Religions put up a lot of rules and some of them make sense, others don’t. One concept which I find does not make sense, is the idea of celibacy which is here in India called Brahmacharya. This word, like so many others, has also become popular in the west. However, again like so many other words, people are using this word in a wrong way nowadays, there as well as here in India.
Brahmacharya means a life in higher consciousness. It is the living on the path to knowing the truth, being one with God. So what does that have to do with sex? I got to know that Christianity, too, had this view on sex in former times that it is something impure. This is how Catholic priests and monks are today still not allowed to marry, just as here people think of those who live in Brahmacharya that they are more pure as they don’t have sex.
My idea of Brahmacharya is to follow nature. Your nature and the nature around you. Allow all emotions in you, simply because they are natural. If you go against nature and deny your emotions, it cannot be Brahmacharya. This is what religion is doing. You are allowed to laugh and cry, to feel hungry and thirsty but not to feel horny. Is this not a natural feeling? How can you live normally and naturally while being disrespectful to one of the most natural feelings in this world? Celibacy is for me the most unnatural concept that you can think of.
Good, this is my interpretation of Brahmacharya, to be natural but if we think of the literal translation of the word, there are also questions why sex should be forbidden. Do they think that sex, being physically united in love, keeps you from being in higher consciousness? I don’t think that this makes any sense or that suppressing your sexual feelings brings you closer to God and this is why I believe Brahmacharya, as it is seen today, is not right.
Today was the last day of Holi and we had a great celebration of colours and much fun. We will soon publish pictures on this website, too.
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कृपया ग्लानि न करें यदि किसी की कल्पना करके आपका खड़ा अथवा गीली हो जाए
Bitte haben Sie kein schlechtes Gewissen, wenn Sie eine Erektion bekommen oder nass werden, weil Sie sich jemanden vorstellen
Please don’t feel guilty if you get erection or wet by imagining someone
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While it may be unrealistic to expect to eliminate such drives even for an advanced yogi, it’s still true that a sage or master has them very much under control (for such a person, body does not rule Spirit). I think it’s important to emphasize this to yoga students, because once you give people a green light on this issue, a Pandora’s Box of … See Moreattachments and continued cycles of suffering can easily be opened. In Christianity, by the way, there’s little scriptural basis for notions that sexuality in itself is sinful, though this notion grew within churches later. The real scriptural attitude on this is best summarized by Paul in Corinthians 7:8-9 where he merely says that it’s good if people can get along well without marriage, but if not, “It is better to marry than to burn.”
For me, this is the first time ever that a spiritual person makes such a statement. i am very surprised. positively surprised and thankful !
I am happy to see the teachers of India breaking out of the old mold……
Religions have emphasized for a long time that humans are the enemy. We have to beat and trick ourselves in order to be better. Our devotion to God and the power of our souls can help us overcome our “humanness.”But this is ridiculous!! We cannot loathe ourselves any longer for the natural and normal ways that we are. We are gorgeous and incredible beings! We should be fascinated with the ability of our bodies and honor all that we are. Nothing about being human is sinful, dirty, or wrong. We are here to be humans so that our souls can learn a thing or two about the human experience- pain, love, suffering, peace. Embrace your human ways….we were created this way for a reason!