Purity (Saucha):
Choosing Less
Offers More
By cultivating purity of heart, mastery
over the senses and one-pointed thought are achieved.
Then one becomes fit to behold the Soul.
Sutras ii.40–ii.41
Purity comes through simplicity. Simple living means we choose to have and do less, but as a result we enjoy more. By clearing out things that make our lives and minds too busy, we purify our inner landscape, honoring what is most important. When we create more space to breathe, imagine, and listen to the longings of our hearts and souls, this Sutra on purity (Saucha) assures us that we will find deeper Self-awareness and complete joy.
Theoretically, simplification sounds good to most people but figuring out how and where to begin is challenging. Stress is at an all-time high in the world today. Seventy-seven percent of people polled report feeling symptoms associated with tension and anxiety regularly, according to a 2014 study by the American Psychological Association at the American Institute for Stress. 8 These feelings of stress lock the parasympathetic nervous systems into the production of cortisol and heighten our body’s fight-or-flight response. When we run on this kind of adrenaline for an extended period of time, we become physically and mentally unable to relax and slow down. Our immune systems become compromised and stress-induced illnesses develop. Eventually we collapse.
Purity and simplicity, however, seem counter to modern reality. We live in a culture of insatiable consumerism, where advertisements push us constantly toward the newest, fastest, biggest, and most prestigious. We increase the complexity of our lives by adding more and more to our plates, acquiring and multitasking at an epic level. Almost every daily choice has become complex. How many social media outlets can we maintain? Which of the thousands of supplements for optimal health should we take? Where on the oversaturated Internet can we find needed information? Even spiritual seekers who intellectualize the need for simplification complicate their search for Self-knowing through an endless stream of trainings, podcasts, retreats, and workshops.
The Calm within the Storm
This Sutra on Saucha does not instruct us to sell our worldly possessions or to go live on a secluded mountaintop. Nor does it glamorize some nostalgic ease of days gone by. Practicing Saucha means functioning in the complexity of the world while staying connected to and identified with the pure Self within. This is our peace in the eye of life’s storm. It supports the clarification of our priorities mentally, physically, and emotionally in order to reclaim our natural state of happiness. It anchors us in our innate joy that is not dependent on outer circumstances.
Deep wisdom and serenity lie in simplicity. Profound experience exists in one fully present breath. We have to slow down to realize that less actually brings more. But simple is not the same as easy and anything worthwhile takes practice.
Many people have lost the ability to orient themselves within. They have become toxically associated with what they have and what they do, rather than who they are. This materialistic focus keeps us forever on the treadmill of acquisition and achievement, for the sake of maintaining the ego’s false identity or status. But we are seeking identity and fulfillment in the wrong places.
If we succumb to the incessant urges to buy, consume, and attain, we build a self-imposed jail of material items that then requires more time and energy to maintain. The greater the ego’s attachment to possessions the greater its fear of their loss and the more need it feels to protect and defend. Material acquisition becomes habitual, even addictive to some, as they continually seek happiness from the outside rather than within. No amount of possessions will ever bring lasting fulfillment.
In addition, our activities can also become excessive. Saying yes to every social engagement or project, filling every moment, is not efficient and will not produce true enjoyment. By limiting the number of activities we undertake, we create more quality time for those we do participate in. If, on the other hand, we are forever moving on to the next task or distraction, we do not have a chance to digest and assimilate what has transpired. Just as if we ate continually throughout the day, our bodies could not assimilate and eliminate the food efficiently.
Saucha tells us that it is time to give our bodies and minds a rest from the incessant intake. We need to purify the mental and the physical landscapes of our lives. Even during a busy day we can find spaces to pause. We do not need to check our phones every other minute. If we are waiting in a line, we can just relax and let free thought drift through. Rather than overscheduling our children, we can teach them to be satisfied with just one structured activity per season, leaving time for imaginative play.
The Gift of Boredom
People who feed on the rapid-fire pace of modern life are often afraid to be still for fear of falling behind, feeling deprived, or getting bored. Even the word “simple” may hold a boring or blasé connotation to some. Unfortunately, we have collectively forgotten the gift that boredom brings, which is the gift of creativity. As we move from a state of reaction to one of reflection, we are able to see more of who we are and how we can live more intentionally.
