Forever Yang - From A Young Spirit

HOW TO DEVELOP THE WILL.POWER
Attention, power of endurance, overcoming aversion, dislikes and irritations, fortitude in suffering, Tapas (austerities such as standing on one foot, sitting in the hot sun) or Panchagni Tapas before five fires, standing in cold water in piercing winter, raising the hands above and keeping in the same position for an hour, fasting, patience, command of temper, forbearance, clemency, mental power of endurance, firmness in meeting danger, power of resistance or attack, Satyagraha, keeping up daily diary-all pave a long way in developing the will. One should patiently hear the words of others even though they are not interesting and charming. He should not fret and fume. Patient hearing develops will and wins the hearts of others. One should do actions or tasks that are uninteresting. This also develops the will-power. The actions that are not interesting will become interesting after some time.
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Never complain against bad environments. Create your own mental world wherever you remain and wherever you go. There are some difficulties and disadvantages wherever you go. lf the mind deludes you, at every moment and every step, try to overcome the obstacles and difficulties by suitable means. Do not try to run away from bad, unfavourable environments. God has placed you there to make you grow quickly.
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lf you get all sorts of comforts in a place you will not grow strong. Your mind will be puzzled in a new place when you cannot get these comforts. Therefore, make the best use of all pl6ces. Never complain against surroundings and environments. Live in your own mental world. Nothing can upset your mind. You will find Raga-Dvesha even in the eternal snowy regions of the Himalayas, near Gangotri. You cannot get an ideal place and ideal surroundings in any part of the world. Kashmir is very cool, the scenery is very enchanting but Pissus (small insects like fleas) trouble you at night; you cannot sleep. Banaras is a centre of Sanskrit learning but it is famous for hot
winds in summer. Uttarakasi in the Himalayas is beautiful but you cannot get vegetables or fruits there; the cold is so very biting in winter. This world is a relative plane of good and evil. Remember this point at all times. Try to live happily in any place,under any condition. You will become strong and dynamic, pocket and unlock the Elysian regions, the spiritual realms and the immortal abode. You can get sanguine success in any undertaking. You can conquer any difficulty.
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The practice of concentration is of great help to strengthen the will. You must have an intelligent understanding of the habits of the mind, how it wanders and how it operates. You must know easy and effective methods to control the wandering of the mind. The practice of thought-culture, the practice of concentration, the practice of memory-culture, are all allied subjects. All these are of immense help in the practice of will-culture. You cannot draw a line of demarcation to denote where the practice of concentration or memory-culture ends and the practice of will-culture begins. There is no hard and fast rule. For further particulars on the practice of concentration, please see my book "Concentration and Meditation."
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Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Balfour could go to deep sleep the moment they went to bed through mere willing. They had such a strong will. Even Mahatma Gandhi had this practice. They could get up in the morning at any time they wanted, to the very minute. The sub-conscious mind was their obedient servant. lt would wake them up at the very second. Every one of you should develop this habit through will and become a Gandhi, a Gladstone or a Balfour. Generally, the vast majority of persons simply roll in their beds for hours together and do not get sound sleep even for half an hour. lt is the quality of sleep and not the quantity that gives refreshment. Sound sleep for even an hour is quite sufficient to refresh the body and revitalise the mind. The moment you go to bed, simply relax the mind and give the suggestion "l will have good sleep now." Don't think of anything. Napoleon had this habit. Even when the bugle was blowing and the drums were beating on the battlefield, he would be snoring. His sub-conscious mind would wake him up at the very second he wanted to get up. With a cool mind Napoleon would appear like a lion on the battlefield.
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One should train himself to sleep in running cars, trains and when moving in the aeroplanes even in a sitting posture. This practice is of immense help for busy medical practitioners, advocates and businessmen, who have to do immense work daily and a good deal of travelling. Life has become so very complex nowadays that busy people do not find time to get enough sleep. Whenever they find some leisure, even for five minutes, they should close their eyes in any place and go to sleep for a short time. This would give great rest. They can continue their further activities. This kind of practice is a blessing to busy people. Their nerves are under great tension and pressure. By relaxing them every now and then, they could refresh themselves and keep quite fit for further activities. One should be able to sleep on the platforms of Bombay railway stations when trains are moving at all times. This is a wonderful practice that gives immense strength. Dr. Annie Besant used to write editorial columns, when moving in the cars. There are some busy doctors who read newspaper even when they are in the water closet. They keep their minds fully occupied. The practice of keeping the mind fully occupied is the best of all practices for keeping up physical and mental Brahmacharya. Those who want to become magnetic and dynamic personalities or prodigies should utilise every second to the best possible advantage and should try to grow mentally, morally and spiritually every second. ldle gossiping should be given up entirely. Every one of us should realise the value of time. The Will is bound to become dynamic if one utilises his time very profitably. Application and tenacity, interest and attention, patience and perseverance, faith and self-reliance, can make a man a wonderful world-figure.
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How To Cultivate Virtue And Remove Vices by Swami Sivananda

