On Surrender from a saint

When you surrender yourself to the Guru, you have to obey his orders unconditionally. In this, your sole motive is to carry out the Guru’s will. Consequently, when going about the task you grow eager to do your utmost, can you call this also a desire in the ordinary sense of the word? To set your heart on being efficient, with the one object of fulfilling the Guru’s will, is certainly a good desire.

If for any reason there should arise even the least feeling of resentment, the action can no longer be described as being without attachment. Suppose for example, after having accomplished by far the greater part of some work, you have to abandon it, and towards the end someone else takes it up, completes it, and gets the credit for having achieved the whole of the task. If you mind this even in the slightest degree, how can the work have really been done disinterestedly? Obviously it was not quite for from a desire for recognition.

When you have surrendered yourself to the Guru, he may do anything, subject you to no matter what trials, yet you still regard yourself as a tool in His hands. You will then have reached a stage, where in spite of all difficulties, you persist with the work, knowing it to be the Guru’s order. Keep in mind that by this attitude you will grow steadfast in endurance, patience and perseverance, and your energy and capacity will be enhanced.

In action there is bound to be conflict. When can there be freedom from this conflict? When there is no question of feeling hurt. Even in the midst of work, at all times and under all circumstances, one must be prepared to obey any kind of order Imagine you are hungry, and just as you are raising your hand to put food into your mouth, you are asked to go elsewhere. At that very instant, you should gladly let fall the food you were about to eat, and obey the call. Such an attitude is an indication of one’s becoming established in a happiness that is not of this world.