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Purity and Impurity

"It is imposssible for the a man, who in whatever sense truly sees God in all things, to err." -- Sir John Woodroffe, Sakti and Sakta

"To the pure all things are pure." -- Ancient Greek aphorism quoted by Woodroffe

Notions of purity and impurity are human constructs, projections of the mind; they have no realationship to reality, which is just reality. Dualistic thinking limits us, makes us suffer and leads us to forget our own divinity, our connection with all that is.

At the same time, dualistic thinking, the need to distinguish between pure and impure, sacred and profane, good and evil, is probably biologically determined. It seems to exist in one form or another in all human societies. It is also necessary for survival, since in the everyday world, it would be extremely dangerous not to make distinctions.

Tantric practices afford us the opportunity to live with this apparent paradox and gradually to recognize the divinity in all things, ourselves included. There are many practices -- from elaborate rituals, to chanting mantras, to simple acts such as bowing to our beloved, to eating a meal or making love with awareness and reverence. All are valid, and whatever form they take, they function to remind us that the divine is pervasive and not separate from us.

It doesn't matter if you begin with this idea as an intellectual construct or if you have had some direct experience that awakens you to the possibility. Find practices that work for you; they will make the divine increasingly real, and lead you to greater freedom, equanimity and happiness.

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