 

Sexual energy [nerve-energy,semen(the outcome of various juices of glands), Ojas Shakti and the Kundalini Shakti] is the greatest power of the mind and body.This is the supreme strength in the human body,embodying all powers and assuming all forms.The mind and body receive their life from the sex energy. Instead of allowing this energy to take the form of gross sexual enjoyments, it is to be conserved and thus made a source of spiritual life instead of the cause of physical death. With the extinction of sexual desires the mind is freed of its most powerful bond. Sex energy pervades the whole sphere of life in one form or the other and it expresses itself in diverse forms of mental and physical developments.The sex energy when checked and controlled increases the power of will,the power of memory,, and the power of imagination, increases the power of creative energy and enhances the faculty of perceiving beauty in art, literature, poetry, science,etc.
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In the vast majority of beings, this energy is being wasted in its crudest form,i.e., sexual enjoyments and , as such, it cannot find any chance to express itself in higher manifestations. Lust,anger,fear,hated,etc. are all the fore-runners of disease and death.These cause disorder in the system. For physical discord means mental discord also.If there is perfect harmony in the mind,there will be perfect harmony in the body also.The physical is merely an out-picturing of the mental.The vicious mental states,violent emotions and explosive passions cause chemical changes in the brain and body and poison the cell-life throughout the whole body. Of all emotional feelings, lust(sexual enjoyments) throws the whole body,mind,and brain into utter chaos and every violent passion kills millions and millions of red corpuscles every time it appears. If such happenings take place in the system (body,mind,and brain) everyday, the effect is terrible disease and premature death.
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Sex energy has tremendous potency and mere abstention without sublimating it to higher mental and spiritual powers is dangerous.It may cause neurotic troubles and it may lead one to insanity also.There are different methods and Yoga practices by which sex-sublimation can take place.The whole secret of sex-sublimation lies in rising up the Kundalini Shakti to the fifth centre (Visuddha Chakra) and upwards and to attain this purpose absolute celibacy is necessary. When such is the thing how can we minimize the value of Brahmacharya? How ignorant and how absurd it is to look down upon so important a subject like Brahmacharya and misguide the already sex-ridden world. It is the fashion with the twentieth century men to talk and write something irrational in the garb of rationality and freedom. Perfect celibacy cannot be attained easily. It is a life-long struggle but the reward for this uphill task is eternal Peace and Bliss.
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Mind Its Source And Culture by Swami Narayanananda

 

