In order for surrender to be real and substantial, it must take the form of surrendering to a God-realized guru. I say this for two reasons. First of all, without surrendering to a person, a path, and high-minded principles, it is too easy to play head games with the notion of surrender, to rationalize our choice relative to the preferences of our own egos. Early on in the spiritual life we cannot rely on our own judgment. Secondly, the guru embodies both God’s wisdom and God’s love. Their wisdom guides the movement of our surrender, and their love gives us the necessary energy to continually surrender ourselves into God’s loving providence. Isn’t it true that we humans would do anything for love? Love is the ultimate motivator in the life of a spiritual person. Yet surrender to the guru offers us even more: the more we surrender to the guru, the more our innate divinity blossoms within us. Because of the purification we undergo in surrendering to the guru, we earn the right to surrender to that still small voice within us. Clearly, surrender does not weaken us. Rather, it empowers us in the most life-giving manner.
Beloved Guru,
With each and every surrender,
Your still, small voice
Will grow more and more clear.
