and divine directions is the sole and needful task.
What is impurity but the impure thoughts of the thinker? What is purity but the pure thoughts of the thinker? One man does not do the thinking of another. Each man is pure or impure of himself alone.
If a man thinks, “It is through others, or circumstances, or heredity that I am impure,” how can he hope to overcome his errors? Such a thought will check all holy aspirations, and bind him to the slavery of passion.
When a man fully perceives that his errors and impurities are his own, that they are generated and fostered by himself, that he alone is responsible for them, then he will aspire to overcome them, the way of attainment will be opened up to him, and he will see whence and whither he is travelling.
The man of passion sees no straight path before him, and behind him all is fog and gloom. He seizes the pleasure of the mo-
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