Step 4… We are Loyal
Blessings, Dear Friends,
Welcome to Step 4… We are Loyal.
To continue our mysterious journey forward, we will take a deep dive down to the 1st chakra, known as the Root Chakra, or Muladhara Chakra, located at the base of the spine. This sacred energy centre connects us with the feelings of grounding, security, finances, materialism, possessions, and survival. It serves us by helping us to connect deeply with the truth and reality of our physical and material world. When the Root Chakra is balanced and healthy, it promotes strong feelings of stability, self-confidence, courage, inner peace and strength. An imbalanced or blocked Root Chakra can lead to anxiety, fear, stubbornness, a desire for control, and a sense of disconnection from oneself and the world around us.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
Now that we have taken our sacred vows, how do we continue to prove our faith to God? As we enter our focus on the first chakra, which serves as our connection into the physical world and material world, temptations will be at their strongest. During this journey, we may easily become distracted or drawn towards external desires such as material possessions or worldly pleasures, which may lead us away from our spiritual commitments, our vows and challenge our ability to remain steadfast and loyal to the vows we have wholeheartedly made before God.
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.
Proverb 3:3 (GNT)
This month, as part of our devotional offering to Christ, let us create something creatively, where we can tie loyalty and kindness around our necks as a reminder from deep within our hearts how much we treasure our sacred vows.
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Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
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Spiritualizing a Prayer or a Demand
Such parasites on your prayer-plants should be destroyed by the germicides of self-control, determination, and loyalty to a single teaching. Thus, the glowing, immortal roses of inspiration will be gathered daily from the plants of these prayer-demands.Be still, and let God answer you within. Learn to know Him by the extent to which you know your true, inner Self.
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He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
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Human loyalty will reach up from the earth, and God's righteousness will look down from heaven. The Lord will make us prosperous, and our land will produce rich harvests. Righteousness will go before the Lord and prepare the path for him.
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Affirmation: We are Loyal
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After spending some time in reading, reflection and journaling … Refer to the Visualisation & meditation and when you have finished, if you feel too… You can offer your gratitude and devotion to Jesus Christ by drawing art or writing poetry or finding your own meaningful hearts way.
Yama (Aparigraha - Non Possession)
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Aparigraha is almost a corollary of Asteya. In order to follow the dictum of non-thieving one must have as few pos-sessions as possible.
For Gandhiji, Non-possession was also a proof of one's faith in God. He used to quote instances of devotees who did not believe in keeping back a little food even for the next meal. Aparigraha also helped one in slowly giving up the attachment towards wordly possessions, an essential condition of a seeker of truth, which every Ashramite was expected to be.
And yet Gandhiji realized that giving up possessions was no easy matter. So, for non - Ashramite she propounded the ideal of trusteeship. Possessions, particularly in the form of business ../assets or land, could not be given up without complications. So he suggested that businessmen and landlords should consider themselves not owners but trustees of their property.
A trustee is expected to use the income of the trust solely to the advantage of the beneficiaries. In the case of wealthy people the beneficiaries are all the employees and underlings connected with the wealth. So, all income from the business or the land should be shared-with the employees or tillers of the land. The owner turned trustee should avail himself of the bare minimum, thus narrowing the economic gap between himself and his dependants.
The concept of trusteeship can be called a, slightly diluted social extension of both Asteya and Aparigraha.
These, then, are the interpretations of Panch Maha Vratas.
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As a child of God, your real nature is to be happy; you will never be satisfied with anything less than true happiness. And it will not depend on anything outside yourself. Drink and dope will give you the false notion that you are having a good time, while they are actually destroying your body and mind and stifling the soul. The scripture tells us that on the day of Pentecost, the disciples of Christ were all drunk. They were drunk not with the alcohol of wine, but the ecstasy of God. It is this divine ecstasy, this divine happiness, that your soul is seeking.
You spend so much time in decorating your homes or working to buy a new car; and that is all right. But you must be able to renounce all things inwardly. Why? Because it gives freedom from enslavement to possessions. Just think about that. You bemoan not having what others have. You don’t know what it is to be free.
