Surrender is key to finding God-realization—we hear the words, we receive the teachings, yet life hits us where it hurts and we find ourselves caught in the web of conflicting reactions—love and hate, attraction and repulsion, like and dislike, plans made and plans frustrated. We think we are prepared to surrender, but, “Oh no, not that!”

On top of life seeming to go after the very things we want to protect, there is also the complication of knowing exactly what surrender means. In modern vocabulary surrender oftentimes means giving in, throwing in the towel, giving up in defeat. When we look at the lives of great spiritual masters and saints we see that this is obviously not what is meant, for these unstoppable personalities fight remarkable battles on the human front—persevering when the world stands against them, giving their lives in ceaseless activity and in some instances literally. There is no hint of becoming flaccid when it comes to standing up for truth, virtue and God.

This surrender is not giving in to the world, the body or desire nature, rather it is total abandonment to God’s will. Anyone who has lived much of a life can look back and see many “lifetimes” within this one life–various stages where life takes radical changes and turns us in completely new directions from the way we had been going. This can be particularly true of one surrendered to the will of God. While there is no template that God-realized souls follow, many times each one found their lives following a very different course from their assumed natural trajectory. Lahiri Mahasaya met Babaji, and the great Master was directed back into family life and career when all he wanted to do was to stay with his beloved guru. Papa Ramdas was married with a young daughter, and his direction from God took him into a wandering sannyasa life without any outer support but God alone. Both these great masters had to completely surrender all their ideas of what they thought they wanted, or should do, to the will of God’s direction.

I look back over my life and I see how many times that if I had listened better, surrendered completely at the time, how much suffering and misdirection I would have been saved. On the other hand, I also look at when beyond everything I wanted, or thought I should do, I surrendered heart, mind and soul to God and Gurus, and how I, and others, were ultimately benefited. There have been times when what God directed was not met with approval by those around me, and these have been most difficult for me. Other points of surrender are when my life took turns that were surprising and unwanted, and I did not surrender to illness, lack of prosperity, frustrated attempts to meet goals, or the myriad other problems life presented. But, I did surrender to the fact that it was God who was orchestrating these events, to seeing His hand in it all, and I surrendered to His direction in how I must respond to them.

When God directed me to leave my profession, which after many years of work had put me in a desirable position, and to throw my lot in with Him without any notion of how that would be, I did not hesitate to make the jump. When He directed me to take a year in silence and solitude, and I simply knew it was His direction, I set about doing this task though I had never in my life spent even a single day with the object of keeping mum. In these recent years He has directed me in this rather nomadic life, beyond my expectations of what I “should” be doing. I have followed Him implicitly, knowing that His will is automatically for the highest good of all. I know His hand has been the guiding force in these large trends of my life.

Then there is day-to-day life, so many micro-moments that are times of surrender. When the body has aches and pains and does not behave the way it should, when frustrations come up in the day, things do not go as planned, and God prompts me to do one thing when my mind thinks it should be doing something else—all of these are pin-points of surrender. By themselves, none are absolutely life-changing, however when taken as a pattern of surrender to God, these micro-moments most definitely make or break a spiritual life. Any one of these day-to-day moments may trigger fear, resentment, anger, desire nature—any one of them can veer me off track from my sadhana-spiritual practice. Spiritual life is surrender in both the big events and the little—one strengthening the other. Some master the big decisions, but fail in the micro-moments; others do well in the day-to-day, but get tripped up by some radical change God directs. It must be all—big, little, and everything in between.

And when you are surrendered? You experience an alignment with God that transcends the events of this world; it gives you direction that is true and leads you to liberation—you know when to act, when to fight for what is true, and when to observe events unfolding. In this alignment you experience peace, an inner assurance that God is guiding you in the myriad events of your life. You know there are no accidents in life—all situations are helping to liberate you from the tyranny of attachments. Enacting a life of surrender to God inevitably leads you to complete union with Him, your eternal savior and liberator from ignorance, and you discover the truth of who and what you truly are.

February 22 we celebrate George Washington’s Birthday. Washington was the one indispensable man in the American revolution–a revolution that was not just for the citizens of this country, but set into motion a Republic built on Democratic principles that would prosper and eventually be duplicated around the world. It was Washington’s strength of character and quiet but strong belief in God that sustained him as general and first president. His place in history was secured when he voluntarily stepped down from power without choosing his successor–a first in history. I have borrowed a quote from the Ananda website concerning Master’s comments on this great soul.

A photograph was taken of “Swami Yogananda’s Los Angeles Class.”

Yogananda visited Washington’s tomb and offered flowers on this day in history.

