The Upanishads say no matter how you cut sandalwood, each piece is it. Bhagavan says no matter how you fashion an ornament of pure gold (or whether you melt it down), it is still gold.  Likewise, when we behold the natural order veil-free, say, the patterning on a leaf, the texture of a stone, the wisps in a cloud or the lines in the face of a child, the underlying character of the created realm announces itself in full.

Wisdom of the ether is knowledge born of true seeing, but its most salient feature and prized reward is peace. Glimpsing the fractal relatedness of all things occasions a gradual diminution of the agitating influences of the veils. As they recede, clear seeing is augmented, eliciting further wisdom, thereby bringing further peace, which in turn allows for deeper stillness and creates the conditions for further receding of the veils. If, as has been said, letting go a little brings a little peace and letting go a lot brings a lot of peace, then letting go completely brings complete peace. This is Bhagavan’s surrender.

In this connection, we recall a scene in the Hall. A Maharani tells Bhagavan, ‘I have all that I want, but I do not have peace of mind. Something prevents it. Probably my destiny’. There was silence for a while. Then Bhagavan spoke in his usual sweet manner:

‘There is no destiny. [Just] surrender, and all will be well. Throw all the responsibility on God and do not bear the burden yourself. What can destiny do to you then?’ The Maharani replied, ‘Surrender is impossible.’ To which Bhagavan said, ‘Yes, complete surrender is impossible in the beginning [but] partial surrender is certainly possible for all [and] in course of time, will lead to complete surrender. Without surrender there [can be] no peace of mind’… [Elsewhere he adds:] ‘Your peace will [become] deeper and more prolonged with continued practice and will [ultimately] lead to the goal.’   —