WHY DO PEOPLE SUBMIT THEMSELVES TO GOD?

If asked, "Have you given your self and your life over to God?", many religious and spiritual persons would reply with statements which suggest that they are already submitted to God - either fully, or at least to a significant degree - or that they are even Enlightened. Yet, their claims are simply not true. They are actually followers of nature and the natural way, and are not followers of God and His Way, even though they may have God's Name on their lips.

It is rare in history that an individual truly and deeply submits to God, in Faith, Sacrifice, and Prayer for Realization. But, delusions and illusions abound in religious and spiritual circles, more-so than any other organized human endeavor. Religion and spirituality are cultures of insanity. (There is often as much psychosis in churches and spiritual organizations, as is found in mental institutions. But, with the inmates in-charge of the world, which includes religion and spirituality, insanity has become the norm. Therefore, few notice that the ramblings of preachers, teachers, masters, gurus, sages, and enlightened beings are mostly sheer stupidity and worthless drivel. Truly psychotic people do not know they are crazy, especially religious and spiritual persons. They have their "reality", and no one can shake their false assumptions. Such is the case for the hundreds of millions of deeply religious and spiritual persons walking the Earth.)

Only a very small number of people in history ever truly submit themselves to God. But, why do those few persons submit themselves to the Creator and Lord? They do not do-so for any lofty, noble, or selfless purpose; and, that is appropriate, realistic, and honest. They do-so because of their own suffering, and because they want their own suffering to cease, and because they finally realize that nothing of nature within or without can satisfactorily alleviate their own suffering. People truly submit to God because of their own suffering, and because they know that nothing ordinary, religious, or spiritual is ever going to satisfactorily lessen or alleviate suffering; not even the many forms of delusional spiritual enlightenment. This crucial lesson - that nothing ordinary, religious, or spiritual is ever going to satisfactorily lessen or alleviate one's own suffering - is learned through experience, and through the Grace-Given intuitive understanding of the suffering-enhancing dynamic of self- feeding, including the self-feeding of spiritual seeking and enlightenment.

What else is spiritual growth and enlightenment, except the feeding of self? That feeding is direct, in that a personal experience is strenuously sought and often gained. The self-feeding of spiritual enlightenment is also indirect, in that the vanity is fed when one is "recognized" by self and others as being "enlightened". However, the wise seeker or follower eventually learns that God and His Way are his only Recourse, and not any religious or spiritual practice or goal. He cannot sit still in the suffering, while knowing that nothing of nature will ever work for him, including the stupidity of religion, spirituality, and enlightenment. For such a one, God is the only Option.

Suffering compels the mind and body of the follower to seek That which is the Overcoming of the limitation and suffering of individuality. When the Process of Purification is Complete Upon the Dissolving of self and its ways, that Form is Used for Incarnation for the duration of Its life. It has been and always will be the Same, throughout eternal time. God is Eternal and always the Same; and, His one Way is Eternal and always the Same.

True, deep, passionate, and effortless submission is primarily by Grace, and all other factors which contribute to submission are a distant yet important second. God Leads the follower in how to effortlessly submit, and God also Conducts the Work of Purification. And, the follower is open to God's Lead because of suffering, and because he knows he cannot Overcome suffering on his own.

By Sri Dava Prakasha