Man is the highest in all creation, and the highest aim that is before us in the human body - as has been given out by all Masters who came in the past - is to know God. To know God, we must know ourselves first. God cannot be known by the outgoing faculties, the intellect or the vital airs. It is the soul alone that can know God. But our soul is under the control of mind, and mind is under the control of the outgoing faculties. Our attention, which is the expression of our soul, is diffused into the world through the outgoing faculties and is so identified with them that we have forgotten ourselves.
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How can we know ourselves? We can by liberating ourselves from the clutches of mind and the outgoing faculties; or, you might say, by analyzing ourselves from mind and matter; or, still further you might say, by rising above body-consciousness.
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How can you rise above body-consciousness?
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The first thing needed is a life of continence. The rishis called having a life of continence observing brahmacharya. "Brahmacharya means control of all the organs of sense. It does not mean mere control of animal passions. If a man controls only one organ and allows all others to have free play, he is bound to find his effort fruitless. To hear suggestive stories with the ears, to see suggestive sights with your eyes, to taste stimulating food with your tongue, to touch exciting things with the hands, and then expect to control the only remaining organ, is just like putting your hand in fire and expecting that it will not burn."* (* Quoted from Mahatma Gandhi)
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You will find perhaps that the palate is the chief of all. Brahmacharya means: the word charya means "the course of conduct"; and Brahm means "God." So brahmacharya means to have a conduct of life adapted to the search for God. It is, therefore, the control of all the senses; and it will become easy to anyone who controls his passions, his palate. Diet has very much to do with our lives. Whatever sort of food you eat, you get that very same effect. If a dog is kept on mere vegetables, he will be very amiable. If you keep him on meat, he will be howling and growling. Any diet that flares up passions, we have to eliminate.
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Diet flares up passions, I tell you. Maulana Rumi says, "It is not love that arises out of eating bread; but love is of the soul, of charity." Love attached with the physical body is called lust. You will find that animals observe brahmacharya more than men. When any animal gets sick, the first thing he does is not eat. There is also a time for their mating; and man has no special time. It is a pitiable state, I would say. That is why we are not born for eating; but eating is made for us, so that this body may be maintained. This body is the golden opportunity that we have: maintain it; keep it as long as you can. It is not for eating; but eating is made for you to maintain it, so that you may know God.
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Similarly, all other organs of desire are required to be controlled. All Masters have laid great stress on that very subject. These two things are specially important. What does it all mean? All these five passions practically mean the same thing; they hinge only on desire. To be desireless is to cut off, to exterminate, the very root of other things. Many Masters have come and said this. Lord Buddha said, "Be desireless." The tenth Guru of the Sikhs said, in his own language, "Be desireless." When you have no desire, there is no question of anger. What is anger? When you want to do something or have something and someone appears to be standing in the way - either directly or indirectly - that impediment to the achievement of your desire causes anger.
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When there is anger, what happens? You cannot speak slowly. Take the example of a little rivulet or ordinary canal flowing strongly in a narrow channel. When there is no impediment in the way, it flows on smoothly. But if you put a big stone in it, the water retards and strikes against the stone, and two things happen: one, there is froth and foam, from the striking; and the other, there is noise. Similarly, those who become angry cannot speak slowly, and there is foam in their mouths. Then when there is any wish: "Oh, I must have it; there is no reason why I should not have it." He puts in all efforts at having it; he makes parties, and this and that. When he achieves it, he does not want to leave it; he is attached. This is called attachment. And then he enjoys it.
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So all five passions hinge on the one thing: desire. Out of these, as I told you, two are the most important, or the strongest ones controlling us in the body. All Masters have been saying that. They say, "Chastity is life" - here we lack very much - and "Sexuality is death." Those who are not married should observe strict chastity. Those who are married should regulate their lives according to what the scriptures say. And what they say, I have just laid out before you. The Mohammedan and almost every scripture says the same thing.
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So, "The abandonment of sensual desires draws the soul towards heaven." The more you control this, the nearer you are to God; because on this very power depends the health of mind and body both: your intellect, your brain, your physical body. They say that what you eat forms chyle; from chyle, blood is formed; from blood, fat is formed; from fat comes the bones; from bones, the pith in them; and from the pith, this thing is formed - how valuable a thing it is! As I told you, animals observe chastity more than men: men have no special mating time. All Masters laid down: "Any unchaste look, thought or act, and all profanity of speech is declared to be unpardonable." We don't pay attention to these things. "A perfect man must be pure in every word and in every action in his own life. The Holy Spirit comes to him from the day he becomes pure." You know the utmost necessity of being pure in thought. That is why Christ said: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" - not others.