The contrast of the happiness within your soul outbalances all the pleasure that you can get from your senses. So don’t spend too much time seeking and caring for possessions. Yes, it is good to be neat, but don’t be overly fastidious; after you have cleaned things, they are soon dirty again. Be spotless within. Make your inner self a temple of God. Make it a temple of the mystic life of the universe. Then you are king of everything, and not attached to anything.
That inner renunciation is the greatest way, greater than merely following the path of outer renunciation, undergoing forced discipline with the inner self still attached to the body and possessions. Change your heart, for therein you can make an altar either for the devil of misery, or for the Heavenly Father. Perennial peace lies within, not in outer possessions and conditions.
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Aparigraha encourages us to embrace a simple life, reminding us not to let possessions control our thoughts, emotions and actions and that we can be free. Aparigraha teaches us that by releasing attachment to material things, we can experience true freedom and inner peace.
Aparigraha guides us to keep our material needs to a minimum, and focus our attention on developing our spiritual connection to the highest order, where we will find true appreciation, honour, balance and lasting peace in who we are and what we have.
Visualisation & Meditation (1st Chakra - Root Chakra - Muladhara Chakra) by Prashanti
As we consciously align our faith, trust, and speech with the eternal words of God, let us intentionally and mindfully direct our faith towards the 1st Chakra, known as the Muladhara and Root Chakra, to firmly ground us and deeply connect our roots to the sacred and life giving earth beneath us.
Now let us take a quiet, peaceful moment to spend some time simply gazing thoughtfully at the image before us, gently connecting with the deep, rich, calming colour red that beautifully represents the chakra…
Now, let us focus our full attention on the Muladhara Chakra, taking a quiet moment to observe the vibrant and radiant light that is softly emanating from the image before us. With each gentle and mindful breath, calm and steady in rhythm, we begin to slowly close our eyes, maintaining the focus of the Muladhara chakra firmly within ourselves.
We begin to feel a warm, soothing light filling our entire body with a deep, calming, balancing and restorative energy. As this gentle warmth spreads, we notice sensations of soft waves of peace flowing gently up and down our spine. These waves move smoothly, effortlessly, and gracefully, continuing their peaceful and serene journey until they come to rest in the tranquil stillness of the Muladhara chakra, anchoring us firmly in a place of grounded calm and centred harmony.
And now, let us quietly and reverently affirm together the sacred words from the Psalms and St John, spoken from the true dwelling place of the Lord. Let us hold deeply in our hearts the certainty that we are safe, protected, and secure in His loving presence, fully trusting that our journey through life is divinely guided at every step. So that we avoid distractions that might divert us away from our sacred vows and the essence of our true soul nature. This way, we can move steadily and faithfully upward towards the ultimate goal of our mysterious spiritual journey.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Human loyalty will reach up from the earth, and God's righteousness will look down from heaven. The Lord will make us prosperous, and our land will produce rich harvests. Righteousness will go before the Lord and prepare the path for him.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
May it be so….
Aum Peace Amen
Sacred Music & Mantras
Book References
Ghandhi, M. (N.D) The Eleven Vows of Mahatma Gandhi-Their Observances and Relevance
https://www.gandhi-manibhavan.org/educational-resources/the-eleven-vows-of-gandhiji.html
New International Version. (2025). BibleGateway.com. https://www.biblegateway.com/
Yogananda, P. (1952). Metaphysical Meditations. 1952 Edition. Crystal Clarity Publishers.
Yogananda, P. (2007). How to Love and Be Loved: Wisdom of Yogananda. Crystal Clarity Publishers.
Yogananda, P. (2021). God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita. Ebook Edition. International Publications Council of Self-Relization Fellowship.
Yogananda, P. (2021). Scientific Healing Affirmations: Theory and Practice of Concentration. Ebook Edition. International Publications Council of Self-Relization Fellowship.
Yogananda, P. (N.D) Whispers From Eternity. https://www.ananda.org/free-inspiration/books/whispers-from-eternity/
Yogananda, P. (2021).The Divine Romance: Collected Talks & Essays on Realizing God in Daily Life, Volume II. Ebook Edition. International Publications Council of Self-Relization Fellowship.