1927

Yogananda visited Mount Vernon with his students and gave a talk. A photograph was taken showing him leaving a wreath at Washington’s grave. His words to the audience included the following:

“As Washington performed his duty he never forgot the Giver of all gifts. That is what inspired me in his life. In India he always inspired me with this thought. His love for Truth was greater than love of party politics.

“I believe that though patriotism is necessary, it should not exclude Spiritual Truth because patriotism which excludes international well-being is built on loose stones. But patriotism which is firmly built on the everlasting source of Truth, that patriotism which loves Truth and Truth Alone, that nation is based on such patriotism as Washington possessed… and the great good that he did to the world and to America is ever awake with us.

“He is ever living in the minds of the world, and we must always be inspired by his example… for he inspired not only thousands, hundreds of thousands, but millions.”

We also reflect on one of the great personalities of these past one hundred years as Billy Graham passed away at the age of 99. He was a powerful orator and dedicated his life to issuing out the call to accept Jesus Christ as one’s personal Lord and Savior. He was noted for his ethical life, at a time when many famous preachers have fallen into disrepute. He is the most widely known preacher of his day, and he inspired many to change their lives. Here is an excerpt from a tribute that Larry sent to me from Cal Thomas, a columnist, that I found to be insightful about this dedicated servant of Jesus.

In my long career in journalism, I have met many famous people, but none of them impressed me as much as William Franklin “Billy” Graham. The reason had less to do with his fame and movie star looks; it was his humility that was so attractive, so refreshing, so like the One he faithfully served.

My conversations with him quickly turned to me. He wanted to know about my family, how I was doing. Politicians do this, too, but often it is a manipulative technique. With Graham, it was real. It is why so many loved him, including those who do not share his faith.

Graham desegregated his meetings long before it became “fashionable.” Especially in the South this was a dangerous thing to do in the 1950s. He once told me of a conversation he had with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in which he quoted King as saying to him about desegregation and civil rights, “You take the stadiums and I’ll take the streets.”

In a 1979 interview I conducted with him for a book called “Public Persons and Private Lives: Intimate Interviews,” Graham told me that the accolades he had received shocked him because he did not feel worthy to preach. In others, this might seem like false humility, but not with Graham. I had observed him long enough to know that the light grace of humility rested easily on him.

Graham said he “felt everything (the Apostle) Paul felt” – inadequate, sinful and weak in the flesh. And then he said, “I’ve been asked ‘How do you feel when you stand up to preach?’ Usually I feel totally inadequate and wish that the floor would open up and let me drop through. There are many times when I stand up that I almost feel like running from the stadium. I feel like I have nothing to give these people…And then I remember that it’s the power of the Word. It’s not me.”

“I’d be delighted to go today,” he told me. “I look forward to death. In a way, I suppose it’s because I’ve studied a great deal in the Scriptures concerning Heaven. I believe it’s going to be something beyond anything that we could imagine. Death is going to be a wonderful experience. I hope they don’t dope me up. I want to experience death, because I think even the suffering is a part of life and that in suffering we gain spiritual strength.”

And, I ask, what will you say to the Christ whom you have served most of your life when you see Him?

“I know I’m going to fall down before him and say, ‘Lord forgive me,’ I think that’s what I’ll say.”

God has been filling my time and life to the full during our desert stay. We are currently at a state park near Tucson Arizona, a lovely spot surrounded by a forest of Saguaros and views of the Picacho Peaks. Even though there are nice hikes here, God has not let me venture out from this living space.

The way He works in this form is extraordinary, and I am in constant of awe of what He does. This recent past has been a battle with astral powers and entities. There was a time during my Mystical Crucifixion when these entities were prevalent. Following Mother’s example, I kept my mind on God, determined to have His Light and power first middle and last. This last week there have been times when the fight has been fierce, but I have no fear of them or what they can do, for I know that Light is greater than darkness, love eradicates fear, and peace transcends mischief making and turbulence.

During the evening hours a week ago, I felt a tremendous burning on the back of my neck. There was no outward reason for this—God told me this was a dark astral force at work. It left a red burn mark and several puncture type wounds that remained for much of the week. The initial pain was terrific, like being branded on the inside; the after-effect was a constant pain that gradually subsided along with the marks healing. God let me know this was all connected with a dear soul who needed some help in their experiences and coincided with a tragic event where school children were murdered. It is powerful and wonderful how God works in this way, even from great distances.

Later in the week a strange astral force stung the back of my hand with pins and barbs—nothing material could be seen to cause this sharp pain. During this same period I was aware that astral forces were trying to gain entry—all this and an item that simply disappeared—it has made this quite a week. Mother spoke of battling these forces, and her powerful declaration that she would not allow these forces to prevail. With absolute focus on the Light, there is no doubt about the outcome—God will prevail, it is matter of striving forward and keeping Him first.

