Question: Isn’t It True That The Body...

Question: Isn’t it true that the body affects our ability to concentrate? Wouldn’t some kind of diet and purification be helpful?

Sri Chinmoy: Certainly, it is true to some extent. But the main thing is one’s consciousness. Merely becoming a vegetarian will not purify or elevate the consciousness in any way. One may bathe ten times a day and achieve the utmost in outer physical purity, but if he does not aspire, this bathing will not take him even one step forward toward God. Again, somebody else may not bathe more than once a day, but if his aspiration is very lofty, he will run toward his goal with utmost inner purity. Certainly, purification of the body does help, but if one wants to get utmost spiritual help, it is purification of the consciousness which is important, and not diet or cleanliness or exercise.