In English
Make the body a fitting shrine for the Divine
If the body is considered as a field its owner can reap only crops he cultivates in it. If he sows sacred seeds he will reap a harvest of merit. If he sows sinful seeds he will reap a harvest of sins. When the body is regarded as a shrine, it must be revered as the sacred abode of the Divine. Religious are places of pilgrimage because they are associated with Divinity. Because the body is also the abode of the Divine it must be regarded as a . In the temple of the body the Divine Spirit is installed. It can acquire purity and holiness only when it is purified internally and externally. By bathing in water the body can be purified externally. By speaking the Truth, the tongue is purified. Through study and penance, the spirit is rendered pure. The intellect acquires purity through (spiritual wisdom). In these ways the body has to be made a fitting shrine for the Divine by pure thoughts, pure deeds and by meditation. Purity of mind, speech and body has been described as "" (the triple purity.) The body should not be regarded as a mere conglomeration of the five elements. Looking at it externally, it may appear as a structure of bones, flesh, blood and nerves. But just as a temple is not a mere edifice consisting of brick and mortar but is the Abode of the Divine, the body should also be regarded as the dwelling of the Divine Spirit. It is, therefore, the primary duty of man to ensure that the body does not indulge in wrongful practices, and fall a prey to falsehood and unrighteousness. He should use the body to promote his higher human qualities and pursue the divine path. It is for this purpose that , and other religious rites have been prescribed.