Leading a Life of Purity part – Eighty Four
Leading a Life of Purity
What is fundamental to a man’s life is his moral stature. Neethi means right conduct. It is the path that leads one to the sublime. Good character, purity of thought and selfless sacrifice are all covered by Neethi. To promote Neethi, the divinity that is in each one must be manifested. For this purpose, even the body has to be made pure and hence good health is essential.
The word ‘Health’ is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘helig,’ meaning paripoornamu (wholeness) or inner spirit. What is the wholeness that is to be achieved? The body consists of the sense organs, the mind, the intellect, the consciousness, and the indwelling Spirit. “Wholeness” means that all these elements should be whole. The mind should be in a state of fullness. It should not be in a state of “jumps and bumps.” There should be no room for confusion or depression.
Ten Types of Purity
To develop one’s moral and mental strength, one should practise sadhana (spiritual exercises) for disciplining the mind. For this purpose, one has to promote ten kinds of purity (Sattva).
First: The first is purity of the place in which one lives. It is necessary to fill the room in which one resides or studies with a sattvic atmosphere. The pictures or other objects you see should fill you with peace and pure thoughts. Objects which arouse agitation and bad thoughts should have no place. The room should be clean and free from anything that is impure.
Second: In the family in which you live, there should be mutual understanding and cooperation, and a sense of harmony. There should be no discord in the family that will create a bad atmosphere. A harmonious atmosphere will give you true peace of mind.
Third: The third need is sattvic food. This means that none of the edible items should be excessively sour, bitter or hot. You should eschew rajasic food like fish or meat. It is only sattvic when you sit for the meal with a light stomach and get up from it with a light stomach! If you sit with a light stomach and get up with a weighty stomach, it becomes tamasic.
Fourth: Whatever fluids you take should also be sattvic. You should not drink whatever water is available. It should be pure water. Alcoholic spirits should be eschewed.
Fifth: Sattvic thoughts and feelings are of great importance. Students tend to neglect this factor. Only if your thoughts and feelings are pure, can you get the full benefit of a clean room, a good family and pure food.
Sixth: If you want to develop sattvic feelings and thoughts, your vision must be pure. All srishti (creation) is based upon drishti (sight). It is only when you have wrong vision that you have wrong thoughts. You must look upon every elderly woman as your mother and all women who are younger as your sisters. When you are filled with such pure thoughts, you will have pure feelings. Imagine how offended you will feel if someone looks at your mother or sister with an evil eye. Realising this, you have to entertain pure feelings towards other women. You should not commit the sort of offences which you will not tolerate in others.
Eighth: Pure sattvic service. The kind of service which we do should give real happiness to people. Any person whom you wish to serve, you should regard as an embodiment of the Divine. Going to the help of the destitute and the neglected is rendering service to God.