There was a time when Papa said that recently strange things had been occurring, and Swamiji said, “Only lately Papa!” In truth God’s work always keeps things interesting. There is nothing I would rather be doing than His work, to be His instrument, and even if He takes me to places that challenge me to the core, it is only an opportunity for Him to demonstrate His ultimate power and intelligence for overcoming. Is there anyplace that God is not? He is everywhere-present. Even in His greatest darkness—look deeper and behold His Light, the first-born of all creation.

Today is Ash Wednesday, marking about 40 days until Easter–it is a time of repentance. The Ash part comes from a tradition of placing some ashes over the head or using it to mark a cross on the forehead, saying the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” or, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Not very cheery, and it would only be true if you are the body) Interestingly, yogis put ashes on their bodies to help cool them–originally for when having kundalini experiences.

Thinking of repenting, turning back to God, and preparing ourselves for the Mystical Crucifixion, we can reflect on anything that interferes with our communion with God. It is traditional to give up something for the 40 days in the buildup to Easter, and it is a good time to renounce any obstacle. Some people give up sweets, others television, it could be your cell phone and electronics (or limit its usage, such as the insane practice of texting while driving!), whatever comes to your mind that interferes with your receptivity to God awareness.

I thought that as part of paying homage to this day you would enjoy reading a part of a Talk Mother gave on Ash Wednesday:

“As I’m sure all of you know, today is the beginning of the Lenten season. It is Ash Wednesday. So I call this to your attention in order that you might enter into the spirit of the Lenten season, that you might fast from some of the things which you ordinarily enjoy, both in the sense of food and the things of the senses.

“This Lenten season actually depicts the story of each individual soul as that one starts on the higher rungs of the ladder of God-realization. The whole Christian world has come to think of it as a time of deep sorrow, and it is that indeed because what man has to go through in order to become a Godman, or the Christed one—the son of God—is indeed not easy. Every little bit of the price must be paid for the pearl, which is the supreme jewel of God-realization. There can be no holding back if you would attain that greatest of all boons, if you would have the petals of your flower of God-realization open wide and spread forth the light which is your True Self. It is a very necessary part of your journey through life at some time or other, if you, as you must do, would realize your oneness with the Divine within yourself. There are many trials, many tests, many tribulations, and in some cases a great deal of pain, before that sublime moment is reached.

“In the early days of the Christians, this custom was started. It is difficult to know exactly when because practically all of the feast days were tied up with some of the Pagan rites that existed long before the birth of Christ, and this one is no exception. Again, it was a case of celebrating the change of the seasons. They had a funeral ceremony, and they had a snowman to represent the death of snow and the beginning of spring. Where there’s usually the ordinary amount of food taken, then at that time gradually the rules were made to stop eating all things of the flesh, all flesh meats and the products thereof, such as cheese and milk, eggs and butter. We have come a long way from those times, and perhaps it is well that we bring them to remembrance.”

May this Lenten Season bring you closer to God, Christ and Gurus, and to use this as an opportunity to sharpen your focus on God, surrendering all that you are at the feet of our most Beloved One. And, happy Valentine’s Day! It brings to mind something we did in grade school; making decorated folders that hung off the front of our desks, then everyone in the class created cards for each other to drop into the folders. This is my version of dropping a Valentine’s card off in your folder.

The spiritual principles we have been taught are simple to comprehend, but not always easy to practice. Mother simplified the whole spiritual path down to this, Keep your mind on God. You do not need to believe in reincarnation, you do not even need to know who God is—you do not need worry about so many of the things taught, but you do need to learn to focus your mind.

If you do not need to know God to start this journey, then what does it mean to put your mind on God? It means you focus your mind in a singular fashion in the highest way you know. You may repeat the name of God without any great knowledge of what God is in the beginning, practice the mantra Hong Sau without knowing the great I AM—in fact, truthfully, you will not fully know God or your real Self is until you have become realized.

This lack of knowledge was my situation when I met Mother. I did not have a cultivated belief in a God, and I definitely did not know who I was in Spirit. But, what I did have were some experiences that made me know there was a God, and whatever that was, it helped me in a time of great need. That was my starting point. I had read about reincarnation and my first thought was, “Of course.” But I did not have any real knowledge of it beyond that intuitive affirmation. Much of what Mother taught was new to me, and I was determined that I was not going to be “sold a bill of goods,” meaning I wasn’t going to go along with something just because someone said it. I was a tough sell. What I did have was a driving need to resolve the spiritual pain I found myself in, and I needed to know the truth.

