25. BRAHMACARYA

D: Is it necessary for a man desirous only of mokṣa to observe brahmacarya throughout life?

A: It is necessary for one who has vairāgya and longs for mokṣa alone. In fact, married life is a big bondage. He who wishes to lead the life of a brahmacārin can devote himself fully to realise the Supreme Being. The path is more difficult for the gṛhastha-s (householders) as they have many responsibilities. Further, married life itself does harm by not allowing one to perform spiritual practices all the time.

D: If such is the case, why do the śāstra-s permit married life?

A: Not all people desire mokṣa. Further, only a handful of persons are competent to observe brahmacarya throughout their life. Therefore, to enable others to attain the Supreme by leading a good life, the śāstra-s permit marriage. Many regulations are set by the śāstra-s for householders. So, we should remember that the śāstra-s have permitted only a regulated married life.

D: It has been mentioned in many places in the śāstra-s that progeny is necessary for a person. Will Acharyal kindly give reason for this?

A: One studying the śāstra-s can realise that such statements are meant only for people who do not have intense desire for mokṣa and whose minds are not free from lust.

We learn from śāstra-s that a person with intense vairāgya need not lead a married life. The Upaniṣad-s say:

(On the very day one gets intense vairāgya, one should renounce.)

(Let him take to saṁnyāsa from the stage of a brahmacārin or householder or vānaprastha (he who has retired to a forest).)

(What shall we do with progeny?)

D: Some people raise objections by asking how society can function if all observe brahmacarya. What is Acharyal’s view in this regard?

A: From among a thousand, one person intensely desires mokṣa. Even among those striving for it, only a few feel that brahmacarya should be practised. Hence, the issue does not arise.

D: Can even a non-Brahmin decide to be a lifelong celibate?

A: Certainly.

D: Does Acharyal consider it wrong if women remain as spinsters on account of their urge to practise spiritual disciplines?

A: Women can also remain unmarried, provided they have intense vairāgya. Mind control and taking care to see that the circumstances are all right are essential.

D: Does Acharyal opine that householders cannot get jñāna and attain mokṣa?

A: No. They can definitely attain mokṣa. However, their path is more arduous. One desiring mokṣa alone can take saṁnyāsa and lead a life just for that purpose. But for householders, freedom from distracting influences is difficult. Nevertheless, it is improper to say that they cannot secure jñāna. Janaka and such others were jñānin-s though they were householders. It is, however, wrong to quote this and say that the life of brahmacarya is not necessary for any one.

D: We read about ṛṣi-s in the Itihāsa-s and the Purāṇa-s and also learn that they were householders. Does it not mean that even among the householders, there were many jñānin-s?

A: It cannot be said that the word ṛṣi means a jñānin. We cannot also assert that all the ṛṣi-s were jñānin-s. Moreover, could not the married ṛṣi-s have realised the Supreme even prior to their marriage, while they were brahmacārin-s? This apart, it is highly erroneous to say that all ṛṣi-s were householders. We all accept that Śuka, Sanaka, etc., were great ṛṣi-s. There is no doubt at all that they were all jñānin-s and were also celibates.

D: If one wants to live as a naiṣṭhika-brahmacārin (lifelong celibate), is it good to take a suitable vrata (vow)?

A: An aspirant can take such a vow if he is firm in his decision, has vairāgya and is devoid of lust. The vrata taken will give him strength. However, he should be careful before taking such vows, since great sin will accrue if there is any break of naiṣṭhika-brahmacarya.

D: Does Acharyal feel that evil thoughts occurring in the mind of a brahmacārin will harm his brahmacarya?

A: Certainly. Even if any evil thought occurs without one’s deliberate will, it is not a good sign. However, if one gives place to evil thoughts deliberately, it has to be considered as a violation of brahmacarya. Next, it cannot be said that bad dreams will harm directly, but if one gives room to evil thoughts consciously, the situation is entirely different.

D: Some people desire yoga very much but they are not devoid of desires. Can such people also choose to live as lifelong celibates?

A: hey can, if they have firm conviction and confidence. They can get initiation and guidance from a Guru and, further, practise austerities. However, if there is a break in the vow of lifelong celibacy, it is a great sin.

D: What prevents one from being an ūrdhvaretas?

(He is called an ūrdhvaretas whose vīrya or semen does not leave his body and whose sexual energy is sublimated into spiritual splendour.)

