Guest guest Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 "If you remain brahmacari, then your brain will be so nice that as soon as you hear something, it will be memorized. This is the benefit of brahmacari. And if the students are allowed to be sexually, I mean to say, indulgent, then where is the brain?" Some thoughts on Brahmacharya.I believe that this term has not only been widely misunderstood but the object of total sexual abstinence is next to impossible for 99% of the sadhakas as well. Lets face it. Yoga does not require from anyone to be a monk to increase the perceptional abilities of the mind. My guru, Swami Sivamurti Saraswati said on Brahmacharya: "Brahma means "God" and acharya means "living with". So the literal translation of brahmacharya is living in a state of the consciousness of divinity. But often brahmacharya is translated in books as chastity, celibacy, or abstinence of any kind of sexual activity. This is an incorrect understanding." "Its not possible to develope non-violence, truthfulness , or brahmacharya, overnight. So, it is very important to combine a dharmic life with a yogic life and sooner or later, one will discover and understand ones own dharma in life. Dharma must flow naturally from withing us. If not, we suppress our desires and needs. We start to feel guilty and remorseful. A lot of problems are created, through anxiety and tension because we are not yet ready to renounce our needs. Dharma is the duty of everyone. When we follow our dharma, the results are a balanced mind, a purified heart, and higher transcendental experiences. Wealth comes to a person who follows their dharma, and all their desires are fulfilled. Liberation is the final outcome." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Dear Angie: You are absolutely correct that the term "brahmacarya" is misunderstood. Definition - brahmaNe vedaarthaM caryaM aacaraNiyaM || Meaning - A practice (vrata) that is observed during the learning (veda). The person that observes such vrata is brhmacaari. In another definition - brahma j~naanaM tapo vaa aacarati || brhama is tapa (austerities: veda vedaaNgavij~naana), thus the person who is in for such a quest is known as brahmacaari. We cannot forget that most of our sages were married. Many of them had other encounters as well. A perfect example is Veda Vyaasa. Regards, Dr. Yadu , "Angie" <oiokasti@h...> wrote: > > "If you remain brahmacari, then your brain will be so nice > that as soon as you hear something, it will be memorized. This is the > benefit of brahmacari. And if the students are allowed to be sexually, > I mean to say, indulgent, then where is the brain?" > > > Some thoughts on Brahmacharya.I believe that this term has not only > been widely misunderstood but the object of total sexual abstinence is > next to impossible for 99% of the sadhakas as well. Lets face it. Yoga > does not require from anyone to be a monk to increase the perceptional > abilities of the mind. > > My guru, Swami Sivamurti Saraswati said on Brahmacharya: > > "Brahma means "God" and acharya means "living with". So the literal > translation of brahmacharya is living in a state of the consciousness > of divinity. But often brahmacharya is translated in books as > chastity, celibacy, or abstinence of any kind of sexual activity. This > is an incorrect understanding." > > "Its not possible to develope non-violence, truthfulness , or > brahmacharya, overnight. So, it is very important to combine a dharmic > life with a yogic life and sooner or later, one will discover and > understand ones own dharma in life. > > Dharma must flow naturally from withing us. If not, we suppress our > desires and needs. We start to feel guilty and remorseful. A lot of > problems are created, through anxiety and tension because we are not > yet ready to renounce our needs. > > Dharma is the duty of everyone. When we follow our dharma, the results > are a balanced mind, a purified heart, and higher transcendental > experiences. Wealth comes to a person who follows their dharma, and > all their desires are fulfilled. Liberation is the final outcome." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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