Swachchhataa Abhiyaan

  How essential it is to maintain cleanliness. 2nd October. I went to the university to celebrate cleanliness. Took a broom in my hand. Cleaned my mother earth. Felt great! This was my first lesson towards cleanliness. I need to clean my surroundings without caring about hundreds of others who are ever ready to dirty it the very next moment. I need to clean my house without worrying about the little one at home, ever ready to dirty it right away. But then how would it help?.... well... In many ways... Few of those who are always ready to spread dirtiness around may get inspired by me and join my party. Later on they may inspire a few others, and slowly the group of cleaners may out-grow the group of dirtiers. And the whole country may become clean. Or it is quiet likely that this may not happen. But still, I will land up inculcating a good habit of keeping my surroundings clean. Slowly I may start looking minutely at the whole affair. Starting from my surrounding, my home, my drawer etc...I may move on to make my actions clean, my thoughts clean, my conscience clean, and in this way this habit of cleaning things may lead me to the ultimate goal of self-realization, to Samadhi. The Shastrakara has even said, that Yoga=Samadhi is nothing but cleaning the mind to the utmost and not allowing it to become dirty again - योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः। They say that the longest journey starts with one step... one step in the right direction... the direction seems to be right... I may attain all this... who knows!