Tagged: purity
Question: What is mind? What is no-mind? How to get to no-mind?
“What is MIND? Can you explain through words what is MIND? How to move from MIND to NO-MIND? No-mind is also called pure space, emptiness, what does this mean? I personally feel the mind is total illusion (Correct me please if I am wrong). And if the mind is illusion, how illusion can be associated with purity and impurity? You know they refer it as “Pure Mind” and “Impure Mind”.”
Thank you for your question.
A description will set limits. This may work for tangible items; but when we are referring to intangible such as the “Mind,” is not that easy.
For example, let us take a look at a dictionary definition of MIND: “The element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.”
From my experience, that definition is quite inaccurate; but yet because it is a “dictionary definition” most will believe in that. Of course, if there was AWARENESS we could know the answer, but yet we want words to make intellectual sense of something that is readily observable.
Consciousness is AWARENESS. The MIND is accumulation of experiences and conditioning which shapes our perspective of Life. We use the filter of the mind to make sense of the world. The mind is the one knowing “what is right or wrong” according to society’s teachings. It is the internal voice speaking which brings our conditioning forward.
For example: “masturbation is sinful.” That is conditioning. That is stored in our mind. That becomes our guiding “truth.” Thoughts will appear to support that core belief. Once those thoughts have drilled down in us and we believe them despite our inner conflict; then feelings will settle and those will create emotions, that is; the body will be affected. Then we may play the “dishonest” game of defending that “truth” verbally, while still DOING it. This will increase our sense of guilt and from there, it is only a step into emotional and mental disturbances.
If you want to understand, do not try to make sense of my words. Just use those as guiding symbols. OBSERVATION, AWARENESS is what will allow you to know.
If you go deeper into this, you may be able to recognize that the MIND is not YOU, but conditioning that have shaped YOU into something. It has given you a “form.”
For example, you are clay; but the mind will present that clay into the form of a little house made with clay. The mind will defend that “form” at all costs for it thrives in identity, which will create the ego-mind. Ego is mind.
You said “The mind is total illusion.” I ask you to confirm that through your own observable experience, after reading this.
Is the house made of clay an “illusion”? Yes and No.
However, what is important is to see clay in every “form.”
That is deconditioning. It is not to negate by saying that everything is an “illusion,” but by OBSERVING that clay will present itself in different forms. Every form is a perspective, the way we look at Life.
“Reality” presents itself through different “forms.” All of them are “real,” but illusions at the same time. It all depends on the one observing. His conditioning. His perspective.
This is the reason why the “I” is real for most, it presents itself with a marvelous form… but it is an illusion at the same time.
When there is no-conditioning, what is there then? An Empty mind. That is space, emptiness. Many labels to refer to “no-mind.”
My friend Mathias, one day explained that “emptiness allows for decoration of a room.” If the room has already stuff in it, there are limits as to how we could decorate. For most individuals, the mind is full of stuff, full of furniture, there is no space for anything “new.”
The terms “purity and impurity” are mental abstractions. A duality created by the mind. Concepts to play with.
“Purity” is not to DO some things and to avoid others.
“Impurity” is not to DO things which are not “pure.” Observe the trap. We must define what is “pure.” That definition entails a particular perspective, a particular reality. For example, some religions believe that sex is “impure.” Thus, their definition of “purity” is no-sex, celibacy.
It is not that sex is pure or impure, but it has been defined in a certain way. There is a particular perspective in such statement.
Since the mind is more less a “computer hard drive” full of experiences and conditioning influencing the output of our actions, there cannot be such a thing as “pure or impure” mind, but rather pure and impure experiences, which can’t be. Experiences are only that, experiences.
No-Mind is not the negation of mind, but to empty the conditioning of it, the “furniture” in the room. That is how it is said: “A pure mind is an empty mind.”
The next question will be: How do I empty my mind?
“You” don’t DO it. Once AWARENESS sets in, it happens while at the same time, emotional disturbances may need to be dissolved; but that is part of someone’s particular path. There are no “recipes.”
You want to DO something? OBSERVE yourself, BE AWARE of your thoughts, emotions, reactions, movements. Learn from yourself. “Know thyself.”
Beyond the trap of purity and impurity, there is AWARENESS and lack of it.
AWARENESS is like breathing. We are so used to “automatic pilot” that we need to read what the “expert” says about “how to breathe.” That is the conditioning of the mind: Believe the “experts” if you want to know.
Once we read the opinion of the “authority,” thoughts will arrive saying that “I know what breathing is.” To de-condition means to open to the possibility that “I don’t know anything, despite reading about it” and go through the breathing experience ourselves.
The mind will try to make “my” findings about breathing into a “best-seller.” That is conditioning. Got to make money! Get ahead!
My moral values will tell me that “I shouldn’t make a profit through spiritual teachings.” That is conditioning as well. That conflict will come from the mind.
An empty mind, is empty of that sort of conflict, for BEING knows the direction in Life. There is no need to make a choice, for that is mind.
To listen to that message without distortions, means to discover no-mind.
