Garland of Brahmacharya

[Guest guest]

1. Brahmacharya is abstaining from all kinds of Maithuna or sexual enjoyment forever, in all places and in all conditions, physically, mentally and verbally.

 

—Yajnavalkya

 

2. Thinking of a woman or her picture, praising a woman or her picture, sporting with a woman or her picture, glancing at a woman or her picture, secretly talking to a woman, thinking of a sinful action towards a woman actuated by sensuality, determining upon the sinful action, and bodily action resulting in the discharge of semen are the eight characteristics of copulation; and Brahmacharya is quite contrary to all these eight indications.

 

—Daksha Smriti

 

3. Know that in this world there is nothing that cannot be attained by one who remains from birth to death a perfect celibate In one person, knowledge of the four Vedas, and in another, perfect celibacy—of these, the latter is superior to the former who is wanting in celibacy.

 

—The Mahabharata

 

4. Brahmacharya or spotless chastity is the best of all penances; a celibate of such spotless chastity is not a human being, but a god indeed. To the celibate who conserves the semen with great efforts, what is there unattainable in this world? By the power of the composure of the semen, one will become just like myself.

 

—Lord Sankara

 

5. And those students who find that world of God through chastity, theirs is that heavenly country; theirs, in whatever world they are, is freedom.

 

—Chhandogya Upanishad

 

6. A wise man should avoid married life as if it were a burning pit of live coals. From the contact comes sensation, from sensation thirst, from thirst clinging; by ceasing from that, the soul is delivered from all sinful existence.

 

—Lord Buddha

 

7. These sexual propensities, though they are at first like ripples, acquire the proportions of a sea on account of bad company.

 

—Narada

 

8. Sensuality destroys life, lustre, strength, vitality, memory, wealth, great fame, holiness and devotion to the Supreme.

 

—Lord Krishna

 

9. Death is hastened by letting out semen from the body; life is saved and prolonged by preserving it.

 

10. There is no doubt that people die prematurely by letting the semen out of the body; knowing this, the Yogi should always preserve semen and lead a life of strict celibacy.

 

—Siva Samhita

 

11. Caution in diet is of threefold value, but abstinence from sexual intercourse is of fourfold value. The Sannyasi had, and has, a rule never to look at a woman.

 

—Atreya

 

12. Let not a Brahmin see a woman naked.

 

—Manu

 

[Guest guest]

Nice post.

 

"Caution in diet is of threefold value, but abstinence from sexual intercourse is of fourfold value."

 

What are the 3 and 4fold values here?

 

ancient paztriot

[armisael108]

Yes I've got it now, I'll start pepping myself up thinking about what semen retention does to my body and think I'll get devotion this way. nah... why bother, I prefer meditating on this:

 

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

 

read this you'll understand why I prefer positive meditation on Krishna:

 

SB 10.1.4. Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the parampara system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self?

 

I personally believe that the more you are engaged in hearing and glorifying the Lord and His close associates the more a brahmacary one becomes... there is a verse by Narada muni stating this in the Srimad Bhagavatam:

 

11.2.42. Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating.

 

Anyways sorry, your post is good, but it lacked positive engagement that truly frees us from any material desire, which one is sex for enjoyment.

[Guest guest]

 

Yes I've got it now, I'll start pepping myself up thinking about what semen retention does to my body

 

 

I agree with all else you have said. I think the first poster is going out on a limb trying not to think about sex, and so that is also thinking about sex.

 

The quote of yours I put above, I have mixed opinion about. I have read about what you have described, yet find it difficult to accept Prabhupada would instruct us to do anything damaging to our body. My suspicion is that if we have such a problem, we are not sufficiently following the process he gave us. If that is not the answer, then someone else can tell me why Prabhupada would instruct celebacy, even for householders, yet there is this concept of bodily damage. I find that hard to accept so it must be some flaw on our side. I do not recall any men developing this problen when Prabhupada was running things. Times were different then I guess, but they were also very potent.

[armisael108]

Haribol Guestji,

 

The quote you took from me was some sarcasm. Sorry if it looked like I was serious with that one.

 

Prabhupada never liked people hurting their bodies voluntarily for no reason. Austerity doesn't mean hurting the body, it means using the body in relationship with service to Krishna and guru instead of our sense pleasure.

[theist]

The first post, as I took it, was not meant to say everything on the subject but rather to open a converstaion on this one aspect of yoga practice.

[armisael108]

I guess sometimes I get fired up when I hear people preaching about thinking what abstinence does neglecting the true essence behind this action.

 

Lesson learned... one down, billions to go /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

Hare Krishna