The Renunciate's Valiant Vow

By Paramhansa Yogananda (last published in Whispers from Eternity 1944 edition) He who has resolved to renounce the worldly life, inwardly or outwardly, for the sake of attaining God, should take this vow.

My body, mind, and soul come from Thee, O God, and unto Thee I dedicate them. Let my love become Thy love. Let my life become Thy life. Let my desires become Thy desires. Let my soul become Thy Spirit. Let my eyes behold as Thou beholdest. Let my ears listen to Thy truths alone. Let my mind become Thy mind. Let my intellectuality become Thy wisdom. Let my love seek nothing but Thy love. Thou art my only Beloved, who will always love me. Let my aspiration be to carry out Thy will gladly. I will reason, I will will, I will act, but guide Thou my reason, will, and activity to the right path in every action. Be Thou the only love reigning in the bower of my heart. To please Thee, I will act, but not for my own desires. In carrying out Thy wishes, I will be ambitious. To receive Thee, I renounce all else. I will never marry for Thou art my only Beloved. My flesh, my mind, my love, my life, my soul, belong to Thee, O Spirit, and no animality shall desecrate what belongs to Thee. Thou art my Lover; I am Thy beloved. Thou art my Father and my Mother; I am Thy child. Thou art my Master; I am Thy servant. Thou art my friend; I am Thy friend. Thou art my Guru-Preceptor; I am Thy disciple. My hands will work for Thee only; my feet will march unceasingly toward Thy kingdom. My brain will work Thy problems alone. My heart will love Thee alone. My soul will become Thy Spirit. Finding Thy perfect Love, I will seek no other love. Finding Thee, I have found everything.

I will not work to please myself, nor anyone else except my Guru and Thee, O God. Finding perfect Love in meditation, I will never seek transitory human love. Finding Thy complete Love, I will seek no other love. All things which are mine belong to Thee. Therefore, I give myself and all I possess to Thee alone.