Purity, Family and the World
There was a reader who asked about following “purity” while living in a family setting and how “all actions of those who are worldly (lokik) rather than spiritual are wrong because at this time solutions are made using wrong means.”
It is important to see how those “black or white” understandings, those “all or nothing” viewpoints are not necessarily a match of what is happening in “real life.”
Dear reader, BE PURITY. That is it. The rest around you are just who they are. No labels to define them. No need for that. Actions are merely a reflection of our consciousness.
Laughing is an activity. Is it “good or bad”? It depends on your consciousness, which is in a setting a circumstance, a time, a place.
Please read the article “On Purity” (http://avyakt7.com/2013/07/28/on-purity/)
Purity is way more than celibacy alone. Celibacy alone does not mean “purity.” Take care of your mind, take care of your feelings, those are very important in following purity.
One of the things that we found in this blog is that actions by itself do not have a “moral” value. It is our state of CONSCIOUSNESS, what dictates the consequence of our activities.
The above is very important to realize by experience, because everyone is in a different situation.
Let us say that you have a husband and 3 small children. Your husband is a decent man and he is used to being intimate with you. There are no issues in your marriage; but you understood that “celibacy” is your next step in your spiritual life.
What would you “do”? Would you leave everyone? That has a consequence. Leaving everyone is not necessarily the answer. Circumstance, setting, place, time…No “black or white” answer.
Your husband may change, but you cannot count on that. Your consciousness is what will make a difference.
BE purity. Be that loving being who is beyond the physical, offer yourself to life and love your husband without resentment in your heart. If you have this “test” in life, it means that you have the capacity to go through it. Work on that purity of feelings and purity of the mind. That is plenty. To be truthful, many practicing celibacy lack purity of mind and feelings. That wholesomeness is lacking.
Please do not allow “black and white” concepts to dictate your life. God is not reflecting “black or white” understandings for there are many situations in life (reality) where we need to observe and BE that which we are looking for without the support of the ones surrounding us.
That takes a special soul. That takes one with greater capacity to adapt and to accept things according to the situation without forgetting your spiritual objective in life.
Life changes all the time. To be trapped in concepts and understandings of “what should be,” is to put yourself in the road of suffering, repression and a peace-less mind.
Obstacles in life are like tall Ocean waves. If you feel that swimming underneath the wave is not “royal,” or “good,” then try walking straight through the Ocean and you will experience where your “concepts” take you. That is how many people have been hurt in life due to being trapped in concepts without looking at life. The Ocean changes. Today is a high tide with tall waves, tomorrow it is not. If you maintain your “black or white” concept with you no matter what, then you are approaching life without being sensible to those changes. Part of wisdom is to adapt according to situations.
Purity is not related with rituals or religious practices. It is a state of consciousness. Know “purity” in yourself, in your mind and your heart so your actions will reflect that purity.
Situations will change. That is life. When we “push” for things when the world is not ready yet, we will only damage things. To learn to wait and consider others is also part of purity.
The above is written for those whose life is experienced in unusual situations and are searching to make their lives “pure,” that is wholesome.
Many religions have the dogmatic idea that everyone has to fit in their “cookie cutter” ways. That only shows lack of understanding about “variety of people.”
It is true that a religious path has the aim for the most part, of reforming a human being’s state of consciousness, by giving the option of a more virtuous way of living; however, those are options not “laws.” Everyone will fit into those options in a “numberwise” manner. There are not 2 alike.
At the end, it is the individual with his own consciousness alone. No one knows his own story better than himself.
A wholesome human being , has the wisdom to conduct their own life without being dependent on anyone. Nevertheless, this is also accomplished in a “numberwise” way.
A good father is there to take care of the child while he grows up, knowing that his child will become an adult to take care of himself one day. At that moment. he still will be his child but not a child anymore. That is the paradox of life.
Our consciousness will dictate if we are children or adults. There is a time for everything. This is true in spiritual knowledge as well.
On “Purity”
In Spirituality, “purity” has the significance of harmony and balance. It is completeness of being. Wholesomeness.
Typically, the word “purity” has been used to refer to the practice of celibacy. However, as most religions and philosophies are mostly caught up in the physical aspects of being, as the beginning point on self-realization; then this is the common assumption.
Nevertheless, celibacy is one aspect of purity. It refers to the physical aspect, on how to channel our sexual energy to be integrated in our spiritual development. This does not mean rejection or sublimation but once again, integration. However, the achievement of this integration means, “partial purity” only. There is more to purity.
The second aspect is related with our mind and the relationship of thoughts and emotions expressing through it. A person who is practicing celibacy but represses himself/herself will not be in a healthy state of mind. His/Her emotions and thoughts will be scattered and divided between his sense of “duty” of following a celibate practice and his “desire,” to express sexuality as any “normal” human being. This inner fight is not consistent with purity.
Although, the beginning of this path has the experience of inner fight, a spiritual being, needs to understand and be integrated with that which started as a rejection.
