You have guilt, offer it. You have thorns or flowers, they belong to the divine. Anything that you hold on within you, know that it is not yours, it belongs to Shiva. It all belongs to Shiva. 

With surrender, you experience saamipiya. Shiva accepts everything. In life wanted, unwanted things happen. There’s happiness, there’s sorrow, anger, greed, lust - all of them arise. We get entangled in it and get frustrated. Don’t try to get rid of them. Surrender them. Surrender your good and bad qualities. When you hold on to your good qualities you become arrogant. When you hold on to bad qualities, then you get stuck in low self-esteem.

On Mahashivaratri 2021

Shivaratri is when you repose in your being. You know night gives you comfort however frustrated you are. When you sleep you are not touched by frustration; sleep relieves you of pain, suffering, frustration, desires, fear, everything. There is no fear in sleep, there are none of these emotions in sleep because it relieves you from all these and it comforts you.

When we are awake we are so busy, we are caught up in so many things and when we are tired we fall asleep, we get into inertia but there is something in between. When you consciously repose in your being you encounter that which is magnificent, that which is universal, that which has no boundaries, that which has no time.

Shiva is beyond time and yet he is called Maha (grand) in time. You know you feel the timelessness, isn’t it? When you meditate what do you feel? When you take a dip into that emptiness that you are, that emptiness is full of all glory, all bliss.

We get so fried by our desires and our fears and our anxiety and wants and dislikes we need rest and that rest is what meditation is and meditation is that, which leads to Shiva tattva, the Shiva principle.

For a moment you will see all the activities and the entire phenomenal world as ephemeral, as temporary, it’s like a dream and the dream nature of everything lifts you to the reality that you are. You are that vast consciousness which has no limit and the way to realise that is devotion.

You know the divine accepts everything from you, you know whatever you have, offer it. You have guilt, offer it to the divine. Thoughts are flowers because it all belongs to the divine. So anything that is bothering you, anything that you hold on to within you, which is bothering you, anything you have in you, you have to simply let go, know that it is not yours, it belongs to Shiva. Shiva is very personal, yet he is universal, Shiva is beauty yet he is unseen, Shiva is in every particle of the being, everything that we see is Shiva.

Yet, what we don’t see is also Shiva. It’s the night that gives you the vision of infinity, in the day time you can not see infinity. In the night you see how many universes are there, how many stars? The glory of existence is visible in the night and in the night you don’t see many things right? In the same way, night takes you in its lap and comforts you and soothes you of every other emotion, good or bad and it’s the same in meditation.

When you go into meditation it brings relief to you, it uplifts you and that is what Shivaratri is about. Be awake inside and repose in yourself. Many devotees from time immemorial who have sung (Om Namah Shivaya), have seen that all their sins vanished. Just say “Om Namah Shivaya”, all the lack will disappear from you, with “Om Namah Shivaya” fears will fly away, just say “Om Namah Shivaya”, what more do you want?

When lack disappears, fear disappears, tiredness goes away you are left with bliss and pure bliss and that is Shiva. Shiva is: sat i.e. the truth, chit i.e. consciousness and anand i.e. bliss. The yogi finds it so obvious and the one who is not a yogi finds it just a hearsay or a story and it just goes above him. But a yogi knows it all and will say yes, that is correct. Right? So you are all yogis.

“Shivoham, Shivoham”, “I am Shiva”, “I am Shiva”, this “I” is nothing but Shiva and then “Sarvam Shivamayam Jagat” means everything here is filled with Shiva, is soaked with Shiva, is manifestation of Shiva”. These two feelings “Everything is Shiva” and “I am Shiva”, that’s it, done.

So for you to go deep in meditation, know that you are loved, Shiva loves you so dearly. You are loved and you are lovely because you are made by Shiva. So you have to be lovely, there is no choice. However you have been created, the creator is responsible, so however you are and that role that you have been given is given by Shiva and so it has got to be lovely, it has got to be beautiful! "You are loved" and "you are lovely"; see how the mind becomes free with these two understandings. Putting yourself in this positive, beautiful vibration, universal vibration of the mantras, of the chants, uplifts our consciousness in more than one way, in many many ways.

