Self-Offering Born of Introspection

In my last blog post I wrote the words, “Purification comes through deep meditation, selfless service, and self-offering born of introspection.” While reviewing the article, I paused over that last phrase—“self-offering born of introspection”—and wondered if readers would understand my meaning. Yet intuitively, I felt to let it stand as it was, without explanation.

On the day the article was published, a reader suggested that I use that phrase as the title for a new blog post. I liked the idea and wrote the following:

Self-offering lies at the heart of the spiritual life. As devotees, we want to surrender everything to God—our strengths as well as our shortcomings—that they may be purified in the radiant light of God’s presence.

But can we offer our hearts completely to God if we cannot govern our likes and dislikes—if we are tossed about on the storm of turbulent emotions, pulled this way and that by our ever-changing desires? In other words, can we give away a heart we have not yet tamed?

Perfect self-offering requires perfect self-mastery: the ability to align our heart’s feelings—and therefore all our thoughts and activities—with Divine Consciousness. Even so, God gladly receives whatever we are ready and willing to offer Him at any given moment.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna speaks from divine consciousness, saying:

Cling thou to me!

Clasp Me with heart and mind!

So shalt thou dwell

Surely with Me on high.

But if thy thought

Droops from such height; if thou be’st weak to set

Body and soul upon Me constantly,

Despair not!

Give Me lower service! seek

To reach Me, worshiping with steadfast will;

And, if thou canst not worship steadfastly,

Work for Me, toil in works pleasing to Me!

For he that laboureth right for love of Me

Shall finally attain!

But, if in this

Thy faint heart fails, bring Me thy failure!

Elsewhere in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says:

Whenever anyone, with a pure intention, offers Me even a leaf, a flower, a piece of fruit, or water, I accept his offering as a symbol of his love.

What God wants most from us is our love. Whatever we offer with sincerity and devotion will be lovingly received. But naturally, we want to move towards giving our all, which leads to ever-greater joy—and that requires self-offering born of introspection.

Every evening, we have an opportunity to examine our thoughts and actions for the day. What went well? What needs improvement? What habits or attachments are we ready to let go of? Is there anything that has kept God’s light from shining brightly through our lives—anything that keeps us from giving our all to Him?

In introspection we review each day without judgment, rejoicing when we find a flaw that needs correction, grateful for the opportunity to improve our lives—to release whatever no longer serves us.

Remembering Krishna’s words, we can offer every failure to God—every flaw or blemish discovered in our daily self-examination. As we share with Him our deep and sincere longing for improvement, He will respond with loving encouragement, giving us the strength to overcome every shortcoming.

Yogananda had a disciple named Oliver Black. In time, the Master would call him his second most advanced disciple; yet in his early days on the spiritual path, he struggled with restless energy. Meditation was very difficult for him, but he had offered his life to God and Guru, and he trusted in their power to help him meet—and overcome—every test that came his way.

Yogananda contacted Oliver, urging him to travel from Detroit to Los Angeles for the annual eight-hour Christmas meditation. The prospect of such a long meditation filled Oliver with trepidation, but he honored his guru’s request and made the journey—no small undertaking in the early 1930s.

Arriving a little late, Oliver quietly opened the door and glanced around. Yogananda sat on a raised platform at the front of the room. To the Master’s left was Saint Lynn, his most advanced disciple; to his right sat an empty chair. Oliver paused, wondering about the chair, but turned to look for a seat in the back of the room. Yogananda opened his eyes and motioned for him to come sit beside him on the dais instead.

He reluctantly took the empty seat and began to meditate. Before long, restlessness and discomfort set in. He wanted to stand and stretch, but as he started to rise, his guru placed a hand on Oliver’s knee and pressed down, making it clear he should remain seated.

Oliver yielded and returned to his meditation—until unease flared up again. Once more he tried to stand. Once more the guru’s hand settled on his knee, quietly but firmly preventing him from getting up.

When it happened a third time, his guru gently touched his knee, and he was lifted into a state of ecstasy—his awareness of the outer world dissolving as he became absorbed in the bliss of the soul. He remained perfectly still for the rest of the long meditation. From that day forward, he could enter that deep state of consciousness at will, and restlessness was banished from his life.

Through his act of self-offering and his guru’s grace, Oliver Black’s restless energy was transmuted into deep stillness and calm joy. We, too, will be lifted into that joy as we offer our imperfections into the alchemy of Divine love, as we place our lives ever more fully in God’s hands.

Self-offering always leads to deeper joy. Each time we uncover a personal flaw and surrender it into the purifying light of the Infinite Presence, we loosen delusion’s grip on our lives a little further. In time, we become beacons of light, radiating blessings out into the world for the upliftment of all souls.

OM Shanti Shanti,

Suryadas

If you feel to share a reflection from your own journey, we’d love to hear from you—please leave a reply below.