Surrender: the gift of uncertainty

New Life Journal, August-Sept, 2003 by Kali Dass

SO often we find ourselves in situations beyond our control. Maybe a loved one is in the hospital unexpectedly, or perhaps we are at the interview for that perfect job. More commonly, it's just everyday gridlock traffic on the freeway. The common thread in all these examples is the uncertainty of the outcome and the inevitable tension and stress that accompany the wish for a certain result.

At the end of the average day, we have confronted many situations that fall into this category. Most days, we have a fair amount of success in obtaining our desired end. And the consistency of this success causes us to think we have control over the outcome of things. If we succeed, say, eighty percent of the time, the other twenty percent is easy to ignore.

This is the experience of our day to day life. We have the larger percentage of our expectations fulfilled, so we feel we're doing okay. Then one day, out of the blue, it happens. The you-know-what hits the fan. Suddenly we are in the midst of a situation so far out of control, we have no way to deal with it. Depending on the specifics of the situation, a whole smorgasbord of responses can present themselves, including anger, fear, frustration, and the big question, "Why is this happening to me?" All sorts of thoughts arise, sending us into a tailspin of doubt and despair.

The paradoxical thing about this situation is that it is truly a supreme gift. Life has set up the opportunity for us to learn one of the greatest lessons of all: surrender. This type of surrender isn't the outcome of cowardice or fear. It is instead the realization of a universal truth: that we never did have control over the outcome of situations and that any real measure of control actually lies hidden in the act of surrender itself. With this realization comes a sense of supreme joy and peace.

Ultimately, we are not surrendering to any particular thing or event, but rather to life as a whole. We gradually come to accept the uncertainty that life holds and learn to live in the state of surrender.

Unfortunately, the human tendency is to resist surrender, to resist letting go, adding even more suffering to a given situation. Although it is a simple and sometimes obvious solution, surrender can be difficult to achieve and involve all sorts of temporary unpleasantness. So for most of us the experience of surrender is a slow and ongoing process, made up of many small attempts that add up to the whole. By nature, people are searching for joy and happiness through the fulfillment of their desires. But the real joy lies in the way we approach a given situation, accepting the result, regardless of our personal wishes. Not only can this stance help us maintain our peace and joy, but it also allows us to open ourselves to the infinite possibilities in life that are available moment to moment.

It is this sense of openness that we want to cultivate, so when life pulls the rug from under us we don't have to feel like a rock sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Instead we can be like a bubble floating on the wave of uncertainty, viewing life with a sense of awe and wonder. With this new perspective, we glimpse the real gift the awareness of uncertainty brings. By its very nature it forces us to focus our awareness in the present moment, the here-and-now, where we can discover the creative pulse of life at play.

The stance of surrender doesn't mean that we don't have a preferred outcome. We still go about our daily lives engaging in action and setting realistic goals, but we have a different perspective. We enter a new undertaking with a feeling of openness to that which is beyond our sight, and a willingness to accept direction from a power greater than ourselves. The outcome may not be what we had planned, but it may be just as good, or better, than we ever could have imagined.

Yogacharya Kali Das is a western born Maha Shakti Yoga adept and founder of Jai Gurudev Ashram, a yogic hermitage located in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Kali Das is currently conducting meditation workshops throughout the Southeast, as well as offering spiritual services and instruction at the ashram. He can he reached at jaigurudevashram@aol.com.