The Commitment Factor

There is power in keeping a commitment, in knowing that our word is worth something. There is great value in just making that commitment to meditate.
_{Living Meditation}

It has happened to many of us. We make a commitment and later realize we cannot follow it through. We compromise our personal integrity and let ourselves down. We let other people down and project the impression that we are not serious and dependable. And to make it worse, we are saddled with guilt.

The ability to keep a commitment affects various aspects of our life – our relationships, our careers and businesses, and so on. But the impact that it has on our spiritual life is perhaps the most significant, and the one that affects us the most, as it has a bearing on our relationship with the Master.

As disciples of a perfect living Master, we are explained very clearly at the time of initiation, what is required of us. There are no grey areas. We voluntarily committed to adhering to a 100 percent vegetarian diet, abstaining from alcohol and mind altering drugs, living a life that is grounded on morality and, most importantly, practising meditation for two and a half hours daily. We made these choices. The question is how have we held up on our commitment to the Master? Is our integrity intact?

The term commitment implies dedication to a certain purpose or line of conduct. It also means practising one’s beliefs consistently. Therefore, there are two fundamental conditions for commitment. The first is having a sound set of beliefs, and the second is faithful adherence to those beliefs by one’s actions.

If we truly believe that spirituality is the core of our value system and the foundation of our way of life, then not only should we structure our lives around it, but we need to further apply the highest level of commitment that it deserves. It follows, therefore, that our spiritual beliefs have to be channelized into action. Our actions express our level of commitment which clearly demonstrates how seriously we take our beliefs. As Arthur Gordon, author of A Touch of Wonder, aptly says:

Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them, day after day. What you promise today must be renewed and re-decided tomorrow and each day that stretches out before you.

It has been said that commitment is approached in one of two ways: from the outside, where external factors determine whether we will keep our commitments or not; and from the inside, where choices have to be made based on our value system. It is a well-known fact that external circumstances and conditions are subject to change and are not in our control. Change is the nature of the world we live in. If we wait for perfect conditions to put us in the right frame of mind to honour our commitments, we will surely be left behind. Those perfect set of circumstances may come, but rarely do we know when, and even more rarely do they last. Therefore, our level of commitment will fluctuate and wane with those circumstances.

What is of essence is the internal factor, where our choices that we have control over will either strengthen or compromise our level of commitment. By making the right choices, keeping our spiritual development a top most priority, we are in a position to control our level of commitment.

But to achieve and maintain the correct frame of mind is the one big battle that we all have to overcome. Demonstrating commitment particularly on the spiritual path requires a great level of determination and persistence and that does not come easily. As the spiritual Masters remind us ever so often in their discourses and writings, anything that is worth having or pursuing does not come easily. In fact, it is usually a struggle, albeit a worthwhile struggle, for something we deeply believe in.

We need, however, only be concerned with developing the right attitude that will support our efforts in sustaining our commitment to the path. The mystics remind us that the moment we are initiated, we receive all the grace we will ever need to do our meditation. When we lack motivation, effort is the solution. With our efforts, we show the Master that we are trying, and thus we enhance our receptivity to his grace. Repeated effort and Master’s grace allow us to take control over our minds. Moreover, we can renew our commitment daily by reminding ourselves that every time we sit for meditation, we are honouring the most important commitment we could ever make.

Put all your worries aside,
  because there is nothing higher than meditation.
Increase the duration of your practice from day to day,
  never decrease it; always keep this in your mind.
_{Baba Jaimal Singh, Spiritual Letters}