Overview of Purification - Body, Speech and Mind (I001)

• ¶ Our Unfit Vessel — Into the Process of Purification ↴
• ¶ Acknowledgement of Impurities that Hinder Our Progress ↴
• ¶ Our Planes of Purification — Body, Speech, Mind ↴
• ¶ Breaking the Loops of Habitual Conditioning ↴
• ¶ Constraints of Ego — Attachment to Identity ↴
• ¶ Purifying the Body — Internal Discipline ↴
• ¶ Purifying the Body — External Discipline ↴
• ¶ Purifying the Vital Body — Mature Energetic Alchemy ↴
• ¶ Purifying the Speech — Five Aspects of Proper Speech ↴
• ¶ Purifying the Mind - Metacognition and Layers of Awareness ↴
• ¶ Purifying the Mind — Overcoming the Polarities of the Mind ↴
• ¶ Purifying the Mind — Ego-Identity and Clear Conscience ↴
• ¶ Purifying the Mind — Auditing Our Mental Contents ↴
• ¶ Spectrum of Cleansings — A Patient Process ↴

Greetings from under the palm tree and the clear blue sky. In our series on insight, the very first insight that is necessary is the insight of purification. Here we are with lofty aspirations, seeking to be filled with something, or to uncover something wonderful that makes us better human beings, etc.

Our Unfit Vessel — Into the Process of Purification ¶

However, in here to receive the revitalizing, refreshing stream of life, we bring before us a vessel, a bowl full of holes and full of dirt. Now that does not really add up, does it? Nor does it invite for the manifestation of greater experience of truth and reality.

There has to be a process of cleansing, of purification, of clearing the vessel to receive, to be filled. It cannot be in a disgusting shape. We cannot be in a disgusting shape mentally, physically, importantly mentally. The mind has to be made a fitting receptacle.

Just as a well calibrated antenna would have no trouble receiving a clear signal. However, a dented, bent antenna with a bird's nest and leaf litter and random garbage hanging over will not allow you to receive what you might wish for.

Just so, this body and this mind, they need to be cleaned, they need to be refined in order to become befitting recipients, befitting vessels for carrying something more substantial, more fundamental to life, something that is pure, right? You cannot put a pure thing into an impure container. The container has to be purified for pure contents to be put in.

Acknowledgement of Impurities that Hinder Our Progress ¶

All right? And so, step number one. Acknowledgement. Okay? We cannot be in denial of the fact that there are impurities hindering our progress — hindering, tainting our perception, influencing our interactions on many, many layers.

And whenever we land in a situation where conflict arises, negative emotion is swelling, everything is getting in the general miserable, painful direction. This indicates that there are impurities present, gives us an opportunity to reflect on the situation, on ourselves importantly — what crap did I bring into this to make such a disaster possible. So, acknowledgement, number one.

Our Planes of Purification — Body, Speech, Mind ¶

Then, an overview of the different planes of our being that need to be purified. These are often summarized under three general headings — body, speech and mind. Okay?

And in here, in the body, we have both the subjective internal body, this body unto itself, and then actions, the interactive preoccupations of this body, encountering other living beings engaged in many situations, many actions. So there are two aspects to the purification of the body, two planes to the body.

Then, speech, the instrument through which we pour most of our intentions into the world. The speech needs to be purified. How many of our problems are caused by action, how many by thoughts, and how many as the immediate preceding cause to a problem are caused by speech — uncontrolled, unregulated, destructive speech, or even simply very inconsiderate speech. The speech would likely take a very high ranking there as the source of our many conflicts and problems.

And then finally the mind. In cleansing the mind we will have, again, a couple of levels. One is simply on the level of the faculties, the functions, the dynamism of the mind in itself as a mechanism that has been compromised. And on the other hand, through all of the gears of the mind, there is content flowing through. So there is also a necessary cleansing, clearing, clarifying, and making orderly the contents of the mind as a part of the process of purification. All right?

Breaking the Loops of Habitual Conditioning ¶

Underlying all of this, we will eventually come to a point of questioning — why do I keep doing these same things over and over again, even though I have seen the undesirable, harmful, negative, and painful outcomes that follow. Attachment. We have attachment to particular things that we just don't want to let go.

There is a habitual conditioning that drives us, day in and day out, the body, the mind, and as the necessary reflection, the speech, all conditioned by habits that need to be encountered, acknowledged, and broken in order to come to a point of evaluation of each situation unto itself, on its own merits — and in there, a certain freedom of choice to actually do the right thing, to do the pure thing. Okay?

