Purity of the means ensures purity of the end. (SSS Vol.7, p. 91)
Be pure in words and deeds, and keep impure thoughts away. I am in everyone of you, and so I become aware of your slightest wave of thought. When the clothes become dirty, you have to give them to the wash. When your mind is soiled, you have to be born again, for the cleansing operations. The dhobi beats the cloth on the hard stone, and draws over it the hot iron, to straighten the folds. So too, you will have to pass through a train of travails in order to become fit to approach God. See Me as resident in every one; give them all the help you can, all the service they need; do not withhold a sweet word, a supporting hand, an assuring smile, comforting company and consoling conversation. (SSS Vol.7, p. 96)
None but the pure in heart can understand the sport of Krishna. (Bhag Vahini, p. 188)
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo si me
(Bhagavad Gita, 18:65)
Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru; this command of the Lord means just this: ‘Keep your mind steadily on Me, be devoted sincerely to Me, prostrate before Me offering all your thoughts, words and deeds to Me, Love Me steadfastly’ - He has commanded.
He has thus indicated that what He most desires in you are a ‘pure mind’ and ‘untarnished love’. (GV, p. 188)
When the Lord does not approach the devotee, the fault lies in the heart of the devotee; it is not pure enough. Purify the heart by being good and kind to all. Do not attempt to find fault with others. Look upon all with love, with respect, with faith in their sincerity. I would ask you to treat your servants kindly. Do not entertain hatred or contempt in your heart; show your resentment, if you must, through words, not action. Repent for the errors that you commit and decide never to repeat them; pray for strength to carry out your resolutions. (SSS Vol.4, p. 106)
Since ancient times food was offered to God and so it became prasad. Then we can ensure purity of the food that becomes transformed. Nowadays the husband and wife are fighting at the dining table. The reason is that the impurities of the cook cause all these disturbances. The cook cooks for a salary. The housewife cooks with purity.
Among the qualities a man has to develop if he is to realise his divinity, the foremost is Kshama (forbearance or forgiveness). It is essential for every human being. It is supreme among virtues. Kshama is Truth, Righteousness, Sympathy, Non violence and all else. Kshama comprehends every quality. How is Kshama to be acquired? It is acquired by practising four kinds of purity:
- Dravya Shaucham (purity of materials); 2.Manasika Shaucham (purity of mind); 3. Vak Shaucham (purity in speech); 4. Kriya Shaucham (purity in action or purity of body).
Dravya Shaucham (Purity of materials): This covers all things used by a person-from clothes, food and cooking utensils to houses-and all the varied things used by a person. Everything that is in daily use should be completely pure.
Manasika Shaucham (Purity of the mind): This calls for total elimination of attachments and aversions from the mind. Hatred and envy should have no place. One should cultivate the large heartedness to return good for evil and not to cause pain to anyone in any circumstance. This is a mark of a pure mind. Today people are filled with hatred and envy. They cannot bear to see others happy or prosperous. This is a sign of a polluted mind. Men with evil minds develop demoniac traits. To be truly human, one has to have a pure, unsullied mind. He has to recognise that the same divinity is present in everyone. He should realise that the pure spirit that dwells in him and the power that animates him are present equally in every human being. One who is conscious of this unity will have an untrammelled mind.
Vak Shaucham (Purity of speech): This means that one must speak the truth. He must be sweet and pleasant in speech and avoid using harsh words. Excessive talking should be avoided. Purity in speech implies avoidance of falsehood, garrulousness, abusive language, slanderous gossip and speech that causes pain to others. Today there is very little purity of speech. Bad thoughts and bad words are the order of the day. A vile tongue fouls the mind and dehumanises man.
Sarira Shaucham (Purity of the body): The body has to be purified by performing Achamana with water (this ritual involves uttering the names of the Lord thrice and drinking three spoonfuls of water from the plam). When these four kinds of purity are practised, the quality of Kshama develops to some extent. (SSS Vol.21, pp. 4-6)
What exactly do you mean by purity? Divine love is the real purity. When you develop love of God, fear of sin is automatically present. This will confer unity. When purity and unity are both present, we become divinity. Sufficient success can be achieved in business if one keeps his vision firmly fixed upon these three qualities. Do not desire profits and success at the very beginning of the business. it is not right. To satiate such desires, you may develop a tendency to take to crooked means. You may have to tell lies, break laws and commit fraud. You may even befriend wicked people. As a result one day, you will find your entire business shut down. Take care to see that under no circumstances shall bad company approach you. By adhering to the truthful path, you can achieve anything. (M, pp. 208-209)
We should keep the body pure. Not only that, our thoughts should also be pure. We should spread the message of purity and cleanliness among our associates to make purity prevalent in society. You should have the company of only those who are pure in body and thoughts. Then your purity will shine forth with its natural effulgence. This will earn you the grace of God. (S.S. October 2005 p. 290)