Become What You Are

Imagine standing at the edge of a vast plain, the sky a deepening twilight, the air still but for a gentle breeze that stirs the grass at your feet. Nearby, an iron bull stands unmoved, its hide impervious and unyielding. A tiny mosquito buzzes close, attempting to bite, yet the bull remains untouched. This vivid image captures a profound truth about our inner lives: the ego, like the iron bull, is resistant to change by sheer force, and the mosquito’s futile efforts symbolize the ego’s attempts to control or renounce itself by willpower.

True self-denial is not a command to be obeyed but a paradoxical state that arises when the ego realizes its own impotence. It is the moment when the struggle to control oneself ceases, and a deeper surrender unfolds naturally. This surrender is not a future achievement but a present fact that can be experienced now, though it often comes disguised as despair or helplessness.

Consider the old Buddhist saying, "He that loseth his soul shall find it." This is not a moralistic injunction but a description of a universal discovery: that life begins only when we let go of the anxious grasp on our identity, possessions, and status. The ego clings tightly, fearing loss, yet in that very clinging lies its bondage. Freedom blooms only in the relinquishment of control.

Many people imagine that surrender means weakness or defeat, but it is quite the opposite. It is a profound strength born of honesty and acceptance. Those who have truly surrendered make no claims of effort or heroism; they see themselves as lucky or even lazy, for the process is simple yet elusive.

Imagine a merchant who is proud and clever, less ready than a tramp to accept the inevitability of surrender. The strong will can obscure the truth, making the path more difficult. The surrender is a letting go of the self that tries to change itself, a release that opens the door to a new way of being.

This paradox—that you must lose yourself to find yourself—is the cornerstone of spiritual awakening. It is not a technique or a goal but a natural unfolding when the ego stops its futile attempts at self-mastery. Like the mosquito and the iron bull, the more the ego struggles, the more it remains stuck. But when it stops, when it surrenders, life flows freely.

As we move forward in this exploration, we will see how this surrender relates to living fully in the present moment, the eternal Now, and how embracing the flow of life without resistance brings harmony and peace. Let us continue to the next insight, where we discover the nature of reality itself and how our everyday experience is intertwined with the infinite.