Constraints of Ego — Attachment to Identity ¶

Beyond attachment and habitual conditioning, we have our ego. And our ego is a word that means a lot of things to a lot of people. In here, ego simply as our self-attachment, the most fundamental attachment, attachment beyond our car, beyond our partner, beyond our shoes, and beyond our threads, and beyond our dwelling. Attachment to this identity, a self-concept in itself that we have crafted and that we are defending throughout our lives.

This very root condition, root pollutant, compromises every aspect of the mind, of the speech, and of action that follow. So there is a need to free your mind from the constraints of the ego, to let awareness take on the many forms of the situations, as the realm of interaction calls, rather than fixating into a particular identity that we try to push into every situation in order to feel a sense of validity, self-worth, etc.

That is a constraint and it is a pollution. Okay?

Purifying the Body — Internal Discipline ¶

Then, returning to the body. First, just the mere physical body, and internally, unto us — this body here, not going anywhere, not engaging in other actions.

How do we purify the body? For example, we purify the body by restraint. The body has been spoiled throughout the years. We have allowed everything that the body has asked for. And now it's time to draw a line through restricting what the body is given — in order to break the conditioning of the body.

For example, we may often sleep excessively, beyond the actual need of our physical and mental recovery. So cut the sleep. Initially, you may cut a bit much, just to make a point, and then you level, give it what's required, and settle it there.

And again, we may be quite the gourmands or gluttons, devouring any tasty dish that comes our way without knowing when to stop. Okay, so we draw a line. First, we push the line. Today I will only eat boiled potatoes. Today I will only eat bananas. Right. Then, next time, I eat proper meals, but in a portion that is sufficient to sustain my physical being, not to an excess. And the great challenge, our favorite foods, can we also control ourselves? And in this way, a certain purification of the body happens.

Again, we may be sleeping on comfy cushions every time, and if we should land with a mattress that is not a spring bed — ooh, and oh, it is devastation. No, just draw the line, put a camping mattress on the floor, the thin thingy — or not even that, just toss in a sheet or a cloth, sleep on the floor, sleep on the ground, sleep in the bush, just get over it, the body can get over it, and learn to tolerate and to accept whatever that is given.

All right, discipline for the body — do not spoil the body, it is not a child to be spoiled. It is a vehicle for our deeds, and it needs to be cast into its proper role, executing the functions that we determine, rather than taking the lead. No, no, but now I want to sleep again, and now I should eat again, and now I should sleep again, as it may happen. No, draw the line, put the body in its place, let it burn for the duration. There will be discomfort, that burning is also your purification, as to the body internally.

Purifying the Body — External Discipline ¶

Then externally, the body in interaction with other living beings in the society, in the nature as well. Purification of action likewise happens by not allowing ourselves to run unrestrained, without consideration for proper ethical grounding, what is good for me and for others in equal measure.

We are not injuring, we are not stealing, etc., common ethical ground rules, we are also not engaging, we are not finding loopholes. We are people of principle, we hold our ground, and we tame our action into something that is beneficial for everyone.

Through this, there will, in time, be a point of balance. But to strike that point of balance, sometimes you need to rewind a bit beyond the line of balance to make a point. So that's there, do not do that to an excess, do not fast for weeks and weeks and then depriving your body of necessary nutrients, do it to a point where the body and the mind, related to your bodily functions, gets the point. All right? So, so much on the body, internal and interactive at this time.

Purifying the Vital Body — Mature Energetic Alchemy ¶

There is also, on a footnote, beyond the physical body, there is a vital body, or energetic body, that is somewhere in between the physical and the mental realms, that people sometimes visualize, for example, as the chakras, fields of energy, vortices, accumulations of attention that still relate to the physical, but that also relate to the energetic and the conceptual.

We have seen, many a time, the forceful attempts, in the name of something spiritual, or some sort of misguided pursuit for a transcendental experience, people taking on methods they are not fit for, pushing the prana, pushing their vital breath, in order to catalyze a certain ascent of energy from the root and the sacral and the da-da-da, to rise to the crown of the head, and so on, without considering that there is a pathway here.

Is the pathway streamlined? Is it clear of obstacles? And when not, with this arising of energy, that sometimes happens spontaneously, not as the result of cultivation, when it rises here, for example, to the heart, and the heart is still full of sorrow, full of jealousy, full of every sort of disharmonic feeling and attachment.

The energy comes here and rattles, tries to push through, but it cannot, the circuit is not clear, and therefore, why would you be shooting with a bazooka into it? Why would you be plugging in a high-amp power line? No, do your homework, clear your channels first, before you open the valve and put the water flowing. Make sure that the trench you dug doesn't have every random corpse and lump of shit in there, if you are actually hoping to transfer pure water from one place to another.