All Masters have been laying stress on this. Shankaracharya in the Hindu religion said, "When a man follows the way of the body, true wisdom is not born within him." When you are attached to the sensuous way of living, where is the divinity? Similarly, "Lust and temptations are like the sharks in the river of life." Sharks - they eat up the man! Kabir says, "Lust and anger eat away the body, just as aqua regia, when put on gold, dissolves it." "As the dawning of the day comes simultaneously with the passing of the night, so the dawning of true knowledge follows simultaneously with the dawning of control over the self." Do you see how important it is, and how we have let these things loose?
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All Masters, whether they came in one religion or the other, have been very particular about this point. And nowadays, how dangerous it is! Young men and women - I don't know whether you will take it ill or not; I have pity for the state of affairs we are having nowadays-are let loose, going like anything: wild animals, running here and there. Marriage is a sacrament; it is not a contract. As I told you, Saint Paul said, "Husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the church." This is the main thing. "He who is affected by passions cannot obtain liberation." This is what Shankaracharya said. Not one, but each religion says so. We belong to one religion or the other; but we don't follow its teaching. "Fascination with the body is a great debt for him who is seeking liberation." I am quoting you these things from the scriptures. These aren't my words. They are there in whichever religion you belong to. Chinese philosophy tells us, "To be guileless and pure: this is the way to nourish the spirit. When lust and desires are deep, the springs of the heavenly are shallow." What more do you want them to tell you? What are we doing? These things are given great stress, but we people don't care. That's the pity. Buddha says: "I proclaim the annihilation of lust. I teach the doing away with lust. Nirvana means the subsiding of all human passions. When inner fires of lust are extinguished, then one enters into the Nirvana. This is the lesson of lessons."
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This is the most important thing and the most ignored. I tell you, when we were quite young and our brothers and sisters were born, we used to ask out of curiosity where they came from. And we were told that "the midwife has left it here." Such innocent lives we had! Our parents had such chaste lives that children did not know where children came from. But now, small boys know. Why? They see you. How can you expect that not to happen?
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This subject is the most important and the most ignored; everything follows this. May I quote you history? History shows that when Napoleon, whose name was dreaded throughout the whole of Europe, was caught at Waterloo, he had fallen down in this way the night before. Indian history shows that Prithvi Raj had repulsed all invaders. But the day after he had fallen down in this way, he was caught. Your own experiences show that when you go in for that, the following day you are not happy; your spirits are down; your eyes are sunken.
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Excuse me, I have just taken up this subject because some friend of mine was asking about it today; there was an article in the papers on this very subject. They are recommending all these things, whereas these are deadly against the highest principles of spirituality.
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So, as I told you, control of the organs of sense is of the first importance: that is to have a life of continence. Lust assails us through the eyes. Do you want to save yourself? Don't look into the eyes of others. Anger is flared up through the ears. How can you control it? Leave the place. The more you hear, the more your anger is flared up; and you won't talk slowly. You will go on talking loudly; and what will be the result? There will be foam in your mouth, and you will not be able to speak. Attachment comes through the skin. There are centers in the body. When you are attached to anyone - to your son or daughter - you hug him, here [to your heart]. These are centers in the body.
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The human body is the highest in all creation, and we have it! If only we could withdraw! What is the best way to control it? Just control your attention, withdraw it from outside and bring it up to the seat of the soul, which is at the back of the eyes. This is the best way. When you have full control, this can be had by regular practice. Practice makes a man. You use your eyes and you may not see; with your ears you may not hear. When will this be? When your attention is controlled.
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I tell you, Prophet Mohammed said about these two things: "If you control two organs - the one between the two lips and the other between the two thighs - I am responsible for your liberation at the court of God." Tulsidas said the same thing: "If you are truthful, have humility and are chaste, if you consider others as mothers, sisters and daughters, except for your wife" (and that also, only for a while; wives are not machines, mind that. Excuse me; I am a bit very clear today. They are not for that purpose. That is only one duty, not one hundred per cent of our duties.) - "I am responsible for you at the court of God." And Kabir said, "I will forgive all sins; not him who is unchaste." We have no chastity left anywhere, that's a pity.
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These are the basic things that are flared up; others follow. To achieve God is just to have a pure heart. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
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You are always thinking. Simply sit down and listen to what others are saying. Either they will be speaking of unchaste things - excuse me - or with animosity. What does this do? Any thought, I tell you, any intention that considers someone to be retarding us, to be putting an impediment in our way, turns into anger. That's all. So we must have a life of contentment. All Masters say this is a necessity. All scriptures tell us to love God and to love all humanity; God resides in every heart. An ethical life is a stepping stone to spirituality.
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Although there are others, these are the two main things. Here we fail very much. You fail with the tongue if you have no control over your eating or what you are saying. Think twice before you speak. "Will this word I am uttering carry an effect?" If there is any controversy, quietly follow what the other one is saying. If you are angry, mind that, never say anything. Keep quiet.
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These are the ways to save yourself But the highest aim is another thing. If you have love for God, and God resides in every heart, and we are of the same essence as that of God, then naturally we will have love for all and have no hatred. When you love anyone, you won't harm him, you won't usurp his rights, you won't tell lies. All things follow love. So God is love, and love is the way back to God. For the way of love, it is necessary for you to have a life of continence.
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Sant Kirpal Singh

 

