Purity

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

Purity
Similarly also, the Atman or Brahman is nitya, niranjana, nirmala, suddha sattva, all that
stands for sanctity, spotless purity and holiness. Therefore, at the very outset of raja yoga as part of
the practice of niyama, Maharshi Patanjali wants the spiritual aspirant to strive after a state of inner
and outer cleanliness, inner and outer purity. And the classical Vedantic tradition also draws our
attention to the three hurdles that stand in the way of illumination or enlightenment, supreme
knowledge. They speak of mala, vikshepa and avarana. Mala is impurity. Vikshepa is the constant
restless nature of the mind and avarana is a curtain or veil that hides. So they say: “These three
obstacles that stand as barriers between the jivatma and the paramatma, the seeking soul and the
Supreme Being, have to be gradually eliminated or eradicated. They have to be removed.” They say
that sadhana is removing everything that stands in the way of your realisation of the ever-present
Reality.
Gurudev used to put it in a very simple manner: “Purify, concentrate, meditate, realise.”
Purify signifies the overcoming of mala. Concentrate signifies the overcoming of vikshepa.
Meditate signifies the method of removing the veil that hides the Reality within, and this leads to
realisation.
And they state the impurities of the mind to be carnal passion or impure desire, anger,
avarice or greed, delusion and deluded or infatuated attachment, haughtiness or arrogance which is
a sign of ego, and envy or jealousy. They are called the six enemies, the six foes, shadripu, that
stand in the way of attaining wisdom, illumination and liberation—kama, krodha, lobha, moha,
mada and matsarya. And in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna specially and specifically
names lust, anger and greed as obstacles, the dire enemies of man. Therefore, they have to be
overcome, renounced and eradicated from the human nature. “Trividham narakasyedam dvaram
nasanam atmanah kamah krodhas tatha lobhas tasmat etat trayam tyajet (Triple is the gate of this
hell, destructive of the self—lust, anger and greed; therefore one should abandon these three).”
Therefore, growing in purity—overcoming those factors that represent the basic impurity of
the bound soul caught up in maya due to negative samskaras and vasanas—forms an integral part
of the preparation for higher spiritual life. One should sincerely, earnestly and diligently try to
completely eradicate these negative qualities by slow and patient practice, humility, prayer,
satsanga, the company of great ones, keeping a lofty ideal for oneself to rise up to, and by basing
one’s life upon certain principles.
Self-control becomes an essential part of it. Psychological understanding, daily
introspection and self-analysis become a part of it. And a keen and earnest longing for attaining this
state of purity becomes an indispensable part of it, a great yearning for becoming an embodiment of
purity, a personification of holiness and sanctity. It is this which gives the power and force from
within to attain that state of godliness. “Be ye also perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”
There should be a positive passion for purity, a great longing to shine with this divine virtue,
a determination to be free from all these blemishes and to bring about this transformation. There
should be a great love for this life of sanctity, holiness and purity. It is these ingredients only that
will act as a strong all-conquering force that will help the seeker and the spiritual aspirant to rise

above all that is gross, all that is tamasic and rajasic, all that is petty and ignoble, all that is
unspiritual or undivine. Knowing that these things are not good for him, he feels: “They may be all
right for the millions and billions who are caught up in ignorance and blindness, taking the world to
be the one and sole reality and sense enjoyment to be the greatest good fortune, the most desirable
thing, but they are not meant for me.” Thus the real aspirant is wakeful, while others slumber not
knowing the ideals of higher spiritual living.
It is in a state of wakefulness, jagriti, that one has to endow oneself with this shining, radiant
quality of divine purity, of God-like holiness of nature. And it requires a little patient working upon
oneself, through self-analysis, introspection, prayerfulness, cultivation of holy company, good
reading, repetition of the Divine Name and having a lofty ideal for oneself. All these make this inner
process of spiritual purification successful.
And if you take a right view of this important sadhana, you begin to see that this should be
easy for you. It should come spontaneously, because you are the shining embodiment of purity,
being the Atman which is ever pure, the nitya suddha atman. “I am the Atman, ever pure, part of the
divine Cosmic Reality. In me purity abides in all its glory, in all its fullness.”
If you thus identify yourself with your true, essential higher nature, spiritual nature, it
becomes a most natural thing to grow in that purity, to manifest it in and through your thought, word
and deed. “It is natural for me to be pure, because I am the ever-pure Atman.” If this truth is
hammered into the mind, if this truth is affirmed and you identify yourself with your real nature,
rather than with that which is not your reality—the temporary limiting adjuncts—then to grow into
that nature, to manifest the Reality that you are in thought, word and deed becomes the most natural
thing. To rise to the awareness of your sublime spiritual nature and to make your life a spontaneous
process of the expression of this nature, is the secret of a true and effective inner life and inner
sadhana.
The rainbow does not have to perform sadhana in order to be colourful. Butter does not
have to perform sadhana to be soft. Ice does not have to do sadhana to be cold. Fire does not have to
do sadhana to burn and be hot. Sugar and honey do not have to do special sadhana—discipline and
yoga—in order to be sweet. Thus it is: to be what one is, to express one’s unchangeable, essential
nature does not require any special science or technique or sadhana or practice.
It is necessary to be aware of what you are. Then to express, to manifest, what you are
becomes the natural thing to do. This is the secret—the key—for growing in purity and spirituality
and making life a glorious ascent towards God-experience, realisation.
May we all be benefited by pondering these truths which are foundational to spiritual life.
May we all be benefited and grow in godliness day by day, minute by minute, through every act and
through every thought. And let this be something spontaneous. Let this be a matter of joy and giving
joy. For to be oneself is the most spontaneous, most joyful thing that one can think of!
“This is a world of pain and death.” It is also said that if you realise God you go beyond all
pain, sorrow and death. Therefore, while you are dedicating your entire life, intelligence and energy

to realise God in order to get rid of pain and death, it is elementary common sense that you should
not inflict pain upon other living beings.
When your whole life is devoted to avoiding, ultimately transcending and forever liberating
yourself from pain, how can you be so thoughtless, so blind as to give pain to other living creatures?
It is the height of irrationality. It is inhuman, because it goes against human intelligence. It is
completely against the very spirit of your life, the very ideal you are trying to move towards and
achieve for your own life.