Through activity, man attains purity of consciousness. In fact, man has to welcome activity with this end in view. And why strive for a pure consciousness? Imagine a well with polluted and muddy water so that the bottom of the well cannot be seen. Similarly within man's heart, deep down in his consciousness, we have the Atman. But it can be cognized only when the consciousness is clarified. Your imaginings, your inferences, your judgments and prejudices, your passions, emotions and egoistic desires, muddy the consciousness and make it opaque. How then can you become aware of the Atman that is at the very base? Through seva (service) rendered without any desire to placate one's ego and with only the well-being of others in view, is it possible to cleanse the consciousness and have the Atman revealed.
(Sanathana Sarathi, November 1977, back cover)
