Because today’s culture tends to eschew anything authoritative or hierarchical, today’s image — that of a king or a queen — might be disconcerting to some, yet it is necessary to a balanced, effective life. From the Hindu tradition, Krishna is a kingly figure. He overthrows a tyrant king, reinstates Ugrasena as the rightful king, becomes a leading prince in the royal court, and advises Arjuna on the affairs of his kingdom. From the Catholic tradition, Mary has been given the descriptive title, “Queen of Heaven.” The Bible contrasts the “kingdom of this world” with the “kingdom of heaven,” and Jesus prays “thy kingdom come” in the Lord’s Prayer. What does this mean for you and me in the context of our daily lives?
As a starting point, Yogananda encourages us to see our bodies and minds as kingdoms which are always governed or ruled by some organizing principle or force. He tells us that the mind and body should be ruled not by “King Ego” but by “King Soul.” The implication is that the soul is in service to God, to truth, beauty, and goodness, and to the selflessness of love. When our bodies and minds are under the authority of the soul, they are guided by heaven’s highest wisdom, and we become the calm image of a king or queen sitting on the archetypal throne of interior centeredness and security. Our lives become peaceful, purposeful, well ordered, and creatively fruitful.
Everything we do makes a difference, tilting ourselves and the world either toward light or darkness. There is no escaping the fact that we all exercise authority; we are all influencers. But what kind of influence do we exert? The source of true influence is not the sword of egoic willpower, but influence born of a powerlessness that avails us of a Higher Power. Valentin Tomberg tells us, “But once God’s authority (influence) is recognized and accepted, the powerless become powerful. Then the divine power can manifest itself — and this is why it is said that a grain of faith is sufficient to move mountains.”
My soul is
a wise and loving ruler
Of this body, mind, and heart.
