Ishvara-Pranidhana is translated as “surrendering to God,” but here we call it Self-remembering. That difference is important, because the Sanskrit word Ishvara is a reference to the Innermost, to the divinity that is inside each of us. The word Pranidhana means “to remember, to perceive, to pay attention.” The translation “surrendering to God” does not convey the active, perception component of this precept. Self-remembering is a moment to moment action. It is not passive or just a belief. The phrase “surrendering to God” is passive. It implies that one should let God take over. That is not what this precept is about. It is about actively being aware of the presence of divinity in each moment.
The True Man