Take your attention away from the mundane

 

Time and again we should lift our eyes away from the mundane. The nature of the mundane, it just occupies you, swallows you completely. Small things can occupy your mind and your time. Simple things, daily things like cooking, of course here you don’t have to worry about it (laughs), but cooking and shopping, washing your clothes and ironing them, all these trivial, small things eat up most of your time and sometimes they drown you. Daily routine can drown us, keep us so occupied, so busy we have very little time to look to something that is beyond, beyond the material existence. So the intelligent, wise people, while doing all this will time and again, shift their attention towards the subtle. 

Take your attention away from the mundane. This can happen during sunrise and sunset. When the sun is rising, you just gaze at the rising sun. At that moment you know there is a shift because there is a shift in the universe from night to day. So in the shift, the mind also easily shifts from the mundane to something ethereal, something beyond. 

The world of the Gods is just inches away from us, not very far, just a few inches. So you just lift your eyes from the mundane and look at the sunrise. The sun has been rising for so many millennia, still its charm has never died. Its newness has never diminished even an inch. So that’s why, at the moment of sunrise, the mind lifts away from the mundane. 

Similarly during sunset. Sunrise creates alertness, awareness, wakefulness. Sunset is more a time for relaxing. When the sun is setting it just takes you to a dream world, more romantic. The romance with sun never ends! During sunset birds are singing; just watch and the mantras will start coming up within us. Prayer happens spontaneously. Instead of talking this and that and all sort of mundane things watch the sunset. Connecting to the nature uplifts you. That’s why it is called “sandhya”. Dawn and dusk are the best times to relieve ourselves from the mundane to get a foothold in the ethereal, in the subtle, in the most beautiful time of the creation. Similarly with moonrise. Full moon rising, looking at the moon, your breath becomes musical. Looking at the moon, the vibes in you, the prana, becomes musical. And life becomes harmonious. That’s why all the spiritual practices are connected with sun and moon. Full moon meditation is very well known. Buddha got enlightened on the full moon and Guru Purnima happens on full moon.. So the moon is also connected. Everything is connected but the moon is very much connected with the spiritual practices. Mediation on full moon night, new moon night, also are auspicious. These meditations draw you, compel you more.

Remedy the effects of planets by going beyond time!

 

It’s not just the planets that affect you. You can also affect them. It’s not just that the stones you wear that will affect you. You can also affect them. In fact, your effect on them is much more powerful than their effect on you. You can touch a stone or crystal, and they can absorb your vibration for quite a while. 

In India, there are crystal Shiv-lingams, the idols that are kept in temples. Whenever a saint makes an offering or worship or consecrates it, the place becomes holy. And the energy there is sustained for a long period of time. When people visit these places, they feel calm, quiet and happy. When our mind is really centered and connected to the source of energy within us, then we affect the planets. 

In astrology, there is a chapter called Upaya, which means remedies. Suppose there is a bad effect of a planet on a person at some time, it is possible to correct it. A person can meditate during bad times. He goes beyond time and space when he meditates – beyond the intellect. The effect of the rays or the planet is only up to the intellect. It cannot go beyond the intellect. It stops at the body, breath, mind and intellect. We are the source of energy and cannot be touched or affected by the outer configuration of planets. 

There is a story in the Puranas. There was a couple who did not have any children. So they prayed and it is said that God came to them in a dream and asked them what kind of son did they want – a stupid son with one hundred years of life or an intelligent one with only sixteen years of life? They opted for an intelligent boy with only sixteen years of life. Of course, they got a son and they believed that when he was fifteen years old he would die in one year. Only one year. He was extraordinary, brilliant, a genius, and naturally, the parents didn’t like the idea of losing such a wonderful son. So they prayed and it is said when the death call came, the boy sat in deep meditation and prayed and recited some mantras. He was granted another sixteen years. Today, people still recite the mantra made by this boy when there is some danger to life. It is well known in India. 

