The basis of self-improvement is purity — in thoughts, words, actions, and relationships.
When we falter or fail, the root cause is some impurity in the mind — any defect that causes me, the soul, to lose control of my thoughts, emotions, and actions. It can come in many forms, such as anger, jealousy, greed, or attachment.
But the flaw that does the greatest damage is lust. It begins subtly, with getting impressed by someone because of their nature, personality or virtues. This is a slippery road to ruin. Everyone has one or more good qualities, and these are gifts from God. To be impressed by someone is to be deceived, because we forget where their virtues are coming from, and the ultimate result is sorrow.
Impurity is like a mirage; it often appears in relationships. When someone attracts us, we think it is goodness that is pulling our mind. That is why we think: “This one is a nice person”, “I like this one’s nature”, “and this one is so loving and helpful”. It feels very pleasant for some time, and we are tricked.
We forget the spiritual truth that we are all souls, children of God, and all of us have received an inheritance from Him in the form of virtues. We can learn from others’ good qualities, keeping in mind that they are coming from the Father. The Father is the seed of the tree of humanity, and souls are like leaves drawing sustenance from Him.
If the base — purity — is weak, the edifice of greatness cannot stand on it for long. Being impressed with someone and having desires means there is a trace of lust in the soul. One cannot be impressed unless there is a desire. Desires and attractions repeatedly distract the soul, consuming its time and energy. Consequently, one has no lasting peace or spiritual progress. One may know all the right things — what needs to be done and what will be achieved — but one will be unable to put it into practice.
Identifying and overcoming such attractions calls for attention on one’s thoughts and feelings, the honesty to acknowledge mistakes or weaknesses, and the willingness, backed by sustained effort, to remove them. The peace, stability, contentment and joy achieved by this work make life truly valuable and satisfying.
B.K. Dr Savita is a Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.