And in this, when purification is accomplished, to a reasonable degree, prior to certain engagements, certain practices, certain activations, the process will be much more pleasant. It will be less of a volcanic eruption, battlefield type of scenario, and more of a beautiful stream of water enlivening the different fields of your being.

Onward from the body, the physical as subjective and interactive, and also the vital energetic body for a footnote — speech.

Purifying the Speech — Five Aspects of Proper Speech ¶

Now, what is good or proper speech? Purification of speech begins with truthfulness. I do not lie, I do not deceive. I say what I know to be true, simple.

Beyond that, what we say it must be true, it should also be friendly. We have no need to be harsh, even if we feel irritated within our hearts. Well, that is our problem, it is not a problem we need to share with others. We can still be kind rather than hostile in our speech. Okay?

Then, what comes out of our mouths, it should also be meaningful or useful. Not random blurts of confusing bits of sentences, where we are still hovering somewhere in the headspace, not having reflected on what is an appropriate thing to be said — so we just say something. Well don't just say something, it is better to shut up. And when you have something a little bit refined, then open your mouth and let it out.

Again, time and space for all things. Do not be with the feeling, I know now the true thing, and I know how to put it in a friendly manner, and I know it's the good stuff. So I have an urge, I have to say it now. Time and space for all things. Hold your horses, keep it on the side. If it is important you will remember it. If not, if you doubt, even write it down, whatever. And then, when the person you wish to say it to is in a receptive frame of mind, in which they can actually gain from what you have to say, then say your thing. Alright?

And finally make sure that what you say is born of goodwill, born of an intention that my speech might benefit the one hearing my words. It's not a game — see all the things I can say, and what the effects are. No, it should come with the intention of benefit for the other person.

So, true instead of false, friendly instead of harsh, useful instead of confusing, timely instead of misplaced, and of a goodwill rather than manipulative, divisive, etc. use of speech. These lead to the purification of our speech and become a pre-emptive solution to so many of the problems that we cause for ourselves and for others simply because of uncontrolled, impure speech. Alright? Speech.

Purifying the Mind - Metacognition and Layers of Awareness ¶

Then onward, into the mind. We have initially, before we get into the nitty-gritty of the mind, there is a certain need to cultivate metacognition, or cognition of cognition, ability to perceive the processes undergoing in your mind and the planes of your mind in which these processes are happening.

In a very brief nutshell, for example — planes of mind, awareness. Very first thing, perceptions, the perceptual mind, sensory inputs are coming. We recognize them. Do we recognize them in a high definition or blurry? Do we recollect similarities from the past? Are these recollections accurate or not? Or misrepresentations, as it may happen. The perceptual mind.

Then the affective or the reactive mind. The experiences that are pouring in stimulate us. Positive reaction, negative reaction, neutral reaction. And from there onward, into higher levels of the mind, we are painting these into emotions in a process that is largely invisible to an untrained mind not attending to its own contents. This plane is there.

And then we have a higher mind that generates meanings, that confabulates structures, establishes relations, etc., etc., that crafts the narrative of our existence. That too is full of impurities and leads us down troublesome and confusing paths of awareness that are reflected negatively in our speech and in our actions as well.

As well as in our internal state itself, that will be unpleasant when we are in an unpleasant framing that we have crafted ourselves for no real good reason. These constructs that we create, unfounded, are also a form of impurity that needs to be deconstructed and cleansed away.

Purifying the Mind — Overcoming the Polarities of the Mind ¶

Then, when we speak of the mind, we'll first look at the faculties, the dynamisms of the mind, the basic routines and polarization that deserves attention and that should be observed. Where there should be an interjection from the higher awareness, where these habitual dynamics can be intercepted and modulated into something more appropriate, something pure.

We have polarities, such as a very fundamental polarity of attachment and aversion, love and hate, push and pull. We know that this is in the context of the affective mind, the mind generating reactions. Is everything that follows in my mind the result of a desire? I want this. Or an aversion, it's simply the other side, the flip side of the coin. I want this, I do not want this. This I push away, this I pull in.

Now why? Why do you do that? Inquire, and through that inquiry, there will be a certain knowledge and wisdom arising that will help you overcome the entanglement of attachment and aversion in its countless forms, as it may appear.

Then again, another example. We cannot hope to possibly cover every aspect of the mind in this brief video, but to give you relevant examples, we have the polarity of restlessness and inertia. These are simply faculties, dynamisms, states of the mind that alter our ability to comprehend. Restless, we are scattered, we are driven to every direction, and there is a certain light-headedness and un-rootedness to our thinking process. Inability to concentrate.

