Leaves of Morya's Garden - Book 2 - Illumination (1925) - 2.10.1: 2.10.1. On certain steps a clean place in indispensable. Our Ashrams are distinguished by cleanliness. The hygiene of the spirit presupposes the hygiene of the body. Human emanations are harmful for a certain aspect of spiritual life. Many of Us with a special sensitiveness cannot endure the emanations of the world. New Era Community (1926) - 106: 106. When the family does not know how, let the school teach cleanliness in all ways of life. Dirt comes not from poverty but from ignorance. Cleanliness in life is the gateway to purity of heart. Who then is unwilling that people be pure? One should equip schools in such a way that they will be conservatories for the adornment of life. Each object can be considered from the standpoint of love. Each thing must be made a participant in the happy life. Cooperation will help to find a way for each household. Where one person alone does not find the solution, there the community will be of assistance. Not prizefighters but creators will be the pride of the country. Agni Yoga (1929) - 264: Once the Blessed One visited the ruler of Rajagriha. The ruler called His attention to the immaculateness of his reception room. But the Blessed One said, "Show rather the cleanliness of your sleeping chamber, your bath, and your hearth. The reception room is contaminated by many unworthy ones, but in the place where your consciousness is created, let everything be spotless." Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 508: 508. Yes, yes, yes, the seeds of good remain in the spirit, but not sufficient attention is given to them. People remember about accumulations; but, not having preserved their spiritual understanding, they strive to accumulate earthly objects. In the depths of their spirits men know about flights into the Infinite, but, having forgotten the significance of the far-off worlds, they wander aimlessly about on the earthly crust. One should not speak against earthly objects, which are products of creation; one should not speak against travels, which can be the highest schooling - the entire earthly existence must be comprehended from the level of the Higher World. Can one perform only useful actions in earthly life? Of course one can. It is easy to imagine an entire life as a continuous stream of usefulness to others. Santana is not a meaningless rolling of stones. It is like a stream feeding the adjoining fields like a brook bringing cleanliness to the hearth, like rain making the sown seeds come up. Thus, one need not be a special sage to imagine a life useful in all domains. When the fiery waves shall compel people to seek safety in the towers of the spirit, they will regret with loathing each useless incarnation. In consternation they will try to gather crumbs of positive thinking. What is the use of offering advices not to dissipate precious energy! One must think about the approach of very unusual times. Neither cruelty, nor robbery, nor treason, nor falsehood will help one to withstand the fiery waves. Not shame so much as suffering will compel quests for salvation. Fiery World - Book 2 (1934) - 13: 13. One should observe not only Ours but also the Black Brotherhood. It is erroneous to minimize the strength of the dark forces. Very often their victory is due to such neglect. People very often say, "They are not worth thinking about." But one ought to think about everything existing. If people justifiably protect themselves against thieves and murderers, so much the more should they guard against the assassins of the spirit. One should appraise their strength in order to better withstand them. Ur. fearlessly visited the dark ones. She saw many of different grades, and in her valor she addressed them. Verily, there exists such a degree of courage that even the power of darkness is silenced. True, it is impossible to ever convince the dark ones, but one may paralyze them and considerably weaken them. Therefore, it is so important to oppose darkness actively. Out of dead dust - only dust is born. For the sake of home cleanliness various brooms are used. And when one finds a scorpion in the house, then it is immediately removed. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 531: 531. For what reason then are people being tormented here? Why are sufferings not diminished? Why is hatred so strongly in possession of hearts? The shield of the spirit has been forgotten. There is nothing supernatural in a reminder about the Fiery World, where the coarse knags are being burned away. People consider bodily cleanliness necessary, but after ablution by water there is need of one by Fire. One may understand that water pertains to subtle ingress, but further along Fire is needed. AUM (1936) - 30: 30. Significant features have attached themselves to various beliefs. In antiquity it was required that before praying the priest should bathe and put on clean garments. Now the reverse has come about - luxurious outer garments are displayed, but cleanliness beneath is forgotten. Let us compare such involutions of basic concepts and reflect on the state of spirituality. To a great extent the significance of invoking the Highest has been forgotten. Many books have been written, yet hearts become silent. Thus, it is necessary to remember that you need not luxury of dress, but cleanliness. Let the purity of the path lead to purity of the heart. Prayer cannot rise from a defiled heart. AUM (1936) - 218: 218. The foundation of life must be a clean one. True, certain bipeds pass their whole lives in mire; they somehow vegetate, but anyone who is accustomed to cleanliness stifles in filth. AUM (1936) - 293: 293. If the precipitates of space upon cities were to be investigated, something similar to imperil would be found among the poisonous substances. Carefully observing this poison, one comes to the conviction that it is imperil exhaled by the breath of evil. Undoubtedly, breathing permeated with evil is a carrier of injurious effects. If poison can be deposited in the organism, due to irritation, if the saliva can be made poisonous, then the breath can also be made a poison-carrier. It is necessary to judge how much evil is being exhaled and how multiform are the aspects of evil compressed into the new combinations of poisons present in enormous crowds of people. This is increased by the varied effluvia of decomposing foods and all manner of refuse which litter the streets even in metropolises. It is time to look after the cleanliness of backyards. Cleanliness is necessary out of doors and in the human breathing. The imperil exhaled by irritated people is identical with filth, or shameful refuse. It is imperative to impress people's consciousness with the fact that each bit of filth infects those around. The filth of moral dissolution is worse than any excretions. AUM (1936) - 425: 425. The question of self-perfection and of national health are closely connected. Let us summon woman to one and to the other. Both tasks are in need not so much of governmental as of family enjoinment. One cannot command purity of thought; one cannot even command purity of speech. One cannot command a healthful cleanliness of the home. Only enlightenment affirms sanity of spirit and body. Brotherhood (1937) - 450: 450. Wherein, then, is progress? Some assume that it is in constant recognition of the new. Will not such aspiration be one-sided, and must there not be added to it regulation of the old? More than once it has been shown that people abstractly strive toward something new, and yet continue to dwell in an old pigsty. Someone gives lectures about cleanliness, yet is himself extremely filthy. Will such instruction be convincing? Or a lazy man summons to labor, but who will give heed to him? Let us not be afraid to repeat such primitive examples, for life is full of them.
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