Inner Calm Through Surrender

[Kati]

On 14.9.2025 at 10:37 PM, Mark Foote said:

Self-surrender I would say is the surrender of will or intent, initially with regard to the activity of the body, and finally with regard to the mind.

At the core of everything I do, lies the worship of the ultimate, a profound connection to God that fills my mind entirely. While I aspire to reach this state of unwavering focus, I recognize it will take time. My thoughts are often clouded by judgments, which seem to arise endlessly. However, practicing Qigong has been transformative for me. It brings a deep sense of calm and centeredness, allowing me to release these judgments and detach from their grip. Qigong has shown me how these judgments stem from the ego, creating unnecessary suffering. It doesn’t diminish the importance of clarity and discernment, but rather highlights how ego-driven judgments can obstruct inner peace. This practice continues to guide me toward a more harmonious state of being.

[Kati]

On 14.9.2025 at 10:37 PM, Mark Foote said:

Self-surrender I would say is the surrender of will or intent, initially with regard to the activity of the body, and finally with regard to the mind.

At the core of everything I do, lies the worship of the ultimate, a profound connection to God that fills my mind entirely. While I aspire to reach this state of unwavering focus, I recognize it will take time. My thoughts are often clouded by judgments, which seem to arise endlessly. However, practicing Qigong has been transformative for me. It brings a deep sense of calm and centeredness, allowing me to release these judgments and detach from their grip. Qigong has shown me how these judgments stem from the ego, creating unnecessary suffering. It doesn’t diminish the importance of clarity and discernment, but rather highlights how ego-driven judgments can obstruct inner peace. This practice continues to guide me toward a more harmonious state of being.

 

i am truly happy for all the greta comments here, happy to be around like minded people

Edited Saturday at 04:59 PM by Kati

[Kati]

On 14.9.2025 at 10:37 PM, Mark Foote said:

Not me. l I was in my thirties when I threw in the towel and went to UCSF's library (that's a medical campus). Forest of Clarity's quote disparages knowledge, but I believe knowledge that can serve in the surrender of willful activity is a good thing.

i wouldnt worry about doing something wrong here.(have to tell myself this too ) source has unconditional love for all its creations. qi is a force which is available to anyone, no matter what they do. and yes source uses every interest we have for greater good. 

 

On 14.9.2025 at 10:37 PM, Mark Foote said:

They said to Him: Shall we then, being children,
enter the Kingdom? Jesus said to them:
When you make the two one, and
when you make the inner as the outer
and the outer as the inner and the above
as the below, and when
you make the male and the female into a single one,
so that the male will not be male and
the female (not) be female, when you make
eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand
in the place of a hand, and a foot in the place
of a foot, (and) an image in the place of an image,
then shall you enter [the Kingdom].

oneness, oneness, oneness  praising the one  sounds like that

[Kati]

On 14.9.2025 at 10:47 PM, Cobie said:

Yes, I have lived like this my whole life.

wow your wohle life? amazing i strive to be like that one day

[Surya]

On 12.9.2025 at 2:12 PM, Kati said:

wonder:

Has anyone else felt this kind of natural quietness just from trust or surrender?

Could this be something like what Daoists mean by aligning with the Dao, or “wu wei”?

I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences.

Yes sir. 
 

I am unfamiliar with the Chinese tradition, but have dabbled some in Hare Krishna and Christianity. Concepts such as the Holy Spirit and paraatma/supersoul is, as far as I can tell, a piece of the divine situated within us. From the Bhagavad Gita chap. 10, verse 20:

Quote

 

Bg. 10.20

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थित: ।
अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च ॥ २० ॥

aham ātmā guḍākeśa
sarva-bhūtāśaya-sthitaḥ
aham ādiś ca madhyaṁ ca
bhūtānām anta eva ca

 

Translation

I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.

 

 

There is this beautiful imagery that was once presented to me:

A man driving a car has gone of course and ended up deep in nowhere’s land. He has no clue where he is, but proud as we men tend to be, he refuses to ask anyone for directions. In the passenger seat right next to him, tho, is a person (God, Christ, Krishna, whatever term you choose for the divine) that has complete knowledge of where you are, the terrain, where you going and what you will encounter. If you’d like to get back on track, hand the wheel over.
 

In conclusion: listen to your heart. Trying to lord it over or fight the universe is unlikely to get you very far.

 

I know there's something in the wake of your smile
I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yeah!
You've built a love, but that love falls apart
Your little piece of heaven, turns too dark

Listen to your heart
When he's calling for you
Listen to your heart
There's nothing else you can do

I don't know where you're going
And I don't know why
But listen to your heart
Before you tell him goodbye

Edited Saturday at 05:25 PM by Surya

[ChiDragon]

On 9/12/2025 at 5:12 AM, Kati said:

I wonder:

Has anyone else felt this kind of natural quietness just from trust or surrender?

Could this be something like what Daoists mean by aligning with the Dao, or “wu wei”?

I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences.

Yes! Since I have ever translated the TTC into English and from the relative chapters about "wu wei", that is exactly how I got to where we are right now.

PS
Oops...I had responded to this thread once already. I guess I was so carried away with wu wei! 

Edited Saturday at 06:35 PM by ChiDragon

[Kati]

17 hours ago, Surya said:

There is this beautiful imagery that was once presented to me:

A man driving a car has gone of course and ended up deep in nowhere’s land. He has no clue where he is, but proud as we men tend to be, he refuses to ask anyone for directions. In the passenger seat right next to him, tho, is a person (God, Christ, Krishna, whatever term you choose for the divine) that has complete knowledge of where you are, the terrain, where you going and what you will encounter. If you’d like to get back on track, hand the wheel over.

oh yes i know abit of te bhagavad gita and i can relate to this beautiful methapour. 

Surya do you know the Art of living by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar? He is offering acourse for children which helps them connect with their intuition- turns out at the end most of them experience supernatural abilites.. he is also offering courses for adults. maybe one day i like into his courses. he is also using the bhagavdad gita. therefore i thought you might know him

[Surya]

23 hours ago, Kati said:

oh yes i know abit of te bhagavad gita and i can relate to this beautiful methapour. 

Surya do you know the Art of living by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar? He is offering acourse for children which helps them connect with their intuition- turns out at the end most of them experience supernatural abilites.. he is also offering courses for adults. maybe one day i like into his courses. he is also using the bhagavdad gita. therefore i thought you might know him

Not familiar, might very well check out tho : ) any thing in particular you would recommend? The course perhaps?

[Mark Foote]

On 9/20/2025 at 10:04 AM, Kati said:

 

oneness, oneness, oneness  praising the one  sounds like that
 

 

 

Sufism, all about praising the one--at least, as far as I could figure from the events I attended with a Sufi friend. She was a California Sufi, part of the heritage of Sufi Sam, who was all about music as a way to spread the light.

The Sufis have interesting practices, and not just the whirling of the dervishes. For example, they do something called the zikir, where they bow with straight legs to the left, bend their legs when they return to upright, bow with straight legs to the right, bend their legs when they return to upright.

Hard to find a good video. These folks are doing it really fast, the group I was in was slower (maybe because of the beginners who were there). The chant I believe is praise of Allah:
 

 

 

The "Dances of Peace" were held every Sunday by the Sufi community my friend was associated with. Instructions were given before every dance, and people were very friendly.  Video example:

 

 

 

Edited 13 hours ago by Mark Foote