What Is Purity?

Purity is luminous and taint-less, and leads one to happiness and right knowledge. Energy springs from desire. Its principal characteristic is attachment, which harnesses a man to ceaseless activity. Darkness is the child of an ignorance which leads man to error, makes him heedless and ties him down to sleep and sloth.

The measure and interplay of these Qualities in every individual nature determines its outlook, its characteristic activities and the tasks which it is impelled to perform. They also inspire the direction of the urge which drives man to work out his characteristic tasks.

Even if, out of self delusion, he decides to desist from such tasks, a man cannot give up doing them. His urge to perform the tasks dictated by his nature cannot be suppressed. His individual nature will not allow him do so, even if he should so want. Driven by its irresistible urge, he must perform them.4 But if he is driven to do so and does not perform through the dynamic unity of all his powers he will perform them clumsily, as their slave and · victim, not as their master.

If Purity dominates his nature, self-control and knowledge will come easily to him. He will be able to harmonize his thought, word and deed with ease.

His approach to Yoga will be speedy and effective. If Energy predominates in him, his thirst for possession and power will make the harmonizing process difficult." But when Darkness has a hold over him, he will remain deluded' and will never feel the need of harmony or if he does, sloth and indolence will never let him make a serious attempt to attain it.