Loyal to the T
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| Master and Disciple, Yogananda and Rajarsi |
Yogananda is often quoted as saying that ‘Loyalty is the first law of God.”
What is loyalty, and to where and whom does our loyalty belong?
A dictionary defines loyalty as faithfulness or allegiance to a person, cause, ideal, or institution. For myself, it has been helpful to relate my own idea of loyalty with the people and things to which I am devoted; that which I honor and love, because I know God has put them in my life.
From the beginning of life, we learn to apply the principle of loyalty. First, most often, to mother and father, then to siblings, family and friends. As we get older, to teachers, team, town, church, job, and more intimate relationships, as well as to ideas and causes, which give meaning to our lives.
We find that in the need to go deeper in any arena of life, there is a corresponding, fundamental need to practice loyalty to it; how could one be a dependable and compassionate parent, without loyalty to one’s child? Or a loving and faithful spouse, without fidelity and commitment to their partner? In many ways, our own loyalty is the natural bi-product of our own heart’s desires and directives. We both have a say in that direction, and we also follow the dominant inclinations of the heart, whether they be in purity or impurity.
Loyalty also can be a bit of a moving target. To remain loyal to the same things that we valued as a teenager; or to the same job, or friendships, which are no longer serving our highest Light, become a hindrance, and can even retard our spiritual progress. Rather than facilitating more fertile ground for our sacred experience of life, blind loyalty can even put us in reverse. In many cases, persons, organizations, and nations have used the ideal of loyalty to steer many a boat into choppy and dark waters. Discrimination is key in our personal development of Loyalty.
We also find that at times, our loyalty may be a product of a more passive commitment, to whatever makes us feel good in the moment, regardless of the consequences.
Yet, as we ‘grow up’ spiritually, the question of where our loyalty belongs, becomes a topic for sincere prayer and meditation. Perhaps a job is right, for a while; or a relationship is beneficial, for a season. But, when things change and the chips fall, it eventually becomes clear that no amount of attachment can keep things the same as before. In other words, loyalty, when applied outwardly to the world around us, is subject to evolution and change, just like life itself.
In the ultimate sense, and as Souls on the path of Self Realization, such changes become our teacher. Gradually, and through change, we learn how to place our loyalty into higher realms. That is, removing our ‘eggs’ from the varied and complex baskets of the ways of men, to place more and more into the God basket. Self-honesty and sincere reflection are essential to having a right relationship to this deeper kind of Loyalty.
If we relate our own understanding of loyalty to how, and with whom, we spend our time, energy, and money, we can learn a lot about where our loyalty truly lies. Are we really moving Godward? Or are we simply maintaining a status quo without much to show for it in our own spiritual evolution… or worse, are we actively moving away from God-consciousness? Sadhana reveals all!
As we each embark on our own unique paths of Spirit, we are given relationships and ideals along the way. Each of these is like a track, which is generally taking us in the right direction. We must be loyal to this track to the extent that we know and feel that it is still taking us in the right direction; that it is True. But eventually all tracks which are born of earthly life and our own self-identity in this body, will come to an end. Swami Vivikenanda once wrote, “It is a blessing to be born in a church, but bad to die in one. It is good to be born a child, but bad to remain a child.”
Whence we’ve come to face this fully, it becomes more natural, and also necessary, to keep taking more and more eggs out of the basket of a ‘worldly’ relationship to life. We find that every action, if it is void of God’s Will and inspiration, will have its own kind of emptiness.
How do we put our eggs in the God basket?
We do this by focusing more and more of our heart, mind and Soul, inwardly, with God.
Having a dynamic, living Relationship with God, is the greatest Loyalty we each can realize. But, each level of loyalty is also important along the way, for each is perfect for the moment that it is given, as we evolve into our perfect Loyalty to the God and Guru inside our very Self.
Vivekananda continued, “Churches, ceremonies, symbols serve children; but adults must burst either the church or themselves… the end of religion is the realization of God.”
Contrary to the dogmas of most any church or organization, it is this kind of loyalty to which Yogananda spoke when he referred to loyalty as the first law of God. Loyalty in the ultimate sense is not to little forms, and little ways; but to this highest Truth of Self, of God inside, by which every Soul is intended to live by.
In my own case, I found that the evolution of loyalty was difficult and painful to come by. I sincerely wanted to be loyal to the forms God had given me in this life; to partner, and church, and a certain prescribed idea of the Path. But as my own yearning to know God personally intensified and grew, God gradually took me off many of the tracks which, to that time, had taken me so far. In fact, He had a way it seemed of blowing up the tracks entirely, when I didn't necessarily step off them of my own accord. This was both intensely painful, and liberating beyond measure.
One may equate this to climbing a spiritual ladder. Along the way and at each rung, we are given relationships, inspiration, purpose, which for a time, demand and deserve our pure loyalty and devotion. Whether and how long these are to remain, depends on God's will alone, and our own ability to listen and act accordingly.
Perhaps the most commonly repeated refrain from the Bible is to seek ye first the Kingdom of God. To this cause belongs our most sincere and loyal efforts. For in this process of seeking, we find that we can navigate the world on the outside, even if it be thrust about in a sea of change - so long as our loyalty, willingness and devotion to knowing God remains intact. We may even find that we come to feel immense joy amidst the pain, as the loyalty to past forms and persons fall away of His will and not our own.
In my own experience, the loftiest quality of this loyalty-ideal culminated in meeting my Guru; or more accurately to say: He found me. Though this was unacceptable to some, because he wasn’t born of the organization to which I belonged, it was no doubt the greatest gift of this life. When we are given gifts of the spirit, we know there is nothing more important, nothing more essential to our Path, nothing more deserving of our loyalty. And if that means others cannot accept that, so be it. God’s will be done.
Such has been my own path, to explore what loyalty truly means: To look into the heart of this human life, as a unique and ordained Path from God for my Soul, and to aspire to trust it completely.
Each step along the way has been true, for the time and place it was to be. But, I must keep climbing, and sometimes that means others won’t understand. They will not appreciate that my own Loyalty doesn’t look or sound like theirs. For a time, this can be difficult, and even feel desperate. And yet, over time, with faith, willingness, and steadfast loyalty to God’s will for this life, it all becomes totally and perfectly fine, and even fun.
All that truly matters is that within, we find that Peace and Love of God, ever new, because we are Loyal to the Truth made true in our own life. Loyal to the T.
May you be Loyal to the Path before you, even as you realize it will ultimately lead to the crucifixion of your own ego-self. This is the way of Freedom; the way of Christ. Be loyal, and be free!
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