YUGAVANI: SELF-SURRENDER (May )
By Sri Ramakrishna
Summary
YUGAVANI: SELF-SURRENDER (May 2019) emphasizes the necessity of faith and complete self-surrender to God for spiritual realization. Surrendering one’s body, mind, and inner self to God is described as the path to holiness, with God incarnating to guide devotees toward devotion. The text encourages cultivating self-surrender, trusting God’s grace to fulfill all needs. The author adopts a childlike attitude, likening their relationship with the divine to that of a kitten or a child relying entirely on their mother, unaware of worldly concerns. This trust is portrayed as the ideal—seeking pure, selfless love for God while renouncing the desire for worldly understanding or material wealth. Practical advice includes accepting life’s circumstances without excessive worry, as those devoted to God naturally balance earnings and expenses, embodying the principle of accepting what comes naturally. The text concludes by asserting that one’s role in life—whether householder or monk—is determined by divine will, and the ultimate duty is to surrender everything to God and fulfill worldly responsibilities with devotion.
Conclusion
The path of self-surrender, as illuminated in YUGAVANI, transcends mere submission, becoming an active embrace of divine grace and childlike trust. By relinquishing fear, shame, and the illusion of control, one opens to God’s omnipotent guidance, where worldly concerns, like wealth, are seen as transient and best accepted with equanimity. This surrender cultivates pure devotion, free from the expectations of reward, and aligns the individual with the divine will, whether in householder or monastic life. The text underscores that true freedom lies not in understanding God but in loving and trusting the divine as a child trusts its mother. Ultimately, self-surrender becomes the gateway to inner peace, where the soul, like a kitten, rests secure in the mother’s care, beyond the fluctuations of worldly worries.