The method and technique of Meditation, or what can also be termed as Profound Prayer and Worship, to be authentic and efficacious, must have the stamp of the Divine. In other words, the only authoritative source where a genuine technique of Meditation would be found, must be in the World's Scriptures. In fruitful research we have indeed discovered actual quotations in all these sacred Doctrines, to validate and re-affirm the above Truth.

Given below are cogent quotations from these Sacred Scriptures stipulating the need for selfeffacement in deep surrender as a pre-requisite to Meditation.

CHRISTIANITY

1. "DIE UNTO YOURSELF AND BE RE-BORN"
2. "ABSENT IN THE BODY AND PRESENT WTH CHRIST"
3. "IN ORDER TO GAIN ONE'S LIFE ONE MUST LOSE IT....."
4. WHOSOEVER SHALL NOT RECIEVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS A CHILD, HE SHALL NOT ENTER THERIN". Mark10(15)
5. SUCCUMB O'ALL MANKIND BEFORE THE LORD, FOR HE SHALL THEN BE RAISED UP (AWAKENED) OUT OF HIS HOLY DWELLING WITHIN".Zechariah2(13)
6. YIELD BEFORE YAHWEH ( SURRENDER TO THE LORD ) AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIS SHOWING UP" Psalms37(7)
7. HE THAT FINDETH HIS LIFE SHALL LOSE IT AND HE THAT FIRST LOSETH HIS LIFE ( IN COMPLETE SURRENDER ) FOR MY SAKE SHALL FIND IT" Matthew 10(39)
8. I BESEECH THEE THEREFORE BRETHREN, BY THE MERCIES OF GOD, THAT YE PRESENT THY PRESENT BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE ( IN DEEP SURRENDER ), HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD, WHICH IS YOUR TRUE WORSHIP" Romans 12(1)

In passage 2, "absent in the body" again is figurative of total surrender of body and mind and "present with Christ" refers to the body then being filled with the power of the awakened Holy Spirit (Christ) to give the experience of an arousal. With the above explanation, the quotation at (3) becomes self-explanatory. The phrase, "as a little child", in quotation (4) allegorically refers to becoming simple in surrender, by shutting off our analytic mind in prayer. The rest of the passage is self-explanatory. The passage at (5) is self-evident and the phrase "showing up" in (6) alludes to the awakening of the Holy Spirit within.

In quotations (7) and (8) the stance of complete and deep surrender, as entered by the phrases within brackets, reveals beautiful allegory and metaphor typical of most Scriptural passages, well understood only by those whose Holy Spirit within, has been adequately enlivened and awakened after surrendering in Meditation.

HINDUISM

"BHAGTI IS VERILY OF THE NATURE OF COMPLETE SUBMISSION IN
DEVOTIONAL LOVE".

The above quotation proves that the accepted translation of the word "Bhagti" to mean just "Devotion to God" is incomplete and therefore incorrect. There is the important element of self-effacement in Devotion, which has been missing all along. Without total surrender, the meditation or Bhagti is ineffectual and rather superficial. This essential feature of total self surrender in Worship/Meditation is further emphasised in the following Scriptural passages from the Bhagwath Gita; the celebrated Hindu Scriptural epic.

TAOSM

A large part of Lao Tzu's TAOIST tradition enshrined in the celebrated Tao te Ching, their Holy Book, is devoted to the same principle of surrender, as a means to achieving solace and the attendant super-conscious states. Here are some quotations from the Tao Te Ching, which corroborates our research in this direction:

1. "I DO MY UTMOST TO ATTAIN EMPTINESS ANDVACUITYAND IN THIS I HOLD FIRMLY TO THE STATE OF STILLNESS AND PERFECT PEACE" Chap XVI

2. "BLOCK THE OPENINGS, SHUT THE DOORS, BLUNT THE SHARPNESS, UNTANGLE THE KNOTS, BECOME SURRENDERED AS THE DUST. LET YOUR WHEELS MOVE ALONG SPONTANEOUSLY: THIS IS THE MYSTERIOUS EQUANIMITY AND IS THEREFORE THE MOST VALUABLE JEWEL IN THE WORLD". ChapLVI

In NONHANGMUN, a Scriptural work by the Founder Ch'oe Suun of the Native Religion, CH'ONDOGYO of Korea, the following quotation is of great significance, pointing again to the value of surrender in worship / meditation.

1. "OUR WAY IS MUWI IHWA. IF ANYONE STILLS HIS HEART AND BEING IN SUBLIME INERTNESS, THUS ENSURING A CONNECTION ( RESONANCE ) WITH THE RIGHT ENERGY ( LIFE FORCE ) WITHIN, HE WILL MANIFEST NATURALNESS ( SPONTANEITY )."

