Balancing Action and Reflection
Tapas (purification) and svadhyaya exist in mutual relationship, tapas being the means whereby we purify and refine our systems and svadhyaya being the means of self-reflection through which we come to an increasingly deeper level of self-awareness and self-understanding.
By cleansing the vessel of the body and mind, tapas makes us fit for svadhyaya; by examining the vessel, svadhyaya helps us to understand exactly where we should concentrate our practices of purification. And thus, in this relationship between purification and self-examination, we have a natural method for discovering who, in essence, we are.
Polishing the Mirror by Gary Kraftsow
Like a Fish Tank
I think of it like a fish tank. Every fish tank that I've ever owned starts off clean. It slowly starts to build up things floating in the water and the glass gets stained with moss. Although this is true, things are still looking pretty good.
That is, until the day when I decide to clean it out... Once I start rinsing the rocks and they release all of the build-up. The water turns grey.
This is kind of like the process of Tapas (purification) and svadhyaya (self-reflection). It is so hard to make time to sit down and reflect, because it is too easy to believe that my tank is just fine with its little bits of moss.
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