The every day understanding of surrender informs us that it is reserved for cowards at worst, for helpless victims at best. How so? Consider this dictionary definition of surrender: "to deliver up or yield something to the possession or power of another on demand or under duress; to give oneself up to some influence, course, emotion; to yield or resign into the power of another." In this generic usage, soldiers surrender in defeat; countries surrender territory through conquest; in traditional marriage vows women surrender to obeying their husbands; societies living under a dictatorship surrender their civil rights.   Individuals caught in such conditions are viewed as prisoners of deplorable, shame-producing situations. This I call negative surrender.

Fortunately, at the other end of the spectrum is what I call positive surrender, the domain of freedom occupied by those who genuinely want to wake up, to mystics and saints. In his exquisite poem titled "Defeated by Love" we hear Rumi exclaim, "I am ready to forsake this worldly life and surrender to the magnificence of your Being.." In another poem he provides the main ingredient in mystical surrender: "Cut off those chains that hold you prisoner to the world of attachment."

To deepen our exploration, what does Rumi mean by "worldly life," by "the world of attachment," - attachment to what? Surrender is the opposite of attachment. In a genuine act of surrender we release our attachment to the worldly illusion that we possess an individual self separate from the Whole. In other words, surrender is freedom from the bondage of ego. We free ourselves from living in the neurotic consciousness of "me, myself and I," from living on the "me plan." 

So that we may merge the self with the Self&emdash;the Being to whom Rumi refers&emdash;we consciously surrender to the next stage of our inner evolution.   We drop the shield we inwardly hold to protect the ego from dissolving and surrendering to the magnetic pull of Existence to become more of that which we truly are as spiritual beings having a human incarnation. We get out of the way and allow the evolutionary impulse of the Universe free reign in our consciousness, to express in, as and through us our innate qualities of unconditional love, peace, wisdom, compassion, intuition, creativity, joy.

Surrender offers us a constant opportunity to live in the now moment. This doesn't mean that we become passive tourists in our own life, or that we do a spiritual bypass saying, "Oh well, I guess this was meant to be." Surrender is not abandonment of personal responsibility. On the contrary, it is a call to apply activate our intuition and discernment in making skillful life-choices. Nor does surrender beg a deity outside of ourselves to handle our life.   Surrender recognizes the field of oneness in which we live and moves us towards unifying the individual self with the cosmic nature of the Higher Self. It means living beyond all the human credentials we acquire even as we appreciate how they have contributed to our growth, development and comfort on the planet.

When we surrender, the grace of Existence pours into us because our consciousness becomes a fertile valley, a welcoming receptacle. When we live on the mountain peaks of egoic pride, the waters of grace cannot gather and instead run downhill. As James was taught by his guru, Jesus, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6-10), which makes it obvious that surrender and grace are inextricably intertwined.

Through surrender one becomes soulfully deep, not egoically high. Life's challenges support us in minor surrenders so that we discover within ourselves the capacity for a total surrender. In this aspect surrender is an ultimate act of trust in the goodness of the Universe. It is a realization that we live in a friendly universe so that even when challenges or suffering appear we greet them as great awakeners.   When we stop resisting challenges, we learn that they are teachers, that they are rich material to work with and a doorway to deeper surrender.

Surrender means our egoic armor is dropped and we reach into the very core of our Being. Ego interjects itself in the disguise of fear. It warns us that disaster is imminent if we surrender to higher inner guidance. Egoic thoughts and actions are claustrophobic while surrender let's in fresh air. Our consciousness becomes spacious and we see things afresh. Fear and doubt may sit on our shoulder, but we become fearless about their presence because we trust the loving support and grace of the Universe that is always acting on our behalf. 

I write this perspective on surrender not in a linear way, but rather from an uncensored spontaneous flow, sort of an all directional view. Certainly, on a more personal note, surrender has been a constant mandate in my own life. Not at all to say I've mastered it, but it would be accurate to say that I've had an abundance of opportunities to realize that surrender is an ongoing potent spiritual practice. Through it I've come to understand that what matters is whether surrender is a willing surrender, or an unwilling surrender.   These words of the great teacher Hazrat Inayat Khan have encouraged me on the path to surrender: "Surrender is a curse when, with coldness and helplessness, one is forced to surrender. But the same becomes the greatest joy when it is made with love and all willingness."

Direct experience has taught me that resistance has no merit, even though the ego insists on doing its part to assure its continued existence. Willing surrender is a supreme act of trust. It is not, I've learned, passive. On the contrary, it is the impetus for right action, for initiative that is attuned to the Goodness that interpenetrates every speck of space.

By now, patient reader, you must be waiting for the "how to" section of this chapter. The truth is that from all I've been able to gather on the spiritual path, each of us receives this guidance in the language of our own heart. Spiritual teachers in the world's wisdom traditions have generously shared with us how they have been guided to dismantle the egoic structure and encounter the indefinable Unknown.   Trusting in each step of the dance, we must each walk in the direction of our unique romance with the Infinite. What I can confidently share is that meditation, interior affirmative prayer, selfless service, spiritual study&emdash;these are universal spiritual practices that have brought self-realized beings into such surrendered states of consciousness that all sense of "I" is lost in mystical union with Beloved.   May you find spiritual seduct

May grace light your path.

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