True purity is to be completely under the Divine Influence. It means to act only under the influence of the Divine Will. To arrive at this state, one has to cultivate conscious equanimity at the physical, vital, emotional and mental levels and, be turned towards the Divine in quiet receptivity and surrender.
Ascetic purity, on the other hand, focuses on a withdrawal from life and actions externally. It is the same distinction made in the Gita about tyaga, inner renunciation and sannyasa, outer withdrawal from life. The first makes you strong and capable of meeting life and its challenges. The second makes you shrink towards narrowness and rigidity.
In other words, practice equanimity and open yourself towards the Divine.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