Brahmacharya, or continence, is as difficult to understand as Satya or Ahimsa. In every case of moral judgment, common-sense and a comprehensive outlook are necessary. Many students of Yoga think that Brahmacharya is celibacy or the living of an unmarried life. Though this may be regarded as one definition of it, which has much meaning, Yoga morality calls for Brahmacharya of the purest type, which has a deeper significance. Yoga considers Brahmacharya from all points of view, and not merely in its sociological implication. It requires a purification of all the senses. Oversleeping and gluttony, for instance, are breaks in Brahmacharya. It breaks not merely by a married life, but by overindulgence of any kind, even in an unmarried life, such as overeating, talkativeness and, above all, brooding upon sense-objects. While one conserves energy from one side, it can leak out from another side. Oversleeping is a trick played by the mind when we refuse to give it satisfaction. Overeating and overtalking are, results of a bursting forth of untrained energy. Contemplation on objects of sense can continue even when they are physically far from oneself.
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Brahmacharya is to conserve force for the purpose of meditation. ‘Do you feel strong by the conservation of energy,’ is the question? Brahmacharya is tested by the strength that one recognizes within. The virtue is not for parading it outside, but for the utilization of the conserved power towards a higher purpose. Unnecessary activity of the senses wastes energy. The Chandogya Upanishad says that in purity of the intake of things there is purity of being. In the acts of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and touching, we have to contact only pure things. Any single sense left uncontrolled may nullify the effects of control over the other senses. As the Mahabharata points out, we become that with which we associate ourselves, which we serve for a long time and which we want or wish to become, by constant thinking. Brahmacharya is therefore an act of all-round self-control. The Brahmacharin is always cautious. And no one should have the hardihood to imagine that he is wholly pure and safe.
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The practice of Brahmacharya as a vow of abstinence from all sense-indulgence, particularly in its psychological aspect, and a rigid fixity in personal purity, generates a unison in the vibratory functions of the body, nerves and mind, and the Brahmacharin achieves what he may look upon as a marvel even to himself. Brahmacharya is often regarded as the king of principles, which embodies in itself all other virtues or moral values. In its observance, care has, however, to be taken to see that it comprises not merely avoiding of sense-indulgence and mental reverie but also freedom from the complexes that may follow, as well as satisfactions which one may resort to as a consequence of frustration of desire.
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The Yoga System by Swami Sivananda

 

Voluntary Self-Restraint is No Surpression

There is a Western idea that sex is a natural urge and so free expression should be given to it. And if free expression is not given to it, the sex urge will become suppressed, will become repressed. And if it is thus suppressed and repressed, it will create all sorts of abnormalities within you and you will develop neurosis and various types of complex and you will become an abnormal person. There is partial truth in it. There is truth in it to the extent that if this suppression and repression is forced upon you by circumstances beyond your control, by social environment, by other taboos and deep-seated inhibitions within you, due to your father’s advice or mother’s dominance or family and all, then it can give rise to some undesirable inner abnormality. But this situation never applies if realizing the greatness of a higher goal and realizing the necessity of this important Sadhana of self-control in order to attain that goal, you make up your mind fully, willingly and voluntarily. Then there is no question of suppression. If with a full willing heart you enter into this course of self-discipline and self-restraint, then there is no question of suppression. No one is asking you to do it. You want to do it. You are yourself desirous of it. So, done with full willingness, done with great enthusiasm, it becomes a voluntary thing. Then, psychological situations will not arise. On the contrary, every time you succeed in controlling the sense-urge, you get a sense of elation, you get a sense of achievement you get a sense of inner satisfaction that you have succeeded. So, it is something that goes on giving you endless satisfaction and a sense of triumph, a sense of overcoming. Therefore it is entirely a positive process, a very creative and positive process, not a negative and suppressive process. So, regarding Brahmacharya, if you take the right approach and attitude towards it, then it is simple. It is a question of conserving energy, of preserving energy, so that it may be utilized for higher things which you wish to attain.

 

Modern Medical opinion

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  Eminent European medical men also support the statement of the Yogins of India. Dr. Nicole says: "It is a medical and physiological fact that the best blood in the body goes to form the elements of reproduction in both the sexes. In a pure and orderly life, this matter is reabsorbed. It goes back into circulation ready to form the finest brain, nerve and muscular tissues. This vital fluid of man carried back and diffused through his system makes him manly, strong, brave and heroic. If wasted, it leaves him effeminate, weak and physically debilitated and prone to sexual irritation and disordered function, a wretched nervous system, epilepsy, and various other diseases and death. The suspension of the use of the generative organs is attended with a notable increase of bodily and mental and spiritual vigour."
  
  If the spermatic secretion in men is continuous, it must either be expelled or be reabsorbed. As a result of the most patient and persevering scientific investigations, it has been found that whenever the seminal secretions are conserved and thereby reabsorbed into the system, it goes towards enriching the blood and strengthening the brain. Dr. Dio Louis thinks that the conservation of this element is essential to strength of body, vigour of mind and keenness of intellect. Another writer, Dr. E.P. Miller, says: "All waste of spermatic secretions, whether voluntary or involuntary, is a direct waste of the life force. It is almost universally conceded that the choicest element of the blood enters into the composition of the spermatic secretion. If these conclusions are correct, then it follows that a chaste life is essential to man’s well-being."

 

Ojas Shakti - Sex-sublimation

When semen is preserved, it gets reabsorbed by the body and stored in the brain as Ojas Shakti or spiritual power. The seminal energy is changed into spiritual energy. This is called the process of sex-sublimation. The Ojas Shakti is used for spiritual Sadhana by the Yogi.