One can remedy the effects of the planets by going beyond time, going beyond body consciousness and the breath consciousness, like in sleep. When you sleep, you are not aware of the body, you are not aware of the breath and you are not aware of the world around you. You transcend these. You make a shift. It gives you rest and refreshes you. It brings back more life energy into your life. Most of our illnesses are healed just by sleep. This is because in sleep we go beyond time and space, but we do it unconsciously. If we do it consciously, it is mediation. It is much more powerful than sleep.

Leadership traits to learn from women

 

In today’s world often there is pride associated with aggression. We can learn how to be gentle while showing great strength, from women. The biggest strengths of women are their emotions, feelings, motivation and inspiration. Men can inspire to fight but women inspire to unite. There would be less conflict in the world today if there was more feminine leadership to unite people, overcome differences and remind us of the purpose we are all born for.

In today’s war-torn world, we need women to come to the forefront and take more responsibility. When women are determined, they can do wonders. Given the wealth that is inherent in them, it is very important for women from all over the world to sit together and see what they can do to reduce stress and violence.

Women by nature are multi-talented and multi-faceted. They possess the intellectual prowess in planning and execution. You see any department headed by a woman; chances are that her department is much ahead of others. Women display this quality in the way they manage different aspects of their lives, be it running a home or an enterprise.

Empowerment can be through two ways. One is through financial earnings and the other through respect that an individual earns. Those who are respected by everyone are empowered. Even a politician does not possess the power that a judge possesses. Does a judge have a lot of money? No. However, her position is respected, and she has the ability to transform society for the better through her work.

In our country, women enjoyed respect in the past, and we must bring back that culture. There is not as much empowerment in merely getting a job as there is in being in a position of influence. Women while playing the role of a mother are by nature in the most pivotal position of influence. They shape individuals and in turn have the capacity to build a happy society.

When you want to learn, you can learn from everybody. Look at how women lead their lives, it brings some message to you. Homemakers have no holiday. Even when they go on a picnic, they will organise necessities and start serving everyone. They prepare snacks, they ensure everything is available for everybody. Even on holidays, they are on the job.

This is the quality of a leader. If you are a leader, you cannot take time off. Every day is a workday. Every day is a holy day. Homemakers are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. If everyone else has a holiday, that day is a busier one for them. There are no holidays for a kitchen. On festivals, homemakers work overtime.

Here is something every aspiring businessman can learn. They cannot say I will be a businessman for only five days a week. A successful businessman is observing and planning even while on vacation. The only relief a businessman gets is when he meditates. Otherwise, he is continuously planning. Even if you take a businessman on a holiday, he thinks what business he can do there and observes what is flourishing, what people are buying most and their mindset. That process has no holiday. A homemaker gives you that lesson.

By nature, women have all the three abilities – to create, nurture and to transform. They are sensitive to others’ needs and can connect with them very easily. These are all important traits for a leader which come naturally to women. There are so many inspiring examples of women leaders throughout history in all parts of the world. In fact, whether they have an official title or not, time and again women show that they are still leaders.

Laughter is true prayer

When you begin your day in laughter and love, your life gets divinely enlivened. True prayer is laughing in the morning from outside and from deep inside.

Laughter comes from the centre of our Being, from the core of our heart. Our belly is so full of laughter that the laughter permeates every cell in our body. True laughter is true prayer. When things go all right, everybody can laugh, but when everything falls apart, and yet you laugh, that is evolution and growth. Nothing in life is more worthy than your laughter. Never lose it. Events come and go. Some are pleasant, and others, unpleasant. There is an area deep in you that is left untouched. Hold on to what is untouched. Then you will be able to keep laughing.

Sometimes you laugh just to avoid thinking or to avoid looking at yourself. But when you see and feel within that life is present and intense every moment, nothing can bother you or touch you. That laughter is authentic. You might have observed babies, six months or one year old. When they laugh, their whole body is jumping and bouncing. Every cell in the body is laughing. That is enlightenment. That laughter is innocent, pure, without inhibitions.

Opinions are the impressions we make on our minds. If we have one experience repeated four or five times, then, for the rest of our lives, we tend to see life through those same experiences. We need to be able to see things as they are. When life’s essence blooms from within, there is true laughter akin to godliness. Laughter opens us up, opens the heart.