SURRENDER BEFORE DETECTION

“There’s a law called ‘surrender before detection.’ According to this law, if you have done something wrong and if you surrender even before you are caught, the law is kinder to you in view of you owning up. It is the same with God. Even before you have to serve the term for your karmas, surrender to God. He will reduce your punishment. Besides, you never know what sins you may have committed in your previous life; if you surrender to God right away, you can gain reprieve.”

TALK TO THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY

“If you surrender to the highest authority i.e. Sri Bhagawan, you have nothing to fear. I will give you an example. Supposing, you do something wrong, and the police inspector apprehends you and takes you to the police station. You request him to leave you, he doesn’t. Now, you remember some senior official – the Commissioner of Police whom you can approach through some connections. He is contacted. The Commissioner makes one telephone call to the inspector.

“What is the matter?”

“That fellow you have held is my man.

“Well, the matter…No! Sir! It’s a small thing…in fact, it’s nothing! Your man will be free immediately. Don’t worry, Sir!”

Then the inspector turns to you and says: “Ah! Why make all this fuss? Why didn’t you tell me that you know the Commissioner right in the beginning? Anyway, you can go. But I have to do my duty. Please give a statement saying you will not repeat the offence in future and pay just hundred rupees as fine.”

This is how it is in matters of destiny too. When a bad planet such as Rahu or Shani seizes you, you don’t have to worry. Just appeal to the top boss Sri Bhagawan and he will telephone the evil planet to leave you. Why should you pander to the lower ones if you could talk to the highest authority?

BE A MANAGER, NOT THE OWNER

मैनेजर बनो मालिक नहीं! In all affairs of your life: be a manager, not the owner. The owner is Sri Bhagawan. Everything is His; you maintain it as though you were His manager. Look at the role of a manager. A manager has no tensions. If the company makes profits, he reasons, “What’s it to me? All the money will go to the owners. What will I gain if the company gets profits…not a rupee more to my salary! I just have to do my duty.” If the company makes losses, he reasons, “Well, what if the company has made a loss. I am supposed to do my duty well, I don’t have to pay anything, why should I be worried.” In this way, the manager rests in peace. It’s the owner who has the total responsibility. In the same way, you too must consider that God is the malik (owner) and you are only the manager.

Whether the outcome is good or bad, you offer both to Him. Say, “God, this is your company. I am only a manager. The responsibility is Yours.

Q. When does surrender to God happen?

A. God-dependence is necessary. To depend on God is not an action. This dependence is a sort of inner knowledge. ‘The life that I have received or that I see, is a life that has been given by Parameshwara (God).’ When this realization wells in the heart, surrender happens.

Holding on to truth, move forward as much as possible. Adopt truth in your heart. Or at least try. It is true, He provides whatever is required from time to time. Sitaram is the Truth! Truth is Sitaram!

Q. I want to surrender, but I can’t. How to develop a sense of surrender?

A. Look, surrender doesn’t happen by coercion. It’s not like a cop holding a gun to you saying, ‘Surrender, or I’ll shoot you!’ Surrender in spirituality has to come from within. It usually arises when you feel either oppressed or depressed. As I have already stated, Surrender (Sharanagati) is not possible without feelings of vipannataa (utter incapacity), akinchanataa (destitution) and dinataa (penury). That’s when you see your limitations, you understand how small you are... and then you surrender to the Supreme. Then, like Arjuna you say, “Sishyasthe Aham Shaadhi Maam Tvaam Prapannam” (I am your disciple, Guide me, Help me) (Bhagavad Gita 2-7)

THE BUCK STOPS AT THE FEET

Sitaram used to say, “The money that is offered to me, where is it offered? … at the feet! It is with one’s feet the money is gathered. I go out on tours, meet the devotees in different places, the more I exert my feet, the more money gathers. But presently I am confined to one place, my feet are at rest since I am sitting in one place and contemplating. Tell me, where can I get the money from?”

HAPPINESS & SORROW

Sri Bhagawan has two feet: dakshin and vaam, right and left. Happiness, peace and joy, are the right foot, and disease, grief and distress are the left foot.

No matter which foot He extends in front of you, clasp it saying ‘Guru Guru’ — this is the remedy to overcome happiness and sorrow.

Will you retract from God’s own foot... just because it brings you disease, grief and distress?

“We cannot be demotivated by setback in health. This is the way I look at it: if I get well, that’s God’s will, and may it be praised! And if I don’t get well, that is also God’s will, and it must be equally praised. These things come and go, but we shouldn’t stop thinking about the work which needs to be done.

Thakur has entrusted the work, and it must be done. Let’s not balk or shy away from thinking about sat sankalpas (noble resolutions) in the apprehension that our work may not see its fruit. Never mind! We live in a doubly blessed time. Kali Yuga is doubly blessed! In these times, there’s merit even in mental virtue. Even if you just think of good deeds and good things, you will gain merit (punya) from punya chintan; and if you actually realise them in acts, more merit will accrue from the punya karmas.

There is no flipside when it comes to paap karmas. In this yuga, evil conceived mentally (paap chintan) will not accrue to your sins, it will be pardoned if you don’t act on it. Sitaram Baba has spoken about this several times. This truth has been proclaimed in Ramacharitmanas and other scriptures. So, you see, Kali Yuga is not altogether bad!