The vital force is closely linked with the nervous system. Hence, it is vitally necessary to preserve it carefully if one desires to have strong nerves.

In the Yoga Shastra it is stated: "The falling of semen brings death; the preservation of it gives life." The semen is the real vitality in man. It is the hidden treasure in him. It gives a glow to the face, strength to the intellect and well being to the entire system. Girls, too, suffer great loss through having unchaste thoughts and giving way to lust. Vital nervous energy is lost. There is a corresponding loss of Veerya in them as well.

The Srutis state that a man’s full life span is a hundred years. This can be achieved only if a person is established in perfect Brahmacharya. It is through the attainment of good conduct only that one can live to a ripe old age and be ever happy and peaceful. Even if all other qualities may be lacking, good conduct alone will ensure longevity.

You must have pure character, otherwise you will lose your vital energy or Veerya. An early death will be the result.

Another important point to remember is that the secret of long life lies in the choice of pure food and drink, chastity, temperance, sobriety and a cheerful and optimistic outlook on life. So, gluttons, drunkards and those given to idleness and laziness, cannot hope to have long life.

According to psychological and natural laws, the length of human life, or any life, should be at least five times the period necessary to reach full growth. The horse grows for a period of about three years and lives to be about twelve or fourteen. The camel grows for eight years and lives to be forty. Man grows for about twenty to twenty-five years. If all accidents are counted out, his normal duration of life should be not less than one hundred years.

This tallies very well with the advice of the Hindu Holy Scriptures that Brahmacharya should be practised for the first twenty-five years. During the period of growth there is not to be any loss of the vital fluid.

There are some rare cases where people have attained longevity and high intellectual powers despite their loose, immoral ways. This is obviously due to their past Karma. But they would have been still more powerful and brilliant through the practice of Brahmacharya.

The Ideal Brahmachari

The word ‘Brahmachari’ is used in two senses. Firstly, there is the student Brahmachari, who marries and becomes a householder after completing his study. He is in the first of the four stages of life described in Hindu law books. The second type of Brahmachari is the lifelong celibate and is called an Akhanda (unbroken) Brahmachari.

Brahmacharis of this latter type are very rare. Matted hair, application of ash and wearing a loincloth cannot make one a true Brahmachari. The Akhanda Brahmachari is one who has not allowed a single drop of semen to be wasted for an unbroken period of twelve years. Such a person can have the vision of God without effort. He achieves the goal of life. He glows with effulgence.

The seminal energy of an Akhanda Brahmachari has been converted into Ojas Shakti or spiritual energy through the process called sex-sublimation. Such a person can turn out a great deal of mental work. He is very intelligent. He has a magnetic aura on his face. His eyes shine brightly.

Peace of mind, fearlessness, a strong will, good memory and power of concentration, keen application to work- these are the fruits of Brahmacharya.

Brahmacharya in acive life

The practice of Karma Yoga or selfless service will not be possible without Brahmacharya. If the Veerya (semen) is lost, the Prana gets unsteady. If the Prana gets agitated, one becomes nervous. Then the mind also cannot work properly and the person becomes fickle-minded. This is mental weakness.

Brahmacharya brings material and spiritual progress. It is a powerful weapon for waging war against the demons of lust, anger, greed and jealousy. It gives great energy, a clear brain, strong will, retentive memory and good power of enquiry.

Lack of Brahmacharya brings about loss of memory, a weak will, nervous disorders, tension, lack of the power of concentration, and physical diseases.

The ignorant man is an instrument in the hands of his thoughts and Karmas. Man, the master of his destiny, has lost his divine glory and becomes a slave, a tool in the hands of sex and ego. Sex and ego are the products of ignorance. Knowledge of God destroys these two enemies.

Some Western psychologists wrongly believe that if one does not indulge in sex, then there is a danger of developing some kind of ‘complex’ in the mind; they feel that some undesirable results, such as diseases, may appear. This is an ill-founded doubt. These complexes are due to other causes. They are morbid states due to excessive jealousy, hatred, anger, worry and depression.

In fact, the opposite is true. Even a little practice of self-restraint is an ideal ‘pick-me-up.’ It gives inner strength and peace of mind. It invigorates the mind and nerves. It helps one to save physical and mental energy. It helps to increase memory, will power and brain power. It bestows immense strength, vigour and vitality. It gives new life to the system, rebuilds the tissues and cells, energises digestion, and gives one power to face difficulties in the daily battle of life. A perfect Brahmachari can shake the whole world, can top the waves of the ocean, like Lord Jesus. Like Jnana Dev, he can blow up mountains and command the five elements. There is nothing in the three worlds that cannot be achieved by such a person.

