A street is considered clean if there’s no trash lying around. But if all the dust from that street were in our bathroom, we would find it very dirty. Even after thoroughly cleaning the bathroom, a bit of dust always remains.
Yet if the remaining dust from a clean bathroom were in our eye, it would be extremely unpleasant - and we would want to remove it immediately.
In the same way, the spiritual life involves a growing standard of purity. When we practice silent prayer, we move closer to God.
In the presence of God, even the smallest speck of dust becomes visible.
Someone might claim they do not sin because they don’t steal and remain faithful to their partner. But in meditation, they may come to see that through their actions – or inactions – they still cause harm to others and to God. This realization challenges their self-image.
Ultimately, we hurt our own heart whenever we hurt others or God.
Our original heart is very pure. The more we wound it, the further we move away from our center and from our true self. Later, we begin to feel more clearly the pain that our lack of love has caused in our heart.