celibacy - true meaning of brahmacharya....

[Guest guest]

shriman ompremji, thank you so much for explaining the true meaning

of 'brahmacharya' to the members here ! it is always a pleasure to

come to this forum and read your 'well-informed' posts - which are

written from a platform of strength anfd direct knowledge and

experience.

 

I particularly enjoyed theis paragraph very much...

 

"sHowever, a teacher will often define Brahmacharya variously

according to the attainments of his/her students. For some,

seeing Brahmacharya as fidelity in thought, word and deed

might be more than enough of a challenge. For others, a little

more advanced in spiritual realization, Brahmacharya could be

viewed as fidelity plus sexual continence, while, still others, the

highly evolved students, could see Brahmacharya as celibacy for

the above reasons."

 

 

yes, brahmacharya is both a state of mind as well as a physical

fact... i am glad you mentioned this -we have saints like shri

ramakrishna although technically married and living with a wife never

thought of the wife as a 'sex' object but rather as a 'manifestation'

of the divine mother herself! we also have mahatma gandhi who shares

with his readers in his autobiography 'experiment with truth' how he

practiced 'brahmacharya' even though he was still sharing the same

bed with his wife kasturba bhai. so we have examples of married men

who practice brahmacharya and we have confirmed bachelors who love to

play the field...

 

in fact, if you read the puranas you know how the celestial apsaras

like urvashi, menaka etc were specially sent to prevent great yogis

feom attaining spiritual perfection...

 

In the tantric system also, there is retention of sexual energy and

the 'libido ' is not wasted away or dissipated ....

 

if one attends tantric workshops, the male sadhaka is advised to

conserve his sexual energy and so are the female sadahakas... here, i

quote ...

 

 

"The Yogin who can protect his Bindu (semen), overcomes death;

because death comes by discharging Bindu, and life is prolonged by

its preservation."

 

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, III, 87

 

"Bindu is under the control of the mind, and life is dependent on

Bindu. Hence, Mind and Bindu should be protected by any means."

 

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, III, 89

 

 

furthermore.

 

"In Yamala or Vira-Yogini tradition [Tantric schools], there is

physical union (Samghatta) between Vira (the male) and Yogini (the

female). The purpose is only to stimulate Nitya-Ananda (the eternal

beatitude) by means of the contact of the sex organs. This contact

gives intense delight [for the body and spirit].

 

so, in tantra -there is unity - of the lover and the loved one----

first, it starts at a physical level thhen it extends beyond and goes

to the cosmic level..... so what is small love between a man and a

woman transforms into the big love for the universe... when one has e

experienced higher taste, why would one settle down for the lower

one!

 

thanks once again,

 

love

[Guest guest]

dear lyn, since you like to read all original texts. i would like to

draw your attention to the following website which discusses the

concepts of ojas and tejas in the tantric path ...

 

http://sivasakti.com/articles/tantra/consciousness-art14.html

 

enjoy1

 

love