________________
practice a righteous lifestyle. And further in order to realize the sacred form of the Supreme Being, it is imperative to live a moral and pure life.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj stresses the need for purification:
It is only in a pure, clean vessel that truth can stay. Those who lead a pure (moral) life are rare. I seek refuge in God: Lord, merge my essence into your Supreme Essence!
If we put cow dung, dirt or waste on our fingers, and then place a sweet fragrance on those fingers, we will not be able to smell the sweet fragrance. In the same way, if our hearts (and actions) are impure, then we cannot realize the sweet form of the Supreme Lord.
In the Katha Upanishad it is said:
The one who has not abstained from sinful acts, whose senses are not in control, and whose mind is not serene cannot attain the Supreme Reality by the practice of self-realization.
With these views in mind, the saints have given instructions to abstain from the five sins. Abstention from lying, stealing, intoxication, violence and adultery will help the seeker to effortlessly avoid unrighteous acts.
329
