Accepting God's Plan: How to Maintain Equanimity
In the journey of life, we often find ourselves at a crossroads where our personal desires clash with the unfolding reality of our circumstances. We strive for success, comfort, and happiness, yet we frequently encounter obstacles that leave us frustrated and confused. The secret to navigating these turbulent waters lies in a concept deeply rooted in Vedic philosophy: sharanagati, or the art of total surrender to the Divine. To maintain true equanimity, one must learn to align their individual will with the higher plan of God.
This idea of surrender does not imply passivity, weakness, or resignation. Rather, it is a conscious and courageous choice to trust that there is a wisdom greater than our limited understanding guiding the flow of life. When events do not unfold according to our expectations, the mind naturally resists. We question, we worry, and we try to control outcomes. Yet this resistance often becomes the very source of our suffering. The more tightly we cling to a specific result, the more disturbed we become when reality takes a different course.
Sharanagati invites us to loosen that grip. It encourages us to act sincerely, give our best effort, and then release attachment to the outcome. In doing so, we shift from anxiety to acceptance, from agitation to peace. This inner shift does not change the external situation immediately, but it transforms how we experience it. Challenges no longer feel like punishments; instead, they become opportunities for growth, refinement, and deeper faith.
Often, what we perceive as setbacks are simply redirections. A closed door may lead us toward a path better suited for our spiritual evolution. Delays may cultivate patience. Failures may dissolve ego. Loss may awaken detachment. From the limited viewpoint of the ego, these experiences appear undesirable. But from a higher perspective, they are part of a carefully orchestrated process shaping our character and consciousness.
Maintaining equanimity, therefore, requires a profound trust that nothing happens outside divine intelligence. This trust grows when we reflect on past experiences, and moments when events that once seemed unfavorable later revealed hidden blessings. Over time, we begin to recognize a pattern: life unfolds not always according to our preferences, but often according to what we truly need.
Surrender also softens the constant inner dialogue of “Why is this happening to me?” and replaces it with “What is this trying to teach me?” This subtle change in perspective opens the heart to learning rather than resisting. Instead of fighting reality, we cooperate with it. Instead of feeling helpless, we feel guided.
Equanimity is born in this space of acceptance. When we stop measuring life solely by success or failure, gain or loss, praise or criticism, we develop steadiness. Our peace no longer depends on favorable circumstances. We remain balanced in both joy and difficulty, trusting that every phase has a purpose.
To accept God’s plan is not to abandon effort, but to harmonize effort with surrender. We work wholeheartedly, guided by values and sincerity, while allowing the Divine to shape the final outcome. In this balance between action and surrender, the mind becomes calm, the heart becomes light, and life begins to flow with greater clarity and grace.
The Prerequisites of Surrender: Alignment and Avoidance
True surrender is not a passive state but an active internal alignment. It begins with two fundamental conditions. The first is anukul sankalp, which is the firm resolve to act in accordance with God’s will. However, it is the second condition that often proves more challenging for the human ego: pratikul varjit.
Pratikul varjit means to consciously avoid any desire that goes against the wish of God
It is easy to feel "surrendered" when life is going well. When God bestows upon us prosperity, luxury, and success, we rarely stop to question His motives or complain about our good fortune. We accept these gifts readily, often attributing them to our own hard work or merit. But the moment life takes a turn, as per the unfolding of our own past karmas, and we are faced with hardship, pain, or challenge, we immediately raise a "red flag." We demand to know, “Why did God do this to me?”
The moment this seed of resentment or questioning arises, the state of sharanagati snaps. Equanimity is lost because we have set our personal desire for comfort above God's plan for our growth. To truly maintain balance, we must reach a state where we do not desire anything contrary to what He has ordained for us.
The Lesson of the Bamboo: Becoming a Divine Instrument
To understand what this level of surrender looks like in practice, we can take inspiration from a humble plant: the bamboo. In the divine pastimes of Shri Krishna, the bamboo flute (Murli) holds a position of such intimacy that even the Gopis, the highest of devotees, felt a sense of envy. The story is told that Shri Krishna would visit His garden every day, telling all the plants how much He loved them. The plants would reciprocate, expressing their eternal love for Him. However, one day, Krishna approached the bamboo with a difficult proposition. He told the bamboo, “I have something very harsh in store for you.” He explained that to fulfill its highest potential, He would need to cut it down, hollow it out, and drill holes into it. He warned that “the process will be extremely painful and excruciating."
