Surrender

[ameliorate]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Well said.

(But that's cuz you brown-nosed me in the Miss H thread) Kidding!

Ah Miss H....that was no brown nosing i.e. not a ploy but a genuine expression. I like your quirky style which is full of character, as I've said before. I'm an eccentric...being conventional is overrated! ��

[Miss Hepburn]

I wish there were more real brown nosers - I love it! It's fun.
Quirky? - I'll have you know I got the Most Unusual Award in High School.
We're off topic - gonna get in trouble. But I surrendered -see -on topic.
Gave me an Abstract painting.

[peteyzen]

Originally Posted by ameliorate

My point was that to surrender is not a sign of weakness, spiritually, but a wise direction to hand over our power; it's a sign of humility i.e. a positive virtue.

I would agree Amy. Someone once described faith to me, as the bridge between not knowing and knowing. I think surrender is the brave steps we take along that bridge.

Originally Posted by ameliorate

My point was that to surrender is not a sign of weakness, spiritually, but a wise direction to hand over our power; it's a sign of humility i.e. a positive virtue.

Actually that is it.....it is a sign of strength to know our weakness

[HITESH SHAH]

Yes , I can not and do not have anything more but to agree that real (excluding show-off pretense ) surrender to God is more wisdom and power than anything else.

It just occurred to me surrender goes beyond the surrender of Bhakti. For instance consider my approach or outlook. I am not the mind-body, not the ego-self. I am Consciousness, Self. That's surrendering the ego-self to Self.

Different path, same destination.

Another way to put is “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21, KJV).

Another way is render unto nature the things which are nature's (Prakriti - mind-body) and unto Spirit the things that are Spirit's (Purusha - Soul, Consciousness).

[peteyzen]

My observation is that there is no one answer to surrender, some great points being made here.
I love the concept of giving without genuinely wanting a return, which I see as a form of surrender. The general outcome of this form of giving, as long as it is genuine, is that you receive something, it has to happen, its like gravity. The hard part is the `genuine` bit of not wanting anything, most of us have an angle, and this seems to reduce the power of the getting something back effect. Pure intent, intent without want of anything back is both very difficult and absolute simplicity, depending on your state of mind.

[lemex]

Originally Posted by ocean breeze

Sounds more like an exchange. Like giving up one thing in exchange for something else. Like those who give up their worldly possessions for their imagined ideal of spiritual growth. I don't see that as really surrendering. I see it more as a beginning of a journey to surrendering.

I've read this many times over, must say I agree, especially seeing it more as a start of the journey. It is easy to surrender what I do not have but extremely hard if I have. For instance I can be very spiritual (thought I was/am) if I have all the things I want but not spiritual if they are taken away. Attachments are then seen. There is not only having but the pursuit of it. Most believe it is about giving up "a" thing, that which I don't have, but the pursuit is as a thing is. So we cannot think of surrender as only things. I find people thinking only in terms of material things. I am reminded of the story of Jesus and the rich person who left because they could not give up a thing. This was not all that was meant because we pursue and also walk away, and so yes, it is about giving up and a journey. Pursuit are things to. It is about breaking attachments.

[peteyzen]

Originally Posted by lemex

. This was not all that was meant because we pursue and also walk away, and so yes, it is about giving up and a journey. Pursuit are things too. It is about breaking attachments.

Yes. I love how people are showing me new meanings to surrender- thank you.

[Demy]

Originally Posted by peteyzen

I wanted to hear peoples thoughts on surrender in spiritual development.

I believe it is possibly the most unspoken about, yet most important practice hidden within every other practice.

What do you think?

NOOOOOOOO.
What THEY did to me, I never surrender.
Yeah, they have "a plan" but... **** it.
I didn't ask, didn't demand, didn't expect, didn't plan for it.
I know what THEY want, and why.
And I keep hearing about "accepting".
No no no.
20 years after I forgot THEM, they came back and destroyed my life.
Now, I am working on figuring out a way to reciprocate.

Surrender? over my dead soul. And THEY cannot make it happen.