Ishvara Pranidhana is the essence of Yoga and the goal of spiritual aspirants. There is no higher practice. Devotion to God is renunciation of all actions and ego to the Lord. Lose all sense of “I”-ness, “me,” “the do-er”—all separateness. Renunciation and surrender of the ego is Ishvara Pranidhana.
Realize we are doing nothing. God alone does all things and is the sole reality sustaining all creation. Everything else in this transitory world is fleeting—momentary happiness. Material pleasures can never satisfy. Those who are attached to worldly happiness and experiences are like children enchanted by a toy today, but bored with it tomorrow. They become bored and disenchanted with the sense experiences of life, only to fill them with new experiences they soon tire of and move on from. God is the most interesting thing in the universe. There is no other interest.
Feel God passing through you, filling your being in every word, thought and activity. Very soon, God will begin to speak to you. The greatest shelter is in the silence of your soul. Move your love of the senses to the love of God. Make the life dream beautiful. Everything you do—do it with the consciousness of God.
You do not know why you came here—what your purpose is—but God does. Modify your desires and fix your mind on God alone. Every minute you can think, think of God. Say, “You alone are my Father, You alone are my Mother. You are my everything.” Everywhere you go, live God. It is so sacred, it cannot be fully communicated. But you feel it in the lotus of your heart.
The love of God connects us all. Lord Jesus said, “ordinary people seek the world – but all who are wise seek the kingdom of God.” Because there is your happiness. This is your key to heaven.
Before you perform any action, offer it to God. In this way you will eradicate selfishness, and develop Bhava, (intense devotion). The mood of devotion will propel you to reach for something higher than the apparent limitations of the body and mind. Dedicate everything to the Lord; surrender and say, “Take me, Take me.” Keep saying in your heart, “everything is for you, my Lord.”
The Lord is your own real Self. See the great light of God everywhere. Always forget the ‘I’, and say “thou, thou.” Just say, “God is moving through me. My Lord is speaking through me, dreaming me, just as He is dreaming the entire Universe.” Make your heart a hermitage of God. This is the greatest gift you can give to God—for He has everything else. He just wants your love. Never count your faults—just offer your love, your heart to the Lord. Those who do not want to surrender themselves—God cannot have them. We have that choice for God has given us free will.
Get away from the dualities of the dream life. It is a tenacious dream, this world—difficult to move beyond. But if you practice Yoga faithfully and consistently, you will succeed. Shun the company of the worldly. Do not waste time on useless things. Forgo the materialistic dubiety of the worldly minded and remain firm!
Move from the mind to the heart. The heart is the only reality. To remain as the Imperishable, Eternal Self is to enter the heart. Brahmanidhana (surrender of lower self) leads to Self-realization. Surrender can only occur when the mind is done trying to comprehend or understand what true surrender means. God cannot be found by reason.
Surrender is to give oneself up entirely to the Origin of one’s being—the Infinite Consciousness that is the Almighty Lord. Attune your mind to God through meditation. We are all His children. There is nothing to fear. This is the supreme goal of life—to awaken the immortal soul from the slumber of individual identification to the deathless essence of the Infinite consciousness. Everything you do, give it to God. Forget yourself. You will soon awaken from the dream. God bless you.