The bamboo, feeling the natural trepidation of any living being, asked if there was any other way. When Krishna replied that He had explored the options and this was the necessary path, the bamboo offered the ultimate response of a surrendered soul: “In that case, My Lord, Thy will be done.”
Because the bamboo accepted the "harsh" plan of the Lord without rebellion, Krishna cut it, hollowed it, and transformed it into His flute. He kept that flute with Him day and night, breathing His own life through it to create divine music. When the Gopis asked the flute how it became so fortunate, it replied, “I permitted myself to be hollow and devoid of desires. My Lord, then, could play whatever tune He wished from me.” This is the essence of pratikul varjit: emptying ourselves of personal agendas so that we may become perfect instruments for God’s plan
This teaching beautifully echoes the instruction given by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, where He asks Arjuna to become merely an instrument of the Divine will:
tasmat tvam uttishtha yasho labhasva
jitva shatrun bhunkshva rajyam samriddham
mayaivaite nihatah purvam eva
nimitta-matram bhava savya-sachin
Translation
BG 11.33: Therefore, arise and attain honor! Conquer your foes and enjoy prosperous rulership. These warriors stand already slain by Me, and you will only be an instrument of My work, O expert archer.
Just as the bamboo became Krishna’s flute by surrendering itself, the soul becomes a divine instrument when it relinquishes ego and allows God’s will to flow through it.
Understanding the Law of Karma and Gratitude
karmany-evadhikaras te ma phaleshu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur ma te sango ’stvakarmani
Translation
BG 2.47: You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.
This verse teaches that while we are responsible for performing actions, the results are not in our control. The fruits are governed by the divine law of karma and dispensed by God at the appropriate time.
Maintaining equanimity requires a deep understanding of the Law of Karma. Everything we receive in life, whether fame or infamy, pleasure or pain, is a result of our past and present actions. Crucially, the fruits of these karmas do not reach us by accident; they are noted and dispensed by God Himself at the appropriate time.Since God is the one dispensing these results, we must learn to serenely accept them.A major obstacle to serenity is our selective gratitude. When life brings success, comfort, and happiness, we rarely remember the Divine source behind them. But the moment adversity appears, we immediately question or blame God. Swami Mukundananda teaches that this imbalance in gratitude weakens devotion and disturbs inner peace.
mātrā-sparśhās tu kaunteya śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāns-titikṣhasva bhārata
BG 2.14: O son of Kunti, the contact between the senses and the sense objects gives rise to fleeting perceptions of happiness and distress. These are non-permanent, and come and go like the winter and summer seasons. O descendent of Bharat, one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
An example of this human tendency is seen in the story of a 28-year-old man who went to a Saint to complain about a severe headache he had been suffering from for a few hours. He whined, “What has God done to me? He is not removing my headache.” The Saint asked him his age and if he had ever suffered such headaches before. When the man replied that he had been headache-free for twenty-eight years, the Saint pointed out the hypocrisy: “For eight and twenty years, did you ever thank your Lord for keeping you headache-free? ... The moment you've got this problem, you are complaining so severely?
This story beautifully illustrates the teaching of the Gita. Happiness and distress come and go like seasons. Yet instead of maintaining equanimity, we remember God only in suffering and forget Him in comfort. Swami Mukundananda explains that true devotion means accepting both pleasure and pain with gratitude, knowing that both are temporary and part of the divine arrangement.
There is abeautiful verse in the Shreemad Bhagavatam regarding tolerating Karmic reactions
“तत्तेऽनुकम्पां सुसमीक्षमाणो
भुञ्जान एवात्मकृतं विपाकम् ।
हृद्वाग्वपुर्भिर्विदधन्नमस्ते
जीवेत यो भक्तिपदे स दायभाग् ॥”
Meaning:
“One who patiently endures the results of past actions, seeing them as Your mercy, and continues to offer obeisance with heart, words, and body; such a person becomes eligible for Your divine grace.”
This profound verse teaches that a devotee sees every situation, pleasant or painful, as the Lord’s compassion. Instead of resisting difficulties, they accept them as the unfolding of past karma and as opportunities for spiritual growth. Such acceptance does not weaken a person; rather, it strengthens inner stability. When we stop fighting circumstances and begin trusting divine wisdom, the mind naturally becomes peaceful.