A: Evil thought, evil speech, evil company, cinema, bad books etc., may prevent one from becoming an ūrdhvaretas. So, these should definitely be avoided. Excess heat in the body may indirectly act as an impediment. If there is a problem due to this, one could take boiled barley water to reduce the heat. Physical exercise is beneficial. If a bad thought appears in a dream, it indicates the bad state of one’s mind. If evil thoughts arise even in the waking state, it has to be considered as foul. One should impress on the mind that brahmacarya is very important and that one cannot get happiness from the objects of the world. The food that we take has the capacity to change our mental state. Those interested in brahmacarya should avoid the food prohibited for them. It is not proper to take onion, garlic, salty and spicy food, meat, wine, coffee, tea, etc. Āsana-s such as sarvāṅgāsana and śīrṣāsana are helpful to a brahmacārin who desires to be an ūrdhvaretas.

D: Is there any use in being an ūrdhvaretas?

A: When one becomes an ūrdhvaretas, one can attain good meditation and also rapidly advance in spiritual path.

D: Do those with vairāgya, who are without lust and who wish to live as naiṣṭika brahmacārin-s, have the blessings of Acharyal?

A: My blessings are always there for such persons. It is My opinion that it would be highly laudable if many people were like that.

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❑ Incidents from Acharyal's Life

In the months prior to initiating Acharyal into saṁnyāsa, Paramacharyal spoke to Him, in private, about the importance of dispassion and brahmacarya. A brief account of the advices given in a couple of such private sessions is given here.

There is great benefit in observing perfect brahmacarya. For this, complete control over the mind is important. To achieve such mastery, one should avoid thinking of sense-objects. The reason is that as one thinks of sense-objects, one gradually develops a degree of attachment to them. When attachment is allowed to grow, it becomes an intense desire. When a powerful longing is permitted to manifest, it becomes difficult to check and uproot. When a man strongly desires some object or honour and a person or situation thwarts the consummation of his longing, he becomes irritated. When a man gives way to anger, he loses his power of proper discrimination between right and wrong. It is well known that an irritated man may be disrespectful even to his Guru. From delusion, the recollection of what one has been taught regarding righteous conduct is lost. This disruption of memory disrupts the functioning of the buddhi and the man in this state is as good as destroyed. The seed of all this evil is thus thinking about sensory objects. So, if You wish to control Your mind, You must not allow Your mind to cogitate upon the objects of the senses.

Married life is a big source of bondage. A householder has to cater not only to his own requirements but also to those of his family. Hence, he cannot devote himself entirely to meditation and such spiritual practices. Many are the people who get married and think that that course of life is good for them. Actually, for a discriminating person, family life is so full of misery that it is better to stand on burning coal rather than to get married.

The body is made up of skin, blood, flesh, bones and so on. It contains within it urine and faeces. The body of even the female whom the undiscriminating consider to be extremely beautiful is only of this kind. Recourse to such discrimination enables one to combat lust and be established in brahmacarya.

While recapitulating such advices decades later, Acharyal said, “My Guru was so kind that even when I was too young to be afflicted by passion, He emphasised the worthlessness of sensory pleasures and stressed the importance of dispassion and thereby precluded any scope for even the seed of passion finding a place in My mind. He rendered Me fit for saṁnyāsa.” [Excerpted from Yoga, Enlightenment and Perfection]

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Till Acharyal was in His fifties, He did not allow females to sit directly in front of or close to Him, never looked them in the eye and restricted conversing with them to the minimum needed. Nonetheless, being the occupant of a pontifical seat, He did give ladies darśana, guide them as a Guru, never denied them His grace and ensured that none of them felt unwanted. When Acharyal was in His sixties, He said, “One may be free from desires, but if one is the head of a pīṭha, one must conduct oneself in such a way that even an iota of doubt does not arise regarding one’s character. I am now old and so, even with others in mind, it is not necessary for Me to impose on Myself all the restrictions that I once did. Indeed, it would cause a lot of inconvenience to others if I now conduct Myself exactly as I did then.” [Based on Crest Jewel of Yogis, Volume I]

