Surrender

 

What are we to surrender, Swamiji?

"Surrender the "I".  The cobra is dreadful, because it has two poisonous fangs.  Man too has two poisonous fangs: "I" and "Mine" - Ahamkara and Mamakara.  Pluck the fangs out and you can handle the cobra as you like, go about as a snake-charmer and earn a livelihood thereby.  So too, when "I" and "Mine" are removed, man is no longer harmful to himself and others.  Vivekananda said that he did not want to become sugar (merge in Brahmam); he desired to be the ant that consumers the sugar (the Janani who revels in the inexpressible sweetness of Brahma-consciousness).  The Gita speaks of Mokshasanyasa, the renunciation of even the desire, Liberation.  Be born, do good, be good, serve God and Godmen.  That is a commendable desire.  Use the talents you are endowed with: intelligence, discriminating faculty, moral sense, a warning  conscience, ability to stand apart as  witness, with no attachment."

(From the book "The Light of Love")