Celibacy and Spirituality

[Guest guest]

Hello friends,

It is true that celibacy cannot be forced on any one.

But it is an invaluable concept and is absolutely

needed for any spiritual practice. If some one accepts

celibacy becasue someone else thrust it upon him/her,

such people wil be misfits in the spitual world

becasue they cant honestly practice celibacy, and

thereofre, resort to illicit sex. We have several

instances of how many Hindu and Christian sanyasis and

priests yielded to sexual temptations. Currently as we

all know this is a major scandal afflicting the

Christian missionaries. So we must be careful to

decide whether we can really lead a strict celibate

life or to lead the life of householders and practice

spirituality as much as we can. 100 per cent sincerity

and honesty are most important.

 

-- Vivekananda Centre <vivekananda

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[Guest guest]

Dear List

 

We have explored many aspects to this theme. We wish to bring this

discussion to an end re-emphasising the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna.

Some on the list may find this posting 'heavy.'

 

(a) " We are essentially spiritual beings caught up on a physical journey "

This is what religions are telling us. The physical expression of the

spirit is produced, enhanced and expressed through this strong gender

attraction. This is no minor force we are wrestling with.

 

(b) We have told Hindu youngsters in the UK, " If you really wish to show

your love of Hanuman, do not sit around singing Hanuman Chalisa but imbibe

what he stands for: - Strength through celibacy. " At the student stage of

your life lead a celibate life. If nothing else, this will generate

tremendous self-confidence that you can achieve anything in life.

Such power comes naturally as one stands up to this most powerful force

we encounter. Instead of being overwhelmed by it we somehow manage

to harness it. This is the secret of celibacy.

 

© There is a very serious social dimension to this issue. Sex is a very

dynamic force, if it is not kept under strict control it can run riot in any

society. We are discovering this to our cost in the West. The very medium

we are using now to communicate higher thoughts is also the most popular

mode of communication for the porn industry. Imagine the damage it is

doing to so many unsuspecting youngsters.

 

I also tell the Hindus, " You are no longer Hindus - the religion you are

practising is not Hinduism, it is called Bollywood - lust set to music.

Go and check in your villages they are not singing devotional songs

anymore - they are whistling popsongs. This thing is sapping away all

your strength and your life- force; it is turning you into drooling animals.

Where is your spirituality?

 

Finally.

If we want spirituality to be a matter of experience and not merely a

matter of belief or intellectual acceptance then we have to take drastic

steps. We say that we want to experience that we are not the body. But then

we continue chasing after so many other bodies again and again reinforcing

the idea that we too are just bodies. This attraction to other bodies has

become a chronic condition. Our eyes stick to every beautiful body we see.

Like vultures we soar high but our eyes are glued to the carrion on the

ground. But surely we are no ordinary vultures, we are very clever vultures

and extremely innovative at finding a variety of excuses of how sex can go

hand in hand with spirituality. One youngster stood up at a college and

said, " But surely if we all adopt celibacy the whole human race will come to

an end. " We told him, " Don't worry about that, if you stop procreating

there are a host of others who will be only too happy to procreate on your

behalf. " : )

 

What we are suggesting is not for everyone. It is meant for those few

who want God here and now - those very special ones who cannot be

satisfied with anything less.

 

Vivekananda Centre London