So, in short, to be good spiritual-scientist you do not need, nor is it beneficial, to pose as knowing more than you know, pretend to have experienced more than you have experienced, or project to others that you are realized when you are yet walking in darkness. The goal of knowing God does not go to the clever minded, persons with gifted speech, or the ones who present themselves as leaders of the pack. Those who know God are above all else sincere, pure minded and of soft heart—they continually focus on attaining the supreme state of realization—they are simple, unpretentious and dedicated to truth.

As an aspirant, you are humble enough to know what your strengths are, what deficiencies you have, and how well you are focused on attaining the Goal of goals. This humble assessment gives you, what in the field of psychology is called, a baseline. If you do not have an accurate idea of where you are starting, you will have no means of knowing your progress. Humility makes you not be overly hard on yourself, for this lack of self-worth is not the truth, nor does it over-inflate your opinion of your own progress, for this is then based on a lie.

Sri Yukteswarji gave us a metric for knowing God, Do you experience ever-new joy? Swami Satchidananda gave us another, Is your circle of love growing larger every day? For Mother, Do you continuously keep your mind dwelling on God? Master asks, Do you dive deeper in your daily meditations until you get God contact? Lahiri Mahasaya, Do you perceive your true Self at the ajna? Babaji inquires into your humble service to mankind that the Lord finds pleasing above all, and Papa’s ideal, continuously chant Ram Nam. Here are measurements, metrics for your spiritual path. Read each of these again; make them a challenge for your practice to dive deeper and soar higher—to answer the call of your Soul to know God and be a blessing to this world.

God has completed some much needed work where we had been staying, and has now moved us on to BLM land (Bureau of Land Management, Federal land that allows campers and RVs to stay for no fee). These are primitive roads and campsites—campers are expected to take care of the land, and people here are wonderfully responsible.

The previous work regarded changing the vibration of a place where a tragedy had occurred. There are times when we may enter a space and just know that something terrible happened there. This feeling of calamity can be changed by devotees through God-remembrance—chanting God’s name, feeling His light and bliss and experiencing God’s all-pervading Presence. Through such remembrance we can change a negative vibration into a positive. With this work done, we were free to move on.
We now find ourselves at a location we have been before, and always felt we would like to return. We have entered the vast Sonoran Desert at a beautiful spot with an unlovely name, Vulture Peak, AZ. Poor vultures get a bad name, ungainly looking but magnificent flyers known for picking over already dead carcasses. We are in a forest of saguaro cactus; the Sonoran Desert is the only place in the world they grow naturally. In 25 years this cactus will shoot up all of two feet from the ground, and through many years can eventually gain a sixty-foot height. Birds, cactus and bushes of many kind abound—far from empty, this desert it is positively teeming with life.
We had recently been staying in some beautiful man-icured places, and appreciate what that brings—visual beauty, a controlled environment and friendly people. However, the rustic beauty of this desert has an openness and a clean vibration where our souls can expand and have room to breathe. It is much to my liking and this has been our aim. It is a wonderful thought that on these dates Master was in nearby Phoenix in 1931 teaching a series of classes. Just the thought of Master brings a spiritual blessing with it.
On another positive note, Mother continues to clear the way for me to work on her writings. We have a virtual office where devotees work from their own homes, producing important contributions to make Mother’s books become reality. I think Mother left us this work to do as a means of keeping our minds on her and how God uniquely expressed Himself through her words. It is an immense project and it will take some time yet before it is completed. However, it is heartening to see continued progress towards our goal.
Mother really is such a tremendous God-personality. We have been privileged to have Master’s many written works—a tour-de-force that grew from his meditations and affirmations, his poems and prayers and lessons, to his classic Autobiography of a Yogi, and his magnum-opus commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita and Second Coming of Christ. Mother’s books will blaze the trail on several spiritual themes. One of the most important, and the topic she came to bring to light, is the inner meaning of the Bible. How beautifully she dove-tails with Master’s Gita and Second Coming, bringing the truth of original Christianity to all the world.
Scriptures are mysterious, in as much as they originate from the intuitive insights of highly realized souls—often coming directly from God-consciousness. With divine origins such as these, there are so many ways that the teachings in a scripture can apply to an aspirant. From learning the ABCs of a spiritual life: tell the truth, do not murder, show respect for others; all the way to the highest mystical meanings concerning death of the ego and the resurrection of God-consciousness. Through Mother’s experiences during her sixteen years in the Mystical Crucifixion and her attaining ultimate oneness with her infinite Beloved, she was able to reveal the deepest meanings of the Christian scriptures that have laid hidden in obscurity for nearly two thousand years. The world stands on the cusp of awakening to these higher truths, and Mother has come as an example, paving the way for a world that yearns for the truth. And, as our great and dear Galilean Master said, “know the Truth, and it shall set you free.”