Saucha
is the purity or cleanliness of the external and the internal of our
body. But what does it really means? Does external cleanliness means
keeping the environment clean and wash our body until it is clean and
wear neat and clean clothing to cover up our body – maintaining good
hygiene and good health? Does internal cleanliness means cleaning our
body systems – the circulatory system, the digestive system, the
elimination system, the reproductive system, the hormonal secretion
system and all the organs?
From the surface, yes, this is what it means and there are many Yogic practices to help us to achieve that.
But
there are more deeper meanings in Saucha beside all these practices of
purification of the internal and the external of our body.
When
we were told to clean our eyes, ears, nostrils, tongue and skin, it is
not just about cleaning the physical side of the sense organs but it is
asking us to purify the inputs and outputs of these five senses, and
then followed with the purification of the thoughts in the mind as well.
That is what real internal cleanliness or purification is about.
If
we have clear eyesight, good hearing, good sense of smell and taste,
and good sense of touch and thinking, but if we are attached strongly to
the things that we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, and have
differentiation of comfort and discomfort, and have categorization of
good and bad, and we are generating likes and craving towards things
that we feel comfortable and agreeable with, but generating dislikes and
aversion towards the things that we feel uncomfortable and disagreeable
with, then these good functioning of the senses is not conducive to us
at all, instead they are bringing us a lot of cravings and aversions –
dissatisfaction and unhappiness for the things that we don’t like, and
greed and addiction to the things that we like.
And
so, what is the meaning of cleaning all the internal body systems and
the organs but we continue to have so much of likes and dislikes,
cravings and aversions, dissatisfaction, irritations and complains about
the things that we don’t like?
What
is the meaning of doing so many yogic cleansing exercises maintaining
the good functioning of the organs and the senses but continue to have
so much anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, arrogance, frustration and
depression in our heart or our mind?
What
is the meaning of sharpening the function of the senses and develop
higher sensitivity of the senses to feel the internal and external
energy fields and also being sensitive towards the sensations in our
body but we are always being disturbed by the phenomena of the energy
fields within and without our body, and generating strong likes and
dislikes towards the sensations that we feel, and being so sensitive all
the time towards energy and sensations until we feel the need of
protection or runaway from bad and negative energy, or being so
irritated and intolerant with certain things and people?
About
the external cleanliness, it is not just about the cleanliness of our
physical body and the living environment, but it is about the purity of
our intentions, thoughts, actions and speech that we are sending out
there. As well as the company that we are mixing with is whether they
are wise beings (Satsanga) that can uplift us morally and spiritually or
they are unwise beings (Kutsanga) that can pull us down, if we are
still being affected by the outside conditions of good and bad.
There
is a teaching from from our ancient Gurus saying that – if there is no
good company (Satsanga), then it is better to be alone (Asanga) than to
be with bad company (Kutsanga).
What
is the meaning if our body is clean and healthy, our house and the
garden is clean and beautiful, but inside our hearts and the mind is not
peaceful, unhappy, depress, selfish, angry, hatred, greedy, arrogant,
jealous, discontent, suffering and ignorant of the real and unreal, of
what we should do and shouldn’t do?
The
real Saucha is the purity of our intentions, thoughts, actions and
speech. And this will bring us peacefulness, compassion and wisdom in
the heart. It is stop doing bad, and do a lot of good but not identify
with what we do and not do, and not attach to the fruit of actions.
Even
when we are not doing any so called cleansing exercise for the physical
body, but if we have self-control and the awareness of what is pure and
impure, which is real and unreal, then we are really cleaning and
purifying the internal and the external of this temporary physical body.
The
house and the temple that we need to keep clean and beautiful is our
hearts or the mind. The body that we need to keep clean is the inner
self, wipe away the dirt (the ignorance) and we will be back to our
original pure Self and be free from all the attachments towards the
body, the mind and all the phenomena in the world.
Even
though someone might be very filthy and untidy from his appearance, but
maybe he is a saint in his heart and is pure in his mind. The outside
appearance really can’t define the purity of a person’s heart. And a
pure heart person doesn’t need to justify himself or advertise himself
or to have some sort of images to clarify that he is pure and saintly.
May we all attain true purity.
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