Purity from the Moral Standpoint or the Spiritual Standpoint

In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna poses the question to Sri Krishna as to how to identify the realised soul, asking how does he act, how does he speak, etc. Sri Krishna responds that it is not through outer action that one can identify the liberated individual, as this is something that can only be understood from the inner state of consciousness of that individual.

Some people follow the moral precepts of their society or their religion in an exemplary fashion. Yet, inwardly they may be in a state of turmoil, under pressure, perhaps even lusting after things that they do not show outwardly. They are considered moral and leading lights of society. Yet from the spiritual standpoint they are struggling and unready for the deeper realisations. There may be others who outwardly seem to be lacking in the correct moral standpoint, at least within the framework of the social order within which they live, but who are free inwardly and hold a deep sense of spiritual purpose. These individuals will still be working out the challenges they face, but they do it with an orientation and focus possibly absenf from the individual who strictly observes the outer forms while not solving the inner obstacles that arise.

The Mother observes: “For example, if you take your stand on a moral viewpoint — which is itself altogether wrong from the spiritual point of view — there are people who apparently lead an altogether perfectly moral life, who conform to all the social laws, all the customs, the moral conventions, and who are a mass of impurity — from the spiritual point of view these beings are profoundly impure. On the other hand there are some poor people who do things… who are born, for instance, with a sense of freedom, and do things which are not considered very respectable from the social or moral point view, and who can be in a state of inner aspiration and inner sincerity which makes them infinitely purer than others. This is one of the big difficulties. As soon as one speaks of these things, there arises the deformation produced in the consciousness by all the social and moral conventions. As soon as you speak of purity, a moral monument comes in front of you which completely falsifies your notion. And note that it is infinitely easier to be moral from the social point of view than to be moral from the spiritual point of view. To be moral from the social viewpoint one has only to pay good attention to do nothing which is not approved of by others; this may be somewhat difficult, but still it is not impossible; and one may be, as I said, a monument of insincerity and impurity while doing this; whereas to be pure from the spiritual point of view means a vigilance, a consciousness, a sincerity that stand all tests.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Growing Within: The Psychology of Inner Development, Chapter IV Growth of Consciousness First Steps and Foundation, pp. 65-66