True equanimity is born from realizing that we owe God endless gratitude for the countless blessings we take for granted, and that even our "bad" days are merely the just return of our own past actions, moderated by a merciful God
The Three Conditions for Divine Inheritance
The Shreemad Bhagavatam (10.14.8) provides a roadmap for achieving the ultimate treasure of bhagwat prem (divine love). The scripture explains that this treasure can become our "inheritance"—our birthright as children of the Eternal Father—if we fulfill three specific conditions.
tat te ’nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk
Simple meaning
One who patiently accepts life's circumstances as God's mercy, while continuing to offer devotion with heart, words, and actions, becomes eligible for divine grace and liberation.
This verse outlines three essential conditions for receiving divine inheritance:
1. Waiting Patiently for Grace
तत्तेऽनुकम्पां सुसमीक्षमाणो
Transliteration:
tat te ’nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo
Meaning:
"One who carefully sees Your mercy in all circumstances."
The first condition is to keep waiting patiently for grace without losing faith or hope. We must never complain that God has forgotten us or that "too much time has gone by." If there is a delay in receiving divine grace, it is not because of a lack in God, but because we have not yet fulfilled the prerequisites. There is a beautiful verse that captures this sentiment:
“Tere karam me kami nahi, tu karim hai. Kusur mera hai, jhootha umeedwar hu main.”
(There is no lack in Your mercy, for You are the Most Merciful. The fault is mine; I am a false candidate.)
We must be willing to wait with the unwavering faith that God is kripalu and dayalu—an ocean of grace and mercy. As the poets say, one should be prepared to wait at His door until the end of time (mahapralay):
“Baithe hai ta-qayamat, dar pe laga ke nara. Hai yaha Kripalu nara, bas ek tu hamara.”
The instruction is simple yet profound: keep chanting the name of the Lord and waiting, for eventually, He will hear your plea.
“Ram naam ratate raho, jab lagi ghat me praan. Kabahuk deen dayal ke, banat padegi kaan.”
2. Accepting Happiness and Distress Without Complaint
भुञ्जान एवात्मकृतं विपाकम् ।
Transliteration:
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
Meaning:
"While experiencing the results of one's own past actions."
This line teaches that whatever we experience in life, happiness or suffering, is the unfolding of our own past karma. Instead of blaming others or resisting circumstances, a devotee accepts them with patience and humility. This acceptance becomes the foundation for maintaining equanimity and surrendering to God’s plan.
yoga-sthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva dhananjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva samatvam yoga uchyate
Translation
BG 2.48: Be steadfast in the performance of your duty, O Arjun, abandoning attachment to success and failure. Such equanimity is called Yog.
The second condition is the acceptance of the fruits of our karmas. Whatever happiness (sukh) or distress (dukh) comes our way must be accepted without complaint. We must maintain faith in the Divine Plan, even when we cannot see the immediate benefit of a situation. True equanimity means remaining steady in both success and failure, recognizing that both are divinely arranged for our growth.
Consider the story of the traveler who reached the edge of a river in a forest and desperately needed to cross. He prayed, “Oh God, give me the ability to fly so I may reach the other side,” but nothing happened. Frustrated, he then prayed, “Oh God, please manifest a boat for me,” but again, God did not listen. The traveler became annoyed and frustrated, believing God was ignoring his pleadings.However, as he started walking along the riverside, he came across a bridge. The bridge was always there. God knew the bridge existed and had a specific plan for the traveler that did not involve flying or boats.
The Moral: Our frustrations often stem from our limited perspective. We pray for specific solutions (like flying or a boat), and when they don't manifest, we assume God is not listening. In reality, God has a plan for us that is often superior to our own requests, and we must maintain our equanimity while we "walk the bank" to find the bridge He has already provided
3. Offering Obeisances with Body, Mind, and Words
"hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te"
The third condition is to keep offering respectful obeisances to the Supreme using our body, mind, and words. This means remaining consistently positive toward God (anukul) and rejecting negative thoughts or resolves (pratikul varjit
"jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk"
Such a person becomes the rightful heir to divine grace and liberation.
This is the essence of accepting God’s plan. By seeing His mercy in every event, patiently enduring life’s experiences, and maintaining steady devotion, we align ourselves with the Divine will. In that alignment, equanimity naturally arises, and the treasure of divine love becomes our true inheritance.
Common Pitfalls: The Three Types of "Disciples
Despite these clear instructions, the human ego often finds ways to circumvent true surrender. We can see these failures in the various types of "disciples" who struggle with pratikul sankalp.