From the above quotations it has become amply clear that in all the Religious Scriptures, the same system and technique in meditation/profound prayer of total surrender and submission, is enjoined by the Divine on all the world's people.

BUDDHISM

1. "WITH THE SELF (EGO) WELL SUBDUED IN SELF SURRENDER, ONE CAN THEN FIND TOTAL REFUGE WITHIN, WHICH OTHERISE IS DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN" VERSE160.

2. EMPTY THIS BOAT ( ONE'S BODY ) O' MENDICANT. WHEN EMPTIED ( COMPLETELY EFFACED IN DEEP SURRENDER. ) IT WILL MOVE UNIMPEDED ( SHORTEST AND SWIFTEST PATH OF THE DIVINE WITHIN ). LUST AND HATRED ( EGOCENTRIC QUALITIES ) ARE THREEBY MORE EASILY REMOVED PAVING THE WAY TO NIRVANA VERSE389

The orthodox translation reads thus:
"I go to the feet of the ultimate Truth of the Awakened One".
But the correct translation would read as follows,

Hence, total annihilation by surrender in meditation appears to be at the very core of Buddhist prayer principles. Yet hardly any Buddhist author on meditation has been seen to emphasize this vital point in the various articles and books written by them on this all important subject. There is too much talk about concentration and various other disciplinary efforts in meditation. Whereas, true meditation is just the opposite. As summarized elsewhere, meditation has to be simple, Natural, Effortless and Spontaneous. Concentration of any kind or doing this and that, has no part in real meditation. These self willed "doings" are just a prelude to actual meditation, which starts only after total and utter surrender is allowed to set in.

ISLAM

Incidentally, the Arabic word ISLAM happens to be the exact equivalent of the sanskrit word BHAGTI, which also means, "with Bhaavana ( LOVE ) in your heart, submit and surrender to the Will of God, the Ishwara". Isn't it a plesant suprise to note that the very word which connotes the Religion ( ISLAM ), has embodied within it, the complete technique of the highest form of worship!.

We shall now turn to the Qur'an, the Muslim Holy book, to glean instances where surrender and submission is enjoined in prayer.

1. "LO! THE RELIGION BEFORE ALLAH IS THE SURRENDER ( AL-ISLAM ).....IF THEY SURRENDER, THEM TRUELY THEY WILL BE RIGHTLY GUIDED IN PRAYER". Surah2(19,20).

2. "O, YE WHO BELIEVE, COMPLETELY EFFACE YOURSEVES IN SELF-SURRENDER WHEN WORSHIPPING YOUR LORD, AND DO GOOD, THAT HAPPILY YOU MAY PROSPER". Surah23(77)

SIKHISM

1. "WE ARE SPONTANEOUSLY LED TO WORSHIP AND MEDITATION IN AN EGOLESS, DESIRELESS STATE, WHEN WE SACRIFICE OUR BODY, MIND AND SOUL AND THE VERY BREATH OF LIFE ON THE ALTAR OF GOD".
   Page 742.

2. "THE HIGHEST FORM OF MEDITATION ( BHAGTI ) IS ACHIEVED BY TOTAL SELF-SURRENDER IN WORSHIP. NANAK LIVETH IN A STATE OF ANIMATION BY COMPLETE EFFACEMENT OF THE SELF IN MEDITATION". Page 268

3. "HAVING HEARD OF THE YOGA OF SURRENDER, THEY TOTALLY SURRENDERED THEIR BEING AND WITH THE ENSUING GRACE OF GOD THEY BECAME SPONTANEOUSLY ONE WITH HIM". Page295

Relevant Reasons why a Stance of
SURRENDER IN MEDITATION is really necessary.

• Like in all meditation methods, total relaxation is a pre-requisite. We happen to term the stance as "surrender"

• If any form of prayer and worship which we categorize as `meditation' is fruitful and successful, we must attain to a state of rapport or union with God. We cannot achieve this unless we have some comprehension or understanding of the nature of God. From His magnanimous attributes of Omnipresence, Omniscience and Omnipotence, it is impossible by the Conscious mind of man to really grasp and uderstand His true nature. Therefore the only way open to us is to feel His presence. This comes about only if we can shut off and obliterate the limitations of our analytical Conscious Mind which as pointed out above is simply incapable of understanding God. Hence, this can happen if we deaden our mind which comes about only through very deep surrender.

• True Meditation, only takes root if there wells up from within a Reaction and a Response beyond our own will and volition. For this to happen a state of complete relaxation in deep surrender is necessary.