On the other hand, we have inertia. Something like a depression. Or just lethargy, laziness to think about something even though I should, or to... Even if I hold on, typically I gravitate to a particular thing, and even that is a meaningless blob of something, and I am just not very interested in anything. Restlessness and inertia. This polarity, observing restlessness, toning down inertia, lift it up into a balanced plane. These two are impurities, restlessness and inertia. Okay?

Purifying the Mind — Ego-Identity and Clear Conscience ¶

Beyond that, we mentioned the matter of the ego earlier. Self-infatuation. I am this particular being, an identity that has been crafted, and I should put on a particular appearance. Others should perceive me in a particular way, and may there be no dents or threats into this image. Otherwise I myself, in my depths, am hurt.

And this defense of the ego, a very significant impurity, dominates the mental process and the interactive engagements with other living beings. It is not desirable, it is an impurity.

Again, there is such a thing as conscience. Certain deep-rooted inner ethics, what we know, and feel and have witnessed, to be true and beneficial. And if we act against them, we should feel at unease, we should feel a sense of shame. Why did I do this? This was not right. And take measures to compensate, to do right unto others — what we did wrong, to remedy situations.

There is a cleansing, clearing of conscience, and this clearing happens in proportion to the release of our attachments, the release of our ego. The more these are cleansed away, the louder the innate voice of true ethical course of action becomes. So in here, dynamics, faculties, states of the mind.

Purifying the Mind — Auditing Our Mental Contents ¶

And then onward to the contents of the mind. In here, there is a lot of content, conflicting content. Doubts arise, this and that, why this, why not that? And there are parallel possibilities that we have planted in, both of which have their merits, we have not reconciled. There is internal conflict.

This conflict leads to unsettled states of mind and there is something deeper that we need to resolve. There is an impurity that facilitates these conflicts — that may even yearn for conflicts. Conflicts, doubts need to be cleansed, and we need to land at a pure insight. Unattached to the insight, simply the insight and the wisdom that naturally emerges from things as they are, that is pure. Any confabulations are impure and bound to collide, clash and generate doubt, generate further restlessness.

And in tracking down where do things come from, what is the nature and composition of the contents of the mind, there is another impurity blocking us, a certain delusion. We do not want to pay attention to the cascade of causes and effects.

Here is a cause leading to an effect, branching into two separate effects, another causal chain in a system of enmeshed causes and reactions. And if we were to attend to that with attention, with sincerity, we would see that many are our mistakes, many are our faults, many are the troubles we have made unto ourselves and for others.

There is a certain unease in a process that inevitably leads to a self-judgment and rectification. We would rather put on a veil of delusion, a certain comfortable fog that keeps us in a more blissfully ignorant state. That is an impurity, that is a pollution, it should be cleansed away.

Again, in the mind, as the result of all of these contorting forces, here are many, many cognitive distortions, biases, slants to both our cognitive process and to the contents, the way we have interpreted things, the way we have framed things through our tunnel vision in the past. These are something that should be re-evaluated. The contents of your mind should always and ever be re-evaluated in a progression of cleansing and extracting your actual essence.

What is it that you actually experience? What is the reality of what transpired? And through that process, free yourself of ill-will, negative feeling, misconceptions related to all the things in your past that accumulated here as your base of reference. Do not reference expired data. Make sure your data in there is up to date and cleansed by the current best understanding.

Spectrum of Cleansings — A Patient Process ¶

Okay? So in there we have a spectrum of cleansings, purifications of the mind. In there, we have covered a lot of ground. And it is a process of purification. It is not an act of instant purification. There is no holy water we can sprinkle. There is no guru who will touch your head and give you wisdom and purity.

There is no magic bullet that would fix all of this for you. It is a compounding and accumulation that you yourself have accomplished over the years, over the decades, over a long span of time to an origin beyond your perception. But this we recollect, we reflect on in order to purify ourselves.

And having finally gotten somewhere, any ground you cover, any terrain you gain, clearing the pollutants, clearing the impurities, guard it so that it will not be invaded by pollution again.

How do we guard it? That is an elaborate topic. But you basically guard it using the same methods you used for cleansing it and are vigilant, understanding the origins of your pollutions so that they may not enter again and compromise this body and this mind and this speech, making our lives more miserable.

Purification is a path to freedom from unnecessary misery. And obviously to higher and deeper understanding and more extensive living experience of the entirety of life. We will conclude it there.

Now go, brush your teeth.