Question: Why is there dust that we always have to clean up?

Sri Chinmoy: We have to clean up dust so that we can learn to value the superior thing in us, the higher thing in us. In order to do something and become something, we have to go to the higher reality and not remain with the lower reality. Dust is a lower reality. It represents impurity. We know what impurity does; it destroys everything. From the lower reality we have to go to the higher reality. It is like going up the rungs of a ladder. From one rung we have to go to the next rung. In this case the ladder has quite a few rungs: first impurity, then purity, then divinity, then oneness. If we stay all the time on the impurity-rung, then how are we going to go on to the purity-rung? Some people are pure by nature, but they don't aspire. There are many saintly persons on earth who have a good heart; but they don't pray, they don't meditate. Their purity is not enough for them to realise God. Along with purity there must be a constant inner cry and aspiration. So the lower reality must be surpassed. Then only the higher realities will be able to guide us, shape us, mould us, perfect us and make us perfect instruments of the Absolute Supreme.