World Spiritual Foundation Newsletter

WSF Newsletter Vol 1, NO. 1. Spring 1999

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Aspects of Surrender

Article by Ross Corry

Aspects of Surrender
By Ross Corry

The path to God is studded with continuous learning. For those who surrender and don't get sidetracked too often, the lessons are quick and rewarding. Of course at the time these lessons can seem very difficult and onerous. God gives us obstacles of such an order that we are stretched to a new and deeper capacity to surrender. It is only through Surrender, that the Divine Within is realised. Let Go, Let God.

Let Go, Let God applies to every second of our lives, not just the moments within meditation. Failure to appreciate this means that many of our lessons are prolonged and made more painful, because we cling stubbornly to precisely what we are supposed to let go of.

Let Go of the Need to Know.
The ego constantly craves certainty. In certainty lies safety. In general therefore, we feel more comfortable when we believe we have control over the events in our life. Much of the energy in the present moment is given over to ensuring our future survival. As long as things are moving along on an apparently even keel, then we feel okay.

When we begin to offer our lives to the Divine within, all attachments must be relinquished. This includes the attachment to wanting control over the events in our life. The Divine is orchestrating everything that happens to us - this is all we need to know!

Let Go of Advice from others
Often times when we find some one, who is able to assist us in our lives, we begin to attach to that person's advice. Therefore when we require assistance or advice, our first thought may be to contact this person instead of the Divine alternative of surrendering to the all-pervading Divine wisdom within and seeking the God given solution. Unwittingly therefore our kind advisor has become a substitute for the Divine - perhaps even a barrier to our spiritual growth.

Let Go of Habitual and Rigid practices
For many people letting go of long-held habits is difficult. Often these habits may seem to serve us well and logically they can appear beneficial. Actually it is not the validity of these habits or practices that is the main concern. The point is that we are on the path of Surrender to God and one of the qualities that we can usefully imbibe in order to progress smoothly and gracefully, is spontaneity. If we are to successfully live fully in this God-given moment then we must experience it as it is i.e. spontaneously, naturally and with love. If instead we live our lives in a very habitual manner, where our actions and responses from moment to moment are largely predetermined, then the Glory of God is quickly lost in the shadow of our mundane, repetitive and uninspired existence.

Let Go of Attachment to Psychic and Clairvoyant Abilities
Some people as part of their spiritual development are given gifts of Clairvoyant or Psychic abilities. These Divinely granted gifts can assist many people.

These gifts also carry with them great responsibility and it is extremely easy for people with psychic abilities to drift off track spiritually. The greatest test is often to overcome ego. This is because Psychics often attract a great deal of adulation and admiration for their abilities. People who can achieve apparently supernatural feats are often looked upon with awe, irrespective of what their spiritual status may be. A Psychic will therefore be tempted to continually demonstrate their gift as a means of obtaining respect and love. This is the lure of the ego.

The difficulty in the psychic realm is that the inspiration received can come from a lot of different sources. Thus a person can perform a miracle or receive a vision that comes from a Divine or Godly source, equally the same miracle or vision could originate from a very low or Satanic source. In order to receive inspiration from the highest possible source the Psychic simply needs to surrender to God. This could be viewed as giving the Divinely granted gift back to the Divine.

Psychic talents are a gift from the Divine. When utilised in conjunction with surrender to God they can bring inspiration, understanding and healing to many people and at the same time allow the person favoured with the gifts to grow spiritually and harmoniously. If however the Psychic is unable to subdue his ego he will find that these talents become a barrier to God and that he will not progress spiritually in a satisfactory manner. Indeed if such talents are misused for too long ie they are used for individual or ego satisfaction as opposed to Divine Service, then at some point the Divine may withdraw these powers altogether.

Let Go of Material Attachments
In this world where success in the material realm is revered above all else, it is no mean feat to break free of attachment to material things. Luckily if we have a problem in this respect, God will generally give us a helping hand!

We learn to attach to material items while young children and as we learn this, our spirituality is eroded away. Our society is now more than ever, based on material values and it is inevitable that we all experience the strong pull of these oppressive material forces. We are very quick to judge others and ourselves with reference to material values, with spiritual status generally being a secondary consideration.

As we become closer to God, these strong attachments to the material realm must be severed. Often the most effective way for this to happen is to experience a period of lack or apparent failure in the material realm. This is a very humbling experience and helps us to shed excess ego. It is through the ashes of the ego that we begin to feel the presence of God with much greater strength and purity than ever before. Only then can we adequately comprehend that God is the source of All. Every success (and every failure) we have in the material realm is a gift from God. When we can see God in all the events of our life then we are breaking free of the material forces.

Let Go of Attachment to Relationships
Relationships allow us to share God's love on the physical plane. Relationships are the prime mode of learning on Earth - it is through relationships that our strengths and weaknesses are reflected back to us in order that we may grow and learn. Because relationships are often such intense emotional experiences, we often get caught up in them and lose our ability to understand what is happening in a clear and detached manner.

The most fundamental and consequential relationship that we have is our relationship with God. Our physical relationships are given to us as a vehicle to strengthen our connection with the Divine. It is when we lose sight of God in a relationship that we become emotionally attached to our partner and incorrectly perceive that person as the source of our feelings of Love and Well-being. We then continually reach out to that person on the physical plane, losing sight of our true self in the process. Inevitably then we experience some pain in our relationship; this is actually a gift granted to us to assist us to surrender to a deeper level so that that we can experience the presence of God more deeply than ever before.

SURRENDER

Received Spontaneously from the Divine Source by Ross Corry

It doesn't really matter. The pain you feel, the losses you suffer, the torment you endure. You lose yourself in the emotion of these times and feel that slowly you are being destroyed. Perhaps even unjustly, so you think.

And once again I inevitably prove you wrong. The lesson I granted you becomes sweeter as the painful memories fade away in the face of your new found happiness and peace. This of course you only discovered through the Loving gift I offered you, which you interpreted as suffering. Finally in the depths of despair, when you had nowhere else to go, you turned to me without reservation. And my Love soothed your Soul, opened your heart and allowed you to see more clearly than ever before.

This Love was always there but you had not received it because you had not surrendered to me. Too busy indulging in your own petty cleverness until I offered you obstacles big enough to break your resistance. In your weakness and desperation you found me. I brought you to me. We are one.

And now you are happy again thinking that finally you have made it. My beautiful child it was but one step of many. I will not rest until you are with me completely, finally and for all time. I must now urge you to take the next step. I offer you bigger challenges. Maybe again you will despair at your misfortune. You will look at those around you with peaceful lives and wonder why you are treated so badly. Do you not see that they are asleep and the steps up which I am carrying you, still await them.

So Child, rejoice at the difficulties I offer you. I am guiding you through so acknowledge me in everything, in everyone. Your passage will then be smoother. Do not attach yourself to any of the circumstances I place around you. These are but a vehicle for you to realise me.

Smile, be happy and Surrender. Everything is proceeding perfectly according to my Divinely conceived plans. Accept what I place in front of you with relish. The path I offer you is the shortest possible. I offer you perfect Love now and for always. It is yours for the taking.

Surrender to me! Nothing else really matters.