Duty/Loyalty To The Cause
- Anonymous
- Jan 29
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 25
...”Make everything you think and do into a service to God! Then it will bring you that peace which you long for. ……..and this will finally help you to overcome all difficulties!”
Abd-ru-shin In The Light of Truth (The Grail Message)
Last night, as I watched an episode of the television mini-drama “Designated Survivor”, I was struck by the sincere conviction attributed to the Navy Seal characters who gladly missed important family engagements and risked their lives to undertake a most dangerous mission. When thanked for their service, all responded that they saw it as their duty, performed in loyalty to the country.
No doubt, one could easily dismiss the movie lines as having been written for dramatic effect. But, I sometimes wonder whether the increasing decibels of vocal views, supported by aggressive demonstrations, that bombard us from news reports are not also sincere evidence of convictions, even if contrary to those that we hold. In other words demonstrations of duty and loyalty to a cause?
Like many things these days, shades of opinion regarding these two concepts differ. There are those who see Duty and Loyalty as paramount virtues in a human being, while others see them as evidence of unthinking subservience to authority. But, even among the latter group, which include avowed anarchists, there is still recognition of the need for cohesion or voluntary acceptance of the principles of the group by its members. In other words its members are expected to give evidence of their Duty and Loyalty to the cause, albeit with a much more narrowly defined focus, oftentimes bordering on the selfish.
From the foregoing, it becomes evident that the notion of Duty and Loyalty, regardless of opinion, are deemed worthy and favorable attributes for the members of any cause.
This conclusion may pose the philosophical question of how it is that which is good can produce so much evil? History and modern times abound with manifestations of this dichotomy. The unquestioned Nazi’s loyalty to Hitler. The inquisitors who sincerely believed that they were protecting the masses from the ills of the heretics. Today’s extremist groups who are trying to protect their countries and values. The ultra-liberal groups bent on forcing the rest of society onto their vision of the “paths to progress”.
An objective observer would have to acknowledge that many members of these groups are marching sincerely and passionately to their own drums. And it would be naïve to simply dismiss their passion as extremist or radical. But the dilemma is, how does one reconcile or balance these sincere but strongly and divergently opposed views. Is it any wonder then that there is and has been so much confusion on Earth.
The simple minded may suggest that the solution to this enigma lies in everyone sharing a common goal/cause. An idea that the sophisticated would dismiss outright, with even with some derision, perhaps. The latter may even give examples of failed, or not very successful, attempts at this idea. Two notable examples from today being the struggles of the United Nations to maintain worldwide peace and the ongoing Brexit drama.
Yet, the keen observer could say that the basis of the dismissal, or the examples given do not address the spirit upon which the simple minded idea is based. This simple idea is predicated on the assumption of humanity’s ability to see or share a common cause, which then becomes the foundation upon which a common ground can be seen, recognized and appreciated.
Except, perhaps, for the die-hard hermit, the average person would not object to the idea that “no person is an island”. Evidence abounds that humanity appears to be connected in numerous bonds of interdependence.
If indeed there are bonds of interdependence existing between humans, It begs the question of why we appear unable to use this as the foundation for recognizing a common ground, and the cause towards whose development we can apply the worthy attributes of Duty and Loyalty.
It is rather clear, after millennia of defining our bonds of interdependence from a purely human perspective, that, perhaps, we have misplaced our focus in seeking this common ground. History suggests that all efforts at seeking this common ground, when starting from a human perspective, inevitably become narrowed and contaminated by myopic views, which eventually lead to divergently opposing causes, pursing their own ideals.
But, what if, as portrayed in the wisdom of the ages, we focused not on the human perspective on the bonds of interdependence, but looked instead for the causal source of this independence? Could we perhaps gain better insights on addressing this dilemma?
Also, why is it that despite the Golden Rules[1] of the world religions, summarized below, the Earth is still sorely troubled by violent and conflicting convictions pursued in Duty and Loyalty by the adherents of these popular religions.
Christianity
All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:1
Confucianism
Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no
resentment against you, either in the family or in the state. Analects 12:2
Buddhism
Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. Udana-Varga 5,1
Hinduism
This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them
do unto you. Mahabharata 5,1517
Islam
No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires
for himself. Sunnah
Judaism
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all
the rest is commentary. Talmud, Shabbat 3id
Taoism
Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your
own loss. Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien
Zoroastrianism
That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not
good for itself. Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5
The answer to this riddle is solved in the quotation by Abd-ru-shin at the opening of this article. I invite the reader to observe that the focus in that quotation is humanity’s responsibility and accountability to GOD….. “Make everything you think and do into a service to God!”. In other words, Only the recognition of our responsibility to GOD will enable us to pursue actions that will be truly developed on the GOD willed common ground.
Even more intriguing and perhaps alarming, for some, would be Abd-ru-shin's explanation that, - quote....
"Each sacrifice becomes of genuine value only when conviction harmonises with duty. But if a man only risks his life in the fulfillment of duty without conviction he thereby degrades himself to the position of a mercenary who, in the service of another, fights for the sake of money, similar to the lansquenets. Fighting of that kind thus becomes murder! "
Murder, in any society is deemed a grievous crime with no extenuating circumstances, and usually draws severe consequences. Thus the quote above implies that persons involved in fighting of the kind that Abd-ru-shin describes as murder, must invariably face the consequences of their actions. Many may think that injuries sustained in such fights should suffice. But that will then beg the question; "what of those who sustain no injuries?".
One may also wonder whether the same strong admonition would apply to people involved in conflicts that are not predicated on the loss of lives.
But, as any objective observer knows, even these conflicts produce their own share of damaged reputations, insinuations and slander. Abdrushin's expanded explanation of the 5th and 8th commandments [2] (of Moses) helps to answer this question regarding these "bloodless" conflicts.
There is another thing about which many who are engaged actively or passively in any conflict are seldom aware, namely their contributory responsibility for the long run changes to society brought on by these conflicts. For example, we are today engaged in the struggle for "freedom of choice and expression", for which some of the consequences ("good" or "bad") are only slowly emerging. On this point, Abdrushin explains that, in accordance with the law of creation, one will also be drawn back to reincarnate on earth in order to experience the societal changes that they contributed to create!
Now imagine, a person who in duty and loyalty to his class was a strong proponent, supporter and fighter for upholding and maintaining the institution of human slavery in one earth life. Then reincarnating in the next earth life into conditions that force his/her spirit to experience the effects of the cause that he or she previously supported in duty and loyalty. Indeed, this is not a just fanciful flight of imagination. People who are familiar with creation's law of Action and Reaction (karma) know that none can evade the consequences of their actions. There are also ample accounts, in many books, of reactions (karma) which, if not expiated in one life time, follow the perpetrator into the life after death, or into another earth life - upon reincarnation. Abd-ru-shin gives a specific example - in his book "Questions and Answers" [3] - of reaction (karma) manifesting for an individual in subsequent life times on earth, after the original deed was perpetrated .
Perhaps the curious or interested reader of this article may want to read more in the books mentioned to hopefully gain a greater appreciation of an ennobled concept of Duty and Loyalty that can benefit all of humanity. Indeed, the serious seeker will find the answer to all of his question if he makes the effort to delve deeply into this work, by studying each lecture, which build one upon the other, weighing up each sentence and, in due course, by finding the confirmation of what has been said in life itself, he will attain a living conviction to which he can safely apply the twin principles of Duty and Loyalty without the risk of causing any harm because he knows his cause and approach is worthwhile and just.
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(Question #20 - The Mystery of Konnersreuth)
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