Sutra 40
Cleanliness of body, mind developed disinterest in contact with others of self-gratification.
Cleanliness (purity) of spirit and faith in Jesus Christ are much more important than taking a shower when it comes to being a servant of God.
Iyengar says “Purity and cleanliness protect the body and make it a fit home for the seer. Consequently, it no longer leans towards sensual pleasures and tends to refrain from contact with other bodies. ….” As a temple or a church is kept clean each day, the inner body, the temple of the soul, should be bathed with a copious supply of blood through asana and pranayama.”
Revisit the passage from 1 Corinthians 6: our bodies are the temples, a gift from God. Another passage that stands out to me is Luke 11 33- 36 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden or under a blow. Instead, he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you,”
Cultivating a clean heart and wisdom through the word, along with the calming and purifying physical and mental effects of a regular asana and pranayama practice will help us stay clean physically and mentally when we are faced with unclean situations. I think this sutra and the Bible agree, when we are clean in the spirit it is much easier not to fall for man’s illusions of grandeur and stay on a straight path in Christ.
