On Purity

Henry David Thoreau, on the subject of ‘Higher Laws’ in his book Walden, wrote, “From exertion come wisdom and purity; from sloth ignorance and sensuality.”

As long as we keep ourselves employed: be it doing house chores, cleaning a stable, reading a book, chopping woods, or working on a farm, we are keeping ourselves pure, especially our minds which is particularly susceptible to sensuality if kept idle. In addition, Thoreau wrote, “nature (our natural inclinations or human nature) is hard to overcome but it must be overcome”. Thus, if we intend to keep ourselves pure, keep busy. Of course, there are other ways to maintain purity, but Thoreau’s suggestion here is perhaps the most practical.