I was looking for some stories that show us what Surrender to God actually means, and I came across this article, published in 'The Hindu', an Indian newspaper, that gives us a simple, yet elegant description of the true meaning of Surrender and further illustrates some really nice stories of Surrender from Hindu spiritual texts.
Spiritual knowledge is posited in the scriptural texts as that knowledge knowing which all else becomes known. According to the Chandogya Upanishad, Sage Narada who had mastered all the arts and the sciences approached Sanatkumara to gain knowledge of the Self (Atman). All other knowledge is of no avail unless a human being gains Self-knowledge, which will liberate him from bondage. This is the result of experience gained in many lives and total surrender to God. For this one must turn inward.
The majority of us fail to look upon God with love. Devotion is not praying before a deity for sometime everyday or deliberating about spirituality now and then. It is a constant search with yearning for realising Him amidst all worldly preoccupations. Like a village maid who balances pots of water on her head deftly and chats with her friends without losing balance, a spiritual seeker must stay attuned to God without getting distracted by his worldly engagements. He should surrender to God with total faith that whatever happened in his life was the working of the divine will, said Sri T.V.Venkataraman in his discourse.
Surrender to God is love which transcends all other love that human beings are usually familiar with. Sacrifice is the leitmotif of this all-consuming love of God and there comes a stage in spiritual evolution when the devotee is not bothered about the goal of liberation, which was originally the objective of his spiritual quest. This is the level of the mystics who sometimes even defy conventions of normal behaviour as they look upon everyone with the eye of devotion. The Nayanmars in the Saiva tradition are a case in point.
Sekkizhar relates about Cheraman Peruman Nayanmar who fell at the feet of a washerman because he appeared white like Lord Siva smeared as he was in quicklime. Meyporul Nayanmar was a king who was an ardent devotee of the Lord. His arch enemy disguised himself as a mendicant and gained entry into the palace saying he was going to teach the king scriptures, but stabbed him. When the guard came to his rescue the king stopped the guard from harming the enemy saying, "He is one of us." He instructed the guard to escort the assailant to safety lest someone killed him in retaliation. This Nayanmar breathed his last only after his guard Dhathan returned and informed him that he had carried out his instruction. No wonder then that Lord Siva blessed him with His vision.
http://www.hindu.com/2004/11/22/stories/2004112200270900.htm
Enjoy your reading!