A well disciplined life, study of scriptures, Satsang, Japa, meditation, Pranayama, Sattwic and moderate diet, daily self-analysis and introspection, practice of right conduct- all these will pave the way towards the attainment of perfection in Brahmacharya. Most people lead a life without any kind of discipline and religious ideals, with the result that they are always filled with fears, cares, worries and anxieties. Through diverse desires, they get entangled and create numerous problems for themselves.

In the case of young children, pure non-stimulating food, games and daily exercises are very important for keeping up Brahmacharya.

 

Yeah I know some of the things are out there, that I quote from Hinduist texts/books. Some not all. Just ignore those and see what you need

 

SHAIVITE HINDUISM EXPLAINED
4. Yama - Sexual Purity | Brahmacharya

Summary of the Fourth Restraint

Practice divine conduct, controlling lust by remaining celibate when single and faithful in marriage.
Before marriage, use vital energies in study, and after marriage in creating family success.
Don’t waste the sacred force by promiscuity in thought, word or deed.
Be restrained with the opposite sex.
Seek holy company. Dress and speak modestly.
Shun pornography, sexual humour and violence.
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The Fourth Restraint

Sexual Purity

Brahmacharya / ब्रह्मचर्य

Brahmacharya, sexual purity, is a very important restraint among the Ancient Śaivite ethical principles known as Yamas and Niyamas, because it sets the pattern for one’s entire life.
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Following this principle, the vital energies are used before marriage in study rather than in sexual fantasy, e-pornography, masturbation, necking, petting or sexual intercourse.
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After marriage, the vital energies are concentrated on business, livelihood, fulfilling one’s duties, serving the community, improving oneself and one’s family, and performing sādhana.
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For those who do not believe in God, Devas, guru or the path to enlightenment, this is a difficult restraint to fulfil, and such people tend to be promiscuous when single and therefore unfaithful in marriage.
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The rewards for maintaining this restraint are many:
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Those who practice brahmacharya before marriage and apply its principles throughout married life are free from encumbrances—mentally, emotionally and physically.
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They get a good start on life, have long-lasting, mature family relationships, and their children are emotionally sound, mentally firm and physically strong.
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Those who are promiscuous and unreligious are susceptible to impulses of anger, have undefined fears, experience jealousy and the other instinctive emotions.
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The doors of the higher world are open to them, but the doors of the lower world are also open.

Even the virgin brahmacharya who believes firmly in God, Gods, guru and the path to enlightenment and has a strict family must be watched and carefully guided to maintain his brahmacharya. Without this careful attention, the virginity may easily be lost.
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Brahmacharya for the monastic means complete sexual abstinence and is, of course, an understood requirement to maintain this position in life. This applies as well to any single individual who has taken the celibacy vow, known as brahmacharya vrata.
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If brahmacharya is compromised by the brahmachārī, he must face the consequences and reaffirm his original intent. Having lost faith in himself because of breaking his vrata, his self-confidence must be rebuilt.
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It should be perfectly clear that it is totally unacceptable for men or women who have taken up the celibate monastic life to live a double standard and surround themselves with those of the opposite sex—be they fellow āśramites, personal aides, secretaries or close devotees—or with their former family.
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Nowadays there are pseudo-sannyāsins who are married and call themselves swamis, but, if pressed, they might admit that they are simply yoga teachers dressed in orange robes, bearing the title “swāmī” to attract the attention of the uninformed public for commercial reasons.
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There is great power in the practice of brahmacharya, literally “Godly conduct.”
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Containing the sacred fluids within the body builds up a bank account through the years that makes the realization of God on the path to enlightenment a reality within the life of the individual who is single. When brahmacharya is broken through sexual intercourse, this power goes away. It just goes away.
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Brahmacharya in Family Life

