How to surrender to Krishna when maya is pulling us back strongly?
“A Girl devotee” asked like this:
“I have a question dat dis whole world is nothing but illusion how can we detach ourself 4rm dis means dis whole world is maya which is very powerful, how can we be like lotus jo paani mei ho kar bhi usse alag hai, is dis possible so dat we surrender ourself to krishna whole heartedly.”
REPLY:
Surrender means entrusting all our aspirations and the whole life to another Person.
In Other words, surrendering our ego is called surrender.
Once we surrender our ego, we become nothing- free from expectations and agitations.
(WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS TO SURRENDER TO KRISHNA? READ HERE!)
If surrendering to your parents is possible, why can’t you surrender to Krishna? You surrender to your parents easily because you have FULL FAITH in them and hence entrust your life to their decision.
Many boys surrender to his lover or spouse because they put full faith in each other. If surrendering to the spouse possible, why can’t you surrender to Krishna? They surrender their ego to each other that creates love between them.
Similarly, if you have FULL FAITH in Krishna, you can surrender to Him readily and strongly.
So, the barrier is the lack of faith in Krishna.
Thinking that this world is that of maya and powerful, if we do not take steps to come out of the control of maya, we will have to take birth again and again into this world of same maya.
If you face a problem, what will you do? For example, if you are caught by a disease, what will you do? You will go to a doctor. If you don’t go to a doctor, the disease will increase and it will become the cause for many other ailments.
(Surrender to Krishna and Surrender to Guru – which is important? A detailed analysis! READ HERE!)
Similarly, we are living in a world controlled by maya, ie, Durga. So, we are into the cycle of repeated problems and happiness that are temporary. So, unless we go to a doctor who relieves us from the clutches of maya, we can not come out of it.
Who is that doctor? He is your guru/ acharya. So, you have to accept the recommendations of a QUALIFIED AND BONAFIDE guru. He will prescribe a suitable medicine for you.
For this kaliyuga, there is only one medicine that relieves us from the strong clutches of maya and takes us to the master of maya, ie, Krishna.
It is the Hare Krishna Maha Manthra. It is super powerful that will relieve you from maya. There need not be any doubt in it and we should trust the verdict of Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu.
(SYMPTOMS OF PURE AND SURRENDERED DEVOTEES! READ HERE!)
And, to get more taste in chanting, we should have the satsangha of vaishnavas and hear more about Krishna that will help you to control material thoughts and have more thoughts about Krishna.
If you are surrounded by only materialistic people, you will again and again fall into the maya and hence the liberation will be delayed.
Let us see what Srila Prabhupada says about your question. Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport to SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM (1-2-8):
“The need of the spirit soul is that he wants to get out of the limited sphere of material bondage and fulfill his desire for complete freedom. He wants to get out of the covered walls of the greater universe. He wants to see the free light and the spirit. That complete freedom is achieved when he meets the complete spirit, the Personality of Godhead.
There is a dormant affection for God within everyone; spiritual existence is manifested through the gross body and mind in the form of perverted affection for gross and subtle matter. Therefore we have to engage ourselves in occupational engagements that will evoke our divine consciousness. This is possible only by hearing and chanting the divine activities of the Supreme Lord”
(WHAT IF A DISCIPLE IS UNABLE TO SURRENDER TO GURU? READ HERE!)
This is the only way to conquer maya. If you truly have faith in Krishna, you can surrender to Him and perform all your assigned duties thinking yourself just as an insignificant instrument in the hands of Krishna.
Until you have some trace of belief that you can do anything on your own using money, strength, etc, you can’t surrender to Krishna.
So, first get convinced that you do not posses anything on your own and everything is that of Krishna and by Krishna.
Then, you can surrender to Krishna easily.
Where there is a will, there is the way.
(How to Completely Surrender Everything to the Lord Krishna? READ HERE!)