In these days of the darkness of Kali Yuga, we are awash with titillation, sexting, pornography, revenge porn, and couples so bereft of sexual energy that they have to watch porn to even get started in congress. This is the darkness of Kali Yuga, the Age of Iron wherein righteousness stands on one leg and is in danger of falling over. Purity of thoughts, words and actions in needed. In this posting, we bring you ten kinds of purity as taught by Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Guidelines for Mental and Moral Health
Ten Kinds of Purity
Speaking to the students of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning at Brindavan on 29th December 1985, Swami (Sri Sathya Sai Baba) told: “To develop one’s moral and mental strength, one should practice sadhana for disciplining the mind. For this purpose, one has to promote ten kinds of purity”. In these directives are important guidelines to all youth. They are:
- The first is the purity of the place where you live. The room should be clean and free from anything that is impure. The picture 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 place where you live and study should have a satwic atmosphere.
- You should strive to create a harmonious atmosphere in your family. Discord in the family will lead to an uncongenial atmosphere unsuitable for living and studying.
- You should avoid eating tamasic and rajasic food. This means you should not eat food that is excessively sour, pungent or spicy; also, avoid non-vegetarian food. Satwic and vegetarian food is best suited for a good and godly life.
- The fluids that you drink should be pure and satwic. You should never consume alcoholic drinks.
- You should put in effort to cultivate good feelings and thoughts and keep out wrong feelings and thoughts.
- If you want to develop pure thoughts and feelings, it is necessary that you should look at only those sights that are conducive for that. Wrong sights will incite wrong feeing. Srishti (creation) depends on drishti (the seer). You must look upon every elderly woman as your mother, and those who are younger as your sisters.
- The books that you read should help you cultivate purity in your life. Avoid those books that incite wrong feelings in you. Books on subjects other than literature will not affect your character, but be very selective in study of books on literature. If any improper books are prescribed for study, treat them only as textbooks and not as guides for life.
- You should be selective about the service activities in which you involve yourself. Those activities should help you cultivate purity and give you joy; the service you render should also make those that receive your service happy. For doing that, you should look upon the person to whom you render service as an embodiment of the Divine. Choose to service “Darida Narayana” — the poor and the needy, as they too are reflections of the Divine.
- You should practice sadhana — spiritual disciplines — regularly. Only then can you maintain a pure mind. The essence of all sadhana is to develop pure and selfless love for one and all, and to see the Divine in everyone and everything.
- You should choose the right profession that suits you. It is the nation or the community that helps you earn your livelihood. Therefore, you must look for opportunities to be of benefit to the community. You must see that you are always fair, just, truthful and righteous in discharging your duties.
Source: Sathyam Sivam Sundaram, Volume 5, pages 340-343
