Question: What is involved in the surrender of the vital, and of the physical body? Having surrendered with the heart and soul, how can we best help the other recalcitrant members of our being to surrender?

Sri Chinmoy: After surrendering the heart and the soul, if you want your recalcitrant members, the vital and the physical body, to surrender to God, you can do two things. The first thing is to make them feel that they are as important as the heart and soul in the fulfilment of your mission on earth. The second thing is to threaten them, saying that you will remain in the soul’s region and not care for their limited happiness, achievement and fulfilment on earth. Your inspiration and aspiration and your threat of withdrawal will compel them to make a decision. Very often they do care for boundless joy, achievement and fulfilment and they do identify themselves consciously and sincerely with the heart and the soul. Then they become part and parcel of the integral surrender.