Simplification offers psychic space where our minds can meander, imagine, make new connections, and think new thoughts rather than the same, repetitive old ones. With less to do, we can be more inspired and insightful. Boredom invites us to the pure field of inner resourcefulness.
When we have fewer forces pulling at us, it is easier to stay centered. We hear what our hearts and souls have to say and find the conviction to make necessary changes. The dictionary defines simplicity as “easily understood or done, presenting no difficulty.” Imagine if today was full of ease and presented no difficulty? Choosing simplicity can help make it so.
In the pure moments of presence, we receive deep pleasure as well. A much-needed hug, eye contact, a listening ear, someone holding a door when our hands are full, all bring us simple joy. When we slow down enough, we realize that doing and having less actually brings deeper fulfillment.
We can begin immediately by eliminating one thing from our to-do list. One thing. There has to be something that is not essential. And we can practice being completely present to whatever activity or person we are with rather than multitasking. When we focus on one thing at a time, we create a more easeful experience and a fuller connection in relationship.
Simplifying Thought Purifies the Mind
More challenging than simplifying on the outside is simplifying on the inside in our own minds. If only we could turn thought off without going to sleep or using an escape mechanism like television, Internet surfing, or alcohol. In chapters thirteen and fourteen, the practices of sensory withdrawl (Pratyahara) and concentration (Dharana) help us do just this. Replacing the agitation of overload with peaceful purity and focus helps us let go.
Think of a concern you have been mulling over mentally. Imagine placing this worry or challenge in a container, sealing it, and setting it aside. You can reopen it whenever you choose to, rather than allow it to wildly overtake your mental space without your permission. In this way, we create inner space and find that we can relax, instead of lying in bed at night repeatedly thinking about a distressing conversation or some unfinished business.
When we are relaxed and purified in the tranquility of Saucha practice, an amazing thing happens. We discover what makes us feel alive and creative, imaginative, and purposeful. We discover who we are meant to be in this moment, instead of what the world is shouting at us to be. We find intuitive answers to the questions that have been plaguing us. We find within a deep well of truth (Satya).
By eliminating clutter in both our outer environment and in the inner landscape of thought, we refine our lives. As we relinquish attachment to the stuff that accumulates physically and mentally, we become free. Inertia, lethargy, doubts, mental fatigue, and distraction are replaced by understanding, focus, confidence, positivity, and patience.
The clearer we become mentally, less invested in defending a false identity based on material status or possessions, the easier it is to laugh at the inevitable pitfalls of being human. When we can bring mental and emotional levity and even humor to life, it feels like a breath of fresh air. A lighthearted perspective eases tension and allows for empathetic awareness to bloom. Consciously choosing a positive, enthusiastic attitude is the greatest help to removing the mental and emotional obstructions within that alienate us from our innate wisdom and joy.
Centered in Simplicity
Being centered in our true, purposeful nature feels calm and detached but still present and engaged. Emotional charge is gone but we are fully available to the relationship or process at hand. It is radically different from being disconnected, which happens when we give up through emotional or physical withdrawal.
Maintaining a centered awareness requires that we learn to fully relax with whatever is happening around us. We employ Brahmacharya to manage our Life Force Energy. We practice Aparigraha to expand our experience of joyful abundance through appreciation, and because we feel good, we naturally offer Astheya through greater willingness to serve or give to others. Our personal power remains anchored in Satya and we live in the peaceful acceptance of Ahimsa.
As we release mental obstacles like judgment, fear, arrogance, or self-pity, exchanging them for simple spiritual awareness, we reorient toward the Divine Self that is within. Our well-being and performance levels increase and we reduce stress and anxiety-related illness. From this grace-filled place, we make choices for a balanced life and we rise above any challenge through the purity of love and wisdom.
Daily Practice
Integrate an active practice of purity and simplicity into your daily life. By eliminating non-essentials, going against the societal trend of more equals better, we create space for what brings ultimate purpose and fulfillment to our lives.
Questions for Further Reflection
Take a moment with your journal now to answer the following questions. Or find a quiet pause sometime today to remember the quality of purity and contemplate these thoughts further.
Affirmations to Post and Remember
Affirmations solidify beliefs in our subconscious minds, creating a foundation from which we can then manifest positive change in our outer lives. Repeat these often with strong intensity and full faith.
8. American Psychological Association, American Institute of Stress. http://www.statisticbrain.com/stress-statistics/. Accessed July 8, 2014.