Devotion- Surrender

 Love for God is called Bhakti.

Complete and unconditional Bhakti is called surrender (Saranagati).

If we want to love someone, we need to know them and we have to really like them. In a similar way if we have to love God, we need to understand God and we have to know him. Then only we can love him.

Do we have Bhakti or not? This is the question we need to ask ourselves. If we say that we do, are we capable of surrendering to God. Baba always gave importance to Shradda (Faith). What is Shradda? It is nothing but unwavering faith towards what you believe in. If we do not have this, then we will remain as normal devotees. We always want worldly things from our God. We do some kind of business with Guru or God. But Guru is so merciful that he fulfills all our needs and wants. Baba used to say that, all my devotees come to me first with these desires. Once I bring them to me, I will try to make them realize the importance of spiritual path. But in this process, they stray and run after more desires. They drop out lacking Shradda like the pollen of Mango tree. They do not show the patience that is Sabhuri. They will fall as unripe fruits. Those who can follow me to the end are real Bhaktas. I will take them to the Moksha. These words he reiterated to Damu Anna at one time.               

Surrender to God does not signify any physical act. It is the mental attitude resulting from our understanding of our limitation to liberate ourselves from the clutches of the Illusion. When we know God is the master of Illusion, we practice Bhakti Yoga, which is to love god completely. Lord Krishna calls this as surrender to God. In life, we strive to achieve various objects of desire like name, fame, money and such. Whenever we are successful, we assume that the success is due to our hard work, perseverance and such positive qualities. The real reason for our success is God's grace.

When we cannot even adopt Shradda, when can we learn to be Patient with Sabhuri. Why is all this happening? Why we cannot be pious in our attempts towards loving God.

 In Mahabharat, once Arjuna and Duryodhana came to see Krishna Paramatma prior to war. When Krishna wanted them to choose either him or his army, Arjuna chooses Krishna, and Duryodhana wanted the whole army. He was afraid that Arjuna will choose the entire army because Krishna said that he is not going to participate in the real war. He was happy when Arjuna chose Krishna. Duryodhana goes back to his palace and tells everyone that Arjuna was foolish. In reality Arjuna chose God but not the objects made by him.

When we have God in our lives, we do not need anything. The whole universe is in him. If you have God, you have everything. Our job is always to choose only God but not the objects made by him. Because these objects are not permanent, and we do not take anything with us when we die. The only thing we take with us is our karmas and devotion that we had towards God. We should never make God as a machine that grants our boons. The day we really learn this truth and we combine this Jnana (Knowledge) with Bhakti, we will succeed in our quest for Mukthi (salvation). We will start loving God unconditionally.

Sai's teachings are our Mantras!

Sraddha & Sabhuri is the best way to reach God!

Atma Jnana is the ultimate knowledge!

                                                               OM SRI SAI RAM!