Purity

[Dazon50]

What does being "pure" mean to you?

[jagrutbadani]

"Pure" to me means reaching a mental state where there is no negativity within, being calm even when dying/sick.

[Dazon50]

:-)))  I am not there yet

[Piparskeggr]

No longer being fully human, as purity is a state of sterility.

No person can be all of one thing or another, each of us will have a mix of characteristics.

This is not saying, however, that full sanity is unachievable.

The calmness that Jagrutbadani mentions is part of that, willing acceptance of that which can not be changed, using reason to look at life rather than being ruled by emotion, realizing that imperfection is a part of life...

Much of my attempts at trying to be the above has been to look at ancient Stoic philosophy, especially through the filter of the writings of Marcy Aurelius.

I look at such and try to internalize the lessons, never attempting to memorize "chapter and verse."

[Piparskeggr]

I was rereading part of the "Poetic Edda" and this verse seemed to speak to a bit of my comment...

The sitters in the hall seldom know
The kin of the new-comer:
The best man is marred by faults,
The worst is not without worth.
-- The Havamal, Stanza #133
   (trans. Auden and Taylor)

[Beachwalker33]

Veiwing life like a child,being pure in heart,loving,feeling sympathy for those that have brought you pain and those that you love,which is very hard to do.

[ginger899]

That's true I think, what Pip said. That there isn't such a thing as purity in the manifest world. The very fact it IS in the manifest world means it is 'impure' (a mix of different qualities, errors, shades and colours which make up a 'work in progress') The very beauty of the created world lies in its imperfections. I have heard it said that beauty is truth, and truth beauty. But I believe the ancient Greeks left one small imperfection on their works of art (don't know exactly what period in history that was) -to show that anything created is by its very nature -impure.
I have also heard it said that a perfect face is not beautiful. That certain imperfections, put together with art, are what make real beauty.

[Dazon50]

:-))  much to think about/meditate.

What brought this up for me was in thinking about the following passage from the Bible:

Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)


8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.