Impurity is essentially a perception-distorter. The impurity
of addiction to alcohol makes alcoholics think that the alcohol which is the
cause of their suffering is the source of irresistible pleasure.
Similarly, when we have the impurity of, say, greed, it
makes getting money by any means, ethical or unethical, seem attractive. For
the soul capable of relishing pure eternal love for Krishna, obsession with
temporary worldly things is an impurity. All such impurities deprive us of the
unlimited joy of absorption in Krishna and sentence us to the misery of
pursuing petty things – a pursuit that brings a lot of karmic entanglement and
misery with at best only a little enjoyment.
As long as the mind is under the spell of greed, it keeps
propositioning us to possess and enjoy material things.
Studying scripture helps us understand intellectually why
impurities are impurities. But still the mind doesn’t accept it. As long as it
is under the spell of greed, it continues to see worldly things as enjoyable
and keeps propositioning us to possess and enjoy them. Of course, we can and should
use our intelligence to say no to the mind’s schemes. But as long as the mind
keeps making such proposals, we can understand that we are still impure.
Nonetheless, if we keep practicing bhakti-yoga steadily and
sincerely, the repeated exposure to Krishna and the deep spiritual fulfillment
thereof will gradually persuade the mind that real happiness lies in him alone
– and that impure indulgences bring not enjoyment but entanglement and misery.
When the mind thus accepts the impure to be impure and gives
up the desire to enjoy, it becomes peaceful. And we become joyful in our
practice of devotion, for we no longer have to undergo the inner struggle with
temptation that interferes with the joy of devotion. The Bhagavad-gita (06.27)declares that those with such a peaceful and pure mind relish the supreme
bliss.
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