- The Excuse-Maker
There was once a disciple whose Guru asked him to fetch rations to feed guests. The disciple, wanting to avoid work, used "spiritual" excuses, telling the Guru, “You are sarvasamarth, all-powerful. In front of you, where do I have the ability to arrange for rations?” When asked to help cook, he claimed he didn't want to leave the Guru's presence (darshan). Yet, when it was time to eat, the disciple suddenly became "obedient," saying, “I disobeyed your first two instructions. This third instruction, I will definitely obey,” and he began to eat greedily. This illustrates how we often use "surrender" as a mask for laziness or self-interest.
- The Teer Chela (Arrow Disciple): This variety of disciple is like an arrow—once shot, they never return. For example, when a Guru asked a disciple to buy a specific soap, the disciple calculated the cost, left to "look for it," and was never seen again
- The Doctor Chela (Advising Disciple): This disciple believes they know better than the Master. When the Guru expressed hunger and asked for simple dal roti, the disciple advised him, “Guruji, I feel at this time you should take halwa puri.” By trying to advise the Guru (or God), we violate our position of servitude and fail at sharanagati
Conclusion: The Path Forward
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami ma shuchah
Translation
BG 18.66: Abandon all varieties of dharmas and simply surrender unto Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sinful reactions; do not fear.
This verse represents the ultimate call to surrender. To maintain equanimity, we must accept our position of servitude and embrace the plan God has laid out for us. This requires us to abandon our pratikul sankalp: the negative resolves that challenge the Divine will.True surrender is a multi-faceted process. While we have focused here on aligning our desires with God's and avoiding contrary wishes, there is more to explore in the journey of sharanagati. This includes ,
- Having faith in His protection,
- Feeling deep gratitude for His grace
- Recognizing Him as the true possessor of all we have
- Surrendering even the pride of having surrendered
When these qualities develop, equanimity naturally arises. The devotee no longer resists circumstances but accepts them as part of God's loving arrangement.
By following the example of the bamboo and remaining “hollow” of personal ego, we allow the Divine to play the most beautiful music through our lives. When we surrender completely, we cease trying to control the melody, and instead become instruments through which God expresses His will.
Call To Action
✨ Your Invitation to Practice Sharanagati This Week ✨
As you reflect on your own journey, pause and ask yourself: Am I raising a “red flag” against a challenging circumstance in my life? True equanimity begins the moment we stop blaming the Divine for unfavorable situations and instead learn to serenely accept the fruits of our actions. When we recognize that every experience is dispensed by the Master of the universe at the perfect time, resistance softens and peace begins to emerge.
🎶 Become the Bamboo Flute
This week, challenge yourself to become like the bamboo flute—empty of ego, free from personal agendas, and open to divine guidance. When we become “hollow,” the Divine plays the most beautiful melody through our lives. Whether you are experiencing sukh (happiness) or dukh (distress), resolve to maintain your anukūl sankalp—a positive, devotional mindset. Offer respectful obeisances through your body, mind, and words, and allow each moment to become an expression of surrender.
🌉 When the Bridge Hasn’t Appeared Yet…
If you feel that the “bridge” to your solution has not yet appeared, continue to wait patiently for grace. Trust that the delay is not denial—it is an invitation. An invitation to deepen faith, refine patience, and fulfill the prerequisites for divine mercy. Hold steady, knowing that the Divine timeline is always perfect.
🌿 Continue the Journey of Surrender
The path of sharanagati is profound, and we have only begun exploring its depths. So far, we have reflected on the first two conditions for divine inheritance. Stay connected as we uncover the remaining secrets of surrender—how to develop absolute faith in His protection, how to accept Him as your sole guardian, and how to surrender even the subtle pride of having surrendered.
👉 Walk this week with acceptance. Live with faith. Surrender with love.
And watch how equanimity naturally blossoms in your heart.
FAQs
1. What does accepting God’s plan really mean?
Accepting God’s plan means trusting that every situation—pleasant or difficult—is guided by divine wisdom and meant for our growth.
2. How can I maintain equanimity during difficult times?
By seeing challenges as God’s mercy, patiently accepting outcomes, and continuing devotion with a calm and positive mindset.
3. What is the main message of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.14.8?
It teaches that one who accepts life’s circumstances as divine grace and remains devoted becomes eligible for liberation and divine love.
4. Does surrender mean becoming passive?
No. Surrender means doing your duties sincerely while letting go of anxiety about results.
5. How can I practice sharanagati daily?
Stay positive in both happiness and distress, offer gratitude, be patient for grace, and align your thoughts, words, and actions with devotion.