I want to surrender this turmoil to the Divine, but I have real family responsibilities that require effort and income. What does true surrender mean in practical life, and how can I maintain inner surrender without neglecting my duties and material needs?
A yogi is someone who aspires for the Divine in some aspect or the other. Prayers, etc are means. One may or may not use them. It is what one prays for that matters more than the prayer itself. Praying for intervention in difficulty and distress, even for a worldly need, does not mean one is not a yogi. For example, a person sincerely seeking union with the Divine may suddenly fall ill. Surely he can pray to the Divine for healing. At the same time, one may not be expressing the aspiration in words as prayers. It may be a silent seeking for the Divine or for the higher consciousness.
In surrender too, there is a gradation. What is important is a central surrender, which means that one has given oneself and one’s life and destiny in the hands of the Divine Mother. Then this surrender has to be gradually applied in detail in every part. This does not mean one cannot ask anything from the Divine. What it means is that one asks the Divine whatever needs may arise but leaves it completely to the Divine Mother to grant them or not and keeps the trust even if it takes time.
Surely work is needed and there is absolutely nothing wrong in asking Her for help even as you apply to different places. But keep the faith intact even if it takes time to come. The Divine Mother will surely take care of Her child.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
