Daily Readings from the Works of Swami Venkatesananda


Venkatesa Daily Readings Vol 1 — Self Surrender

July 26, 2023

Self-Surrender

       I wonder why the sides of the head are called "temples". While we carry these temples all the time, why should we go to external temples?

      During crises in our lives, it seems to be necessary for us to go to an external temple to remind ourselves that the real temple is with and within us as the intelligence beyond the "me". Even this needs some amount of inner spiritual awakening! If this awakening is not there, then a crisis in our life only succeeds in making this even more worldly and vicious.

      When there is a slight inner awakening, we glimpsed the truth concerning life our dependence upon our relationships and our possessions weakens for we realize that they are treacherous. It is possible for some to go from there right into the inner Temple; but for most people and external temple is needed. When we go to the temple, we pray.

      What do we pray for? The immature man prays for worldly success, prosperity and happiness, without realizing that these and the pursuit of pleasure were the real causes of his unhappiness! Only a hero has the wisdom to say: "Thy will be done." Such self-surrender instantly illumines the inner intelligence: therefore, the famous Gayatri mantra prays, “Lord, enlighten my intelligence."

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