Surrender and realisation

Seekers on some of the traditional Indian paths of love and devotion say, “O God, whatever I need, You know better than I. If I need realisation, You will know it better than I. If I need liberation, You will know it better than I.” If that understanding comes to a seeker, that God or the spiritual Master knows better than he does, then the Master is able to guide the seeker in the best possible way. Otherwise, according to our own ideas we will feel that we know what is best for us, and we will think that if we don’t get this either through desire or aspiration, then we won’t be able to fulfil the Master. But what the disciple calls the highest may or may not be the highest for the Master: the revelation and manifestation of the Supreme.

Realisation is not the highest thing for spiritual seekers, although it is a necessary stage. After realisation there are other stages, and it is the manifestation of the Supreme on earth that is the highest. As I always say, first you receive food and then, when you yourself grow up spiritually, you climb up the realisation-tree. Then you have to pick fruits and come down and manifest the Supreme. But if you feel that immediately after your realisation you are going to be able to manifest, I wish to say that it is not possible.

The Master knows best how we can fulfil him, when we should fulfil him and the way our true self wants to fulfil him. That is why complete surrender to the Master is necessary. If the spiritual Master can work in his own way, then our aspiration becomes most effective. Otherwise, spiritual people very often cry for realisation as their goal and then after reaching their goal they leave the Cosmic Game; they practically desert the Supreme’s Game. They say, “Enough, enough, enough!” They have climbed up the tree, but although there are many who are hungry for the fruit, they do not care to bring the fruit down from above. They say, “It was so beautiful to climb up. Let us stay here on the top and eat the fruits for ourselves.” They stay with their realisation. But the Supreme feels, “No. After realisation, revelation has to take place, and then manifestation has to take place. Only then the Game is complete.”

So, it is very good if one serves in the Supreme’s own Way. If one wants what is really best for oneself, one should say, “I myself don’t know what is best for me. I don’t know what the Game looks like, I don’t know the rules and regulations of the Game. Only allow me to serve You so that I can complete the Game in Your own Way. If I have to climb up, I shall climb up. If I have to come down, I shall come down. What is best for me only the Master knows.” When one has that kind of attitude towards the Master, his surrender becomes really unconditional and in unconditional surrender he gets what is truly best for him, which is something far, far beyond his imagination.

When the disciple’s unconditional surrender to the Guru comes, the Guru is bound to give the disciple the highest. When the disciple is aspiring, he has to feel that realisation is bound to come to him automatically if his dedicated service is given properly. A sincere seeker will naturally feel in his mind that he has to realise God, but if the Master is pleased with him, the Master can grant realisation even before the person is surrendered in every way. If the mother asks the child to do some work, the child may expect something from the mother — a dollar or two — according to his effort. But if the mother is really pleased, totally pleased with him, then she can give him ten dollars or one hundred dollars. The child’s expectation of one dollar is not wrong. If he wants this, certainly he will get it because it is what he worked for. But when he feels his complete oneness with his mother, he feels that she will give him as much as she wants to give him, or what is best for him.