The Piety in Purity

Walking through the neighbourhood, a waft of smoky sweetness slowed my gait gradually pulling it to a halt. I stood there, mildly bewildered at the sublime fragrance and then like the beckon of a beloved’s gaze, it gently drew me to where it was coming from. I walked intoxicated, following only the trail of fragrance, occasionally breaking into jogs when it threatened to disappear. There was something divine in that fragrance, something that evoked a response from deep within, a place I wasn’t familiar with, a place I didn’t know even existed. It was as though my olfactory senses were the only ones that were working, subduing the other four. I was awoken from my dreamy quest by a strange sound. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes. In those few brief moments the fragrance had become so dear to me that I was afraid it might leave me if I opened my eyes. The truth might be stranger than fiction but it is in the latter that the heart blooms. If this were a dream, a fragment of my imagination, I didn’t want it to end. The sound echoed again and this time because it was so enigmatic, it caused my eyes to open void of my will. By the time my eyes made peace with the surroundings, my mind was in a dilemma. I wasn’t sure if what I was looking at was real. Before me were a mosque and a temple, separated only by a narrow and long patch of carpet grass. The strange, enigmatic sound lost its entire mystique when I learnt that it was the combination of the sound of prayer from the mosque and the ring of a bell from the temple. A non-religious person as I was, I sighed at the destination my quest had brought me to and started to walk away when suddenly that fragrance made its presence felt, as if whispering to me to stay. Its lure was irresistible. I looked for the source of the fragrance but it was as though it was emanating from both the temple and the mosque. I decided to investigate, one house of worship at a time. I climbed the staircase to the temple, the fragrance guiding me carefully as though holding my hand. When I reached the inner sanctuary, I drew a breath to ascertain where the fragrance was coming from. It seemed like there wasn’t one specific point of its origin. I could smell it wherever I turned and just like that, I was looking at it. They were incense sticks, burning lazily, birthing slender patterns of smoke dancing away into the air. I was staring at them, enjoying the fragrance of freshly burnt perfumed spices when a Pundit ji approached me. “Namaste my friend” he said. “Have you come to seek the lord’s blessings?” Suddenly embarrassed at my lack of faith, I replied “No sir. I was just enamoured by the fragrance of this incense.” The Pundit smiled and said that it is the sanctity of the place which makes the fragrance so sweet. I nodded politely. He also said that the temple is washed with rose water each morning and cleaned twice a day. I thanked him for his courteous explanation and exited. Having visited the temple, I was now also curious about the mosque. I started climbing the ancient stairs to the place which they call “God’s abode”. I climbed up to the veranda of the mosque. It was beautiful and antique, reminiscent of a Mughal garden. Once again, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, it was my call to that lovely fragrance, the air filling my lungs its cue to answer me. It answered my call faithfully, permeating within me. I walked towards the prayer hall seeping all the beauty around me one step at a time. Unlike the temple, the source of this fragrance was quite conspicuous. It was an old incense pot, the embers glowing within it, emanating wafts of fragrant smoke that engulfed not only the space around but all those within it as well. I stood there, captivated by the magical aura around me when a Maulvisaab approached me, “Assalaamualaikum son. Can I help you?” Again, I told him what I had said to the Pundit and his wrinkled face broke into a smile not unlike the Pundit’s and he said, “Son, it was not the Bakhoor(A mixture of perfumed incense primarily used in the middle east) or the incense sticks that drew you to these sacred places. It was your spirit responding to the sacred melody. Purity is God’s sacred melody.” I didn’t understand what he said but thanked him and took my leave. On my way back, I thought about what the two men of God had told me. I knew there was a connection that had to be decrypted. What I understood however was that the spirit of a human being responds positively to positive environments, positive aura. Cleanliness and purity are one of the many tools that help build and sustain such positivity, in fact they are necessary. The human spirit is one of the most beautiful, indomitable and spectacular entities in the world. For it to be leveraged, experienced and manifest, the right triggers must be set off. A clean, pristine, tranquil and pure surrounding is therefore necessary for one to experience the unparalleled pleasure of connecting with one’s spirituality. It is therefore no wonder that they say cleanliness is next to godliness. http://www.houzkare.com/professional-home-cleaning-services.html

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com