Complete Surrender

There was once a holy sage who was loved and respected by the people in his village. The chief of the village was very jealous of his popularity. He came up with a plan to get rid of the sage. One day, he invited the sage over to his house for a grand feast and presented him with an untamed, wild horse with a golden saddle. The disciples of the holy sage, who were present at the scene, begged him not to accept the gift nor to ride it, as it meant sure death.

The sage, fully aware of his host’s motives, gratefully accepted the gift and gladly rode the horse, without even holding on to the reins. The horse darted forward and soon they were both out of sight. His disciples started to weep for the loss of their beloved guru. However, to their utter surprise and joy, after a short while, the sage returned on the horse, which was now completely under control.

The chief, seeing the miraculous incident, fell down at the feet of the sage and begged for mercy. The sage readily forgave him. The chief then inquired, “Why did you ride the horse without holding the reins?” To this the sage replied, “When the reins of our own life are in the hands of the Lord, who am I to hold on to the reins of the horse? The Lord may take me where he so pleases.”

No sufferings come to the seeker
  who surrenders himself to the Name of the Lord.
_{Saint Paltu, His Life and Teachings}