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When Acharyal was touring in North India for the first time, a highly influential and scholarly monk decided to test His sense-control. So, he arranged for a belle to try to tempt Acharyal. She entered the room where Acharyal was giving darśana just as the last of the devotees was leaving and remained till she alone was left. However, when she observed Acharyal, she was so overwhelmed by His patent purity that she became disconcerted. Acharyal compassionately asked her, “Mother, what is it?” At this, the girl simply broke down. She was about to confess and seek Acharyal’s pardon when the monk who had sent her himself entered. He told Acharyal, “I knew that You are a scholar par excellence. However, I wanted to ascertain whether You are also a master of the organ of taste and are free from fondness for valuables. So, some time back, I sent you tasty dishes and jewels through people. However, You turned down the offers. I finally wished to examine Your brahmacarya and, hence, sent this beauty to try to tempt You. I now realise that You are so pure and self-controlled that You are beyond temptation. I truly acknowledge Your greatness and pay obeisance to You.” [Sri A.Ramaswamy]

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Acharyal told me the following in 1987:

When I was about twenty years of age, two Bairāgī-s, who lived on the banks of the Narmada in Madhya Pradesh, came to Sringeri. They wanted to have Sannidhanam’s [Paramacharyal’s] darśana and seek some clarifications from Him. As He was in seclusion at that time, they were unable to approach Him. They met Me. One of them looked weak and somewhat effeminate, while the other had powerful muscles and resembled a wrestler.

In the course of his conversation with Me, the first one hesitatingly said, “I have been leading a life of renunciation but am not free from sexual desire. While I never misbehaved with any woman, bad thoughts troubled me off and on. This was the situation till a few months ago, when I met a Bābā and posed my problem to him. He gave me a large packet of medicinal powder and said that if I consumed a little of it every day, I would obtain relief. I have been sincerely following his advice. My desires have largely vanished. I think that I have gained a great spiritual benefit. However, my muscular strength has come down and my chest has become a little like that of a female. My companion is in need of help to deal with lust. He is hesitant to take the Bābā’s medicine because he fears that his muscles will become weak. He wanted to ask Guruji whether in the interest of spiritual growth, he should overcome his hesitation and resort to the medicine. I wanted to ask Guruji if I should continue with this medicine or whether Guruji would give me some other medicine without the side effects. We have, however, not had the good fortune of being able to talk to Him. Would You like to keep and use some of the medicine that I have? I can replenish my stock from the Bābā who gave it to me.” I declined his offer.

The second person asked Me, “You are young. Are You not troubled by sexual thoughts?” I answered that I was not. At this, both of them asked, almost in unison, “Will You please help us and tell us what we should do?” I answered, “Do not use the medicine. You cannot gain any spiritual benefit by checking the sexual instinct through it. Kings employed eunuchs in their harems because they were confident that the eunuchs would not be tempted and misbehave with the women. However, none regards those eunuchs as great celibates. None deems that they became spiritually great on account of castration. On the other hand, all of us regard sage Śuka as established in continence and as spiritually great. His body was intact but he was so free from desire that even damsels in the nude did not care to cover themselves when he passed them. A dumb person does not lie but he is not looked up to as one who never lies. A person who is unconscious is not revered as a yogin just because he is free from all thoughts of the world. Incapacity does not confer spiritual benefit. The medicine with you temporarily and partially reduces you to the state of a eunuch. It is, as far as gaining spiritual benefit is concerned, no better than castration. I shall provide you a medicine that will enable you to be rid of lust and to gain spiritual benefit.”

Then, I asked them to go to Śāradāmbā’s temple, spend half an hour gazing at Her with devotion and to pray to Her with faith to rid them of lust. They returned after half an hour. I told them, “In the Durgā-saptaśatī it is said that all women are the Divine Mother’s forms. Whenever you are tempted by the sight of a woman or think of a female with desire, immediately think of the gracious Divine Mother. Feel that it is She who is in the form of all women. Also implore Her now and then from the bottom of your heart to free you from lust.” “Need not contempt for women to be cultivated to combat lust?” asked the muscular Bairāgī. I replied: “No. Just as desire is bad for your mind, so is hatred. Both likes and dislikes are impurities that agitate the mind. The scriptures speak of seeing the defects in an object just to neutralise a pre-existing attachment born of the notion that the object is pleasurable. The aim is definitely not to generate hatred. Śuka certainly did not hate or look down upon any woman. He looked upon everything as the Supreme Brahman.” The Bairāgī-s left Sringeri shortly thereafter.

They returned after about a year. This time, both of them looked healthy and muscular. On seeing Me, they joyfully said, “Swamiji, Your medicine is very effective and has no side effects.” I clarified that it was not My medicine and that what were working were Śāradāmbā’s grace and their dedicated efforts. During this trip, they had the great good fortune of getting Sannidhanam’s (Paramacharyal’s) darśana and blessings.

[A disciple]

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