Vivekananda Mailing List-10/28/03

[Guest guest]

Purity is absolutely the basic work, the bed-rock upon which the whole

Bhakti-building rests. Cleansing the external body and discriminating

the food are both easy, but without internal cleanliness and purity,

these external observances are of no value whatsoever. In the list of

qualities conducive to purity, as given by Ramanuja, there are

enumerated, Satya, truthfulness; Ârjava, sincerity; Dayâ, doing good to

others without any gain to one's self; Ahimsâ, not injuring others by

thought, word, or deed; Anabhidhyâ, not coveting others' goods, not

thinking vain thoughts, and not brooding over injuries received from

another.