Purity

“Blessed are the pure of heart: for they shall see God.”

                                       --Matthew 3:8

Buddha: the One-Who-Knows, the one who has Purity, Radiance and Peace in his heart.

Dhamma: the characteristics of purity, radiance and peace, which arise from

Morality, Concentration and Wisdom.

The left side of the painting is the formula for peace (inner and collective).  The right side of the painting  tests and reflects the quality of the characteristics of the left.

Purity is a reflection of Morality.  

The main purpose of Meditation is to achieve Equanimity.  To be equanimous is to be free from clinging and attachment.  Equanimity is the state of a calm and clear mind.  Equanimity is the state of Purity.  Purity experiences equanimity and equanimity experiences purity.  If you are in either of these states you are experiencing the other.  Pursue equanimity and Purity will arise as a natural effect. 

“There is so much contention and discord in the world.  If we could just keep our hearts pure, everything would be fine.”

                                                                -- Morihei Ueshiba

‘The universe itself is always teaching us Aikido, but we fail to perceive it.  Everyone thinks only of him or herself, and that is why there is so much contention and discord in our world.  If we could just keep our hearts pure, everything would be fine.  Do not think that the divine exists high above us in heaven.  The divine is right here, within and around us.  The purpose of Aikido is to remind us that we are in a state of grace”[1]. 

Keep your mind pure.  When you create negativity you are your first victim[2].  The moment you break the law you are punished.  When you live with a pure mind you have peace and harmony.  When the mind is pure, you feel peace, harmony, and happiness.

“If the mind becomes impure, for sure, one’s deeds will be impure; if the deeds are impure, there will be suffering.  So it is of the greatest importance that the mind and body be kept pure.[3]”

THE WAY OF PURIFICATION

PURIFICATION OF THE MIND.[4]

People have worldly passions which lead them into delusions and sufferings.  There are five ways to emancipate themselves from the bond of worldly passions. 

Firstly, they should have right ideas of things, ideas that are based on careful observation, and understand causes and effects and their significance correctly.  Since the cause of suffering is rooted in the mind’s desires and attachments, and since desire and attachment are related to mistaken observations by an ego-self, neglecting the significance of the law of cause and effect, and since it is from these wrong observations, there can be peace only if the mind can be rid of these worldly passions. 

Secondly, people can get rid of these mistaken observations and resulting worldly passions by careful and patient mind-control.  With efficient mind-control they can avoid desires arising from the stimulation of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin and the subsequent mental processes and, by so doing, cut off the very root of all worldly passions.

Third, they should have correct ideas with regard to the proper use of all things.  That is with regard to articles of food and clothing, they should not think of them in relations to comfort and pleasure, but only in their relation to the body’s needs.  Clothing is necessary to protect the body against extremes of heat and cold, and to conceal the shame of the body; food is necessary for the nourishment of the body while it is training for Enlightenment and Buddhahood.  Worldly passions can not arise through such thinking.   

Fourth, people should learn endurance; they should learn to endure the discomforts of heat and cold, hunger and thirst; they should learn to be patient when receiving abuse and scorn; for it is the practice of endurance that quenches the fire of worldly passions which is burning up their bodies.

Fifth, people should learn to see and so avoid all danger.  Just as a wise man keeps away from wild horses or mad dogs, so one should not make friends with evil men, nor should he go to places that wise men avoid.  If one practices caution and prudence, the fire of worldly passions which is burning in their vitals will die down.

These are the five groups of desires in the world.