Therefore, the practice of celibacy out of compulsion does not mean “purity,” but it means partial purity if in fact, there is no repression in the practice of celibacy. Otherwise, it could be named as a “mental case,” if repression is there under the veil of fear. That fear could take many faces: Fear of failing, fear of not being “good enough,” fear of sinning, fear of God, fear of not getting heaven, fear of his own self.
That is why, once the very important step of following celibacy is taken, a deep observation of our mind is essential. To be able to find complexes in ourselves, to be able to find “hang ups,” to be able to find conceptual ideas and how much rejection to our own self (things which we did not achieve in life or our own perception of the self which came from our past without the reference of spiritual knowledge) and rejection for others is lingering in our psyche and being covered under the name of “spirituality.”
Achieving mental clarity then, is another level of “partial purity.” That clarity may be expressed through the exercise of our own wisdom, that is to live life free of fear.
Finally, there is that purity which brings together the mind and the physical being; that is the heart. Those are the feelings.
We cannot pretend to have “pure feelings” when our mind is scattered.
We cannot pretend to have pure feelings, when we are repressing and rejecting ourselves at any level.
We need to be congruent in every aspect, when we are building our spiritual path.
The heart brings that harmony between the physical pole and the mental pole. When we have achieved that completeness, then we can speak about purity that is complete, “full” purity and not a fragmented belief of it.
It is in that harmonious living, when there is no longer struggle due to being pulled into different directions (mind, heart, physical body) that is fragmented; but there is unity, a harmonious single direction.
That is the meaning of being wholesome. Thus purity is wholesomeness. Our “normal” fragmented personality is no longer there.
Question: Intuition means to know things earlier and to catch one`s vibration and this power develops when our mind becomes pure ,right ? but why we catch the vibration of some special soul much easier because our mind is equally pure for everyone (that`s why we are getting intuitive).
Thank you for your question!
Intuition is developed in different souls in a numberwise manner. There is no need to be “pure,” to be intuitive although greater purity will sharpen that ability. Everything works through the law of karma; thus; we may feel more “in tune” with a particular soul than other.
Best wishes!
Question: Respected brother, Is the viceless soul means a pure soul and vice versa?
Thank you for your question!
Dear soul,
viceless means without vices.(obviously.) “Pure” has many meanings. In Sakar Murlis, it usually means a soul practising celibacy.
In avyakt Murlis, the concept of purity has been extended to pure thoughts, words and deeds. That is the expression of the soul in its “satopradhan” stage.
Therefore, we can say that viceless means pure if we take the avyakt Murli meaning.
If we take the Sakar Murli meaning, “purity” is the absence of sex-lust, which is only one aspect of being viceless.
Thus, we can talk the same language and use the same words but we may not mean the same thing.
Best wishes!
Question: Understanding of PAVITRATHA (Purity) Dear Avyakt7 ‘the connecting thread of knowledge’, to this SOUL, ‘This SOUL’, being a CHILD, in its quest for understanding the KNOWLEDGE(Gyan) taught by BABA through MURLIS, seeks ELUCIDATION with regard to PURITY (Pavitratha), which is frequently referred to in MURLIS and which gives a feeling of FOUNDATION STONE for the SOUL, when it enters this LOKUIK world, as per the script of the DRAMA. Whether, a SOUL, in it’s MANASA (Mind), VACHA (Speaking), KARMANA (Action) does an ACT without ‘DUALITY’ (Shall I put it as Double Standard?), can be termed as PAVITRATHA (Purity)?
Thank you for your good question!
Dear soul,
Duality is an experience. Actions are according to our state of consciousness. Therefore, if our state of consciousness is of a detached observer, we will not experience duality. Moreover, in that state of detached observer there is “no one,” as far as “doing anything.”
In that state there is “Purity,” for anything “impure” will allow you to experience duality.
Sakar Murlis when referring to “Purity” most of the time refers to “celibacy.” But as we can see, practicing celibacy does not mean that we will not experience duality. That is why in avyakt Murlis, BapDada has mentioned that “Purity” is more than celibacy.
Best wishes.
Question: What is the UNIT of measurement to measure Power, Purity, Peace, Love and Bliss? In this PHYSICAL WORLD we measure TIME in an UNIT of MEASUREMENT called….Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Day, Night, Days, etc.,. …. and so on. All these are the ‘names’ of ‘words’ that we have coined ourseleves in this LOUKIK WORLD. It is the ‘experience’ that we have coined these words on the basis of our ‘own experiences’. If so, is it that ‘with the experience’ that ‘we experience’ with ‘DUALITY’ and ‘ETERNITY’ that we can measure Power, Purity, Peace, Love and Bliss in this PHYSICAL WORLD?
Thank you for your question.
Dear soul,
The moment you come for the first time in the cycle of time, gives that “measurement” that you are looking for. That is the “natural” way. Time as we know, does not exist just as triangles do not exist. However, we use those “non-existent” things all the time. A clock does not measure time. It just ticks every second and we “believe” that to be measurement of time, just as when we observe the sun setting in the horizon and believe that the Sun moves around the Earth. As a matter of fact, that was the “belief” for many centuries.
Different perspectives, different understandings, different realities. All according to the Drama.
Best wishes!
Exploring the Depth of Living 