Purification is a very powerful word. It has ethical, and moral connotations. When we use the word pure what do we see. Cleanliness, transparency, shininess and I can keep adding adjectives. Purification of consciousness is freeing our mind of sensory impressions.

It has a deeper meaning also. Ridding our mind of the backlog of impressions and what impressions we will form in the future. I shared the practice of Inner Silence in my last blog. We apply the practice of Pratyhara. When you close our ears, your mind becomes free from the external sounds. When we close our eyes, our mind becomes free from visual perceptions. If we withdraw our mind, our mind becomes free from thoughts. However what happens to all the events of the past, which have impacted on us.

Our Samskaras

These are our Samskaras. They are the cellular memory and can be from our past births. These Samskaras influence our behaviour. Our awareness functions in the form of passion, greed, memory, pain, pleasure, reasonableness, misunderstanding and so on. These impressions are influencing us and stunting our spiritual growth. Have you noticed that when we are chanting or practicing breath awareness, some image or unpleasing thought comes up. We were not even aware of its existence. It is an ancient Samskara. We are surprised and we ask ourselves, where has it come from.

This is a cleansing which is happening and as long as we do not engage with it, it will become weaker and weaker. Suppressing it, it will make sure that you have now entered into a conversation with it. It is stubborn. So ignore it and continue with your daily practice. You are now able to enter the world of Pratyahara. Remember if your engagement with your thoughts decreases, your prana is being energized.

Aim Hrim Klim.