Niyama 5 – Sharana (surrender)

Sharana (Surrender) – Subordination of identity. Complete surrender of one’s identity empties it of conditioning (dharma). It removes fear of failure or consequences and allows fresh solutions and insight into ones sense of identity (jnana).

Surrender is done without justification, judgement and absence of motivation. Only then can it be complete.

Generally, this is done for an activity with a higher purpose and the results can be incredibly powerful.

Anecdotes, experiences and situations to help understand…

(Wikipedia extract) Mitsuru Ushijim was a Japanese general at the Battle of Okinawa, during World War II.

Ushijima was sent to Okinawa to take command of the newly formed 120,000 man Japanese 32nd Army, charged with the defence of the Ryukyu Islands against American invasion. Ushijima commanded all Japanese forces in the southern portion of the Okinawa main island from his headquarters based in Shuri Castle in Naha. He led a skillful defence of the island.

After an offensive action led to a near massacre of the attacking Japanese troops by superior American firepower, Ushijima adopted a defensive attrition tactics. However, slowly, this failed too. Ushijima and his Chief of Staff General Cho retreated to Hill 89; but the situation of the 32nd Army soon deteriorated, as communication with the last defensive positions was cut.

Ushijima refused to surrender. Instead, Ushijima and General Cho committed ritual suicide, each disemboweling himself with a short sword followed by his beheading by his principal aide.

General Yahara, his Second in command, was the most senior officer to survive the battle and be captured by American forces. Yahara had asked Ushijima for permission to commit suicide, but the general refused his request, saying, “If you die there will be no one left who knows the truth about the battle of Okinawa. Bear the temporary shame but endure it. This is an order from your army commander”. Yahara later authored a book entitled "The Battle for Okinawa", describing Ushijima’s last moments.

Ushijima was described as a humane man who discouraged his senior officers from striking his subordinates and disliked displays of anger because he considered it a base emotion.

• How would you define the identity of Mitsuru Ushijim?
• What was his sense of identity and what were the similarities or differences from his conditioning?
• Is seppuku (Japanese ritual suicide) a form of surrender? If yes, to what? If No, why not?

Share your opinion and experiences;

• What is the relationship between surrender, conditioning and stress?
• What is the relationship between surrender, yama and niyama?
• How does surrender impact Situational Awareness?
• In the above example, there are two kinds of surrender – surrender to an external entity (the enemy in this case) and surrender to one’s fate, which is based on one’s conditioning. What is common and different between these two types of surrender?