Brahmacharya

Brahmacharya is a concept discussed in yoga, Hinduism, and Jainism texts, which means supreme control of mind in every aspect and staying conducted in one’s soul. In other words, it implies brahmacharya is when a person completely controls his body and mind(Citta).

Brahmacarya has a conventional meaning as celibacy but it is more than that. It is active or dynamic celibacy that is assisted by yoga practice and which results in the perception of Brahman or spiritual reality. This means mastership of celibacy yoga so that even in an adult body, the sexual urge is sublimated and does not arise to disturb the psyche. A celibate yogi should not have sexual intercourse unless he or she desires to have a child. He should ideally only have as many intercourses as there are children produced from his or her body. This is the ideal behavior. Failing in this a yogin has to work with his psyche to improve its sexual outlook so that eventually its sexual needs are eliminated by the practice of celibacy yoga and kuṇḍalini yoga. Without attaining celibacy one cannot become liberated. It is not possible, because the energy of the subtle body will not be efficiently used if sexual expression continues through it. Thus one will not realize the subtle mundane existence which is preliminary for spiritual seekers. Brahmacharya means sense control or continence or sexual abstinence. The word brahmacharya can be interpreted in many ways. In a broader sense, it can mean: “Abiding in one’s inner Reality”. The word can be split into two Sanskrit words: “Brahman (or Supreme Reality)” and “Chara (to move or follow or adhere)”. It can be roughly translated as abiding in Brahman (the Supreme Reality or Consciousness). It means following the path of Supreme Consciousness or always sticking to the goal of human birth, that is, Self-Realization. There is another commonly accepted meaning to the word Brahmacharya, which is: “control of the senses”. Now, the word control can be interpreted differently for different people. For a monk, it means abstaining from sexual activities. For a householder, it means avoiding excessive indulgence in sexual activities, which may drain one’s energy and vitality. The concept of sense control should also be extended to the five senses –smell, taste, sight, touch, and hearing. Any excessive indulgence in any of the senses can take one away from balanced living. For example, someone who is excessively interested in tasty food can overheat and cause health problems, which are a hindrance to progress in yoga.