The observance of brahmacharya is perhaps the most essential aspect of a sound, spiritual culture. This is why in Śaivism boys and girls are taught the importance of remaining celibate until they are married. This creates healthy individuals, physically, emotionally and spiritually, generation after generation.
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There is a mystical reason:
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In virgin boys and girls, the psychic Nāḍis, the astral nerve currents that extend out into and through their aura, have small hooks at the end. When a boy and girl marry, the hooks straighten out and the Nāḍis are tied one to another, and they actually grow together.
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If the first sexual experience is premarital and virginity is broken, the hooks at the end of the Nāḍis also straighten out, but there is nothing to grow onto if the partners do not marry.
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Then, when either partner marries someone else, the relationship is never as close as when a virgin boy and girl marry, because their Nāḍis don’t grow together in the same way. In cases such as this, they feel the need for intellectual stimuli and emotional stimuli to keep the marriage going.
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Youth ask, “How should we regard members of the opposite sex?”
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Do not look at members of the opposite sex with any idea of sex or lust in mind. Do not indulge in admiring those of the opposite sex, or seeing one as more beautiful than another.
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Boys must foster the inner attitude that all young women are their sisters and all older women are their mother. Girls must foster the inner attitude that all young men are their brothers and all older men are their father.
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Do not attend movies that depict the base instincts of humans, nor read books or magazines of this nature. Above all, avoid pornography on the Internet, on TV and in any other media.
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To be successful in brahmacharya, one naturally wants to avoid arousing the sex instincts. This is done by understanding and avoiding the eight successive phases:
fantasy, glorification, flirtation, lustful glances, secret love talk, amorous longing, rendezvous and finally intercourse.
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Be very careful to mix only with good company—those who think and speak in a cultured way—so that the mind and emotions are not led astray and vital energies needed for study used up.
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Get plenty of physical exercise. This is very important, because exercise sublimates your instinctive drives and directs excess energy and the flow of blood into all parts of the body.
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Brahmacharya means sexual continence, as was observed by Mahatma Gandhi in his later years and by other great souls throughout life.
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There is another form of sexual purity, though not truly brahmacharya, followed by faithful family people who have a normal sex life while raising a family.
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They are working toward the stage when they will take their brahmacharya vrata after sixty years of age. Thereafter they would live together as brother and sister, sleeping in separate bedrooms.
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During their married life, they control the forces of lust and regulate instinctive energies and thus prepare to take that vrata. But if they are unfaithful, flirtatious and loose in their thinking through life, they will not be inclined to take the vrata in later life.
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Faithfulness in marriage means fidelity and much more: It includes mental faithfulness, non-flirtatiousness and modesty toward the opposite sex.
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A married man, for instance, should not hire a secretary who is more magnetic or more beautiful than his wife.
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Metaphysically, in the perfect family relationship, man and wife are, in a sense, creating a one nervous system for their joint spiritual progress, and all of their Nāḍis are growing together over the years.
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If they break that faithfulness, they break the psychic, soul connections that are developing for their personal inner achievements.
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If one or the other of the partners does have an affair, this creates a psychic tug and pulls on the nerve system of both spouses that will continue until the affair ends and long afterwards.
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Therefore, the principle of the containment of the sexual force and mental and emotional impulses is the spirit of brahmacharya, both for the single and married person.
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Rules for Serious People

For virtuous individuals who marry, their experiences with their partner are, again, free from lustful fantasies; and emotional involvement is only with their spouse.
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Yes, a normal sex life should be had between husband and wife, and no one else should be included in either one’s mind or emotions:
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Never hugging, touching another’s spouse or exciting the emotions; always dressing modestly, not in a sexually arousing way; not viewing sexually oriented or pornographic videos; not telling dirty jokes—all of these simple customs are traditional ways of upholding sexual purity.
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The yama of brahmacharya works in concert with asteya, non-stealing. Stealing or coveting another’s spouse, even mentally, creates a force that, once generated, is difficult to stop.
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In this day and age, when promiscuity is a way of life, there is great strength in married couples’ understanding and applying the principles of sexual purity:
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If they obey these principles and are on the path of enlightenment, they will again become celibate later in life, as they were when they were young.
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These principles persist through life, and when their children are raised and the forces naturally become quiet, around age sixty, husband and wife take the brahmacharya vrata, live in separate rooms and prepare themselves for greater spiritual experiences.
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Married persons uphold sexual purity by observing the eightfold celibacy toward everyone but their spouse. These are ideals for serious, spiritual people. For those who have nothing to do with spirituality, these laws are meaningless.
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We are assuming a situation of a couple where everything they do and all that happens in their life is oriented toward spiritual life and spiritual goals and, therefore, these principles do apply.
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For sexual purity, individuals must believe firmly in the path to enlightenment. They must have faith in higher powers than themselves. Without this, sexual purity is nearly impossible.
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One of the fastest ways to destroy the stability of families and societies is through promiscuity, mental and/or physical, and the best way to maintain stability is through self-control.
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The world today has become increasingly unstable because of the mental, physical, emotional license that people have given to themselves.
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The generation that follows an era of promiscuity has a dearth of examples to follow and are even more unstable than their parents were when they began their promiscuous living.
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Stability for human society is based on morality, and morality is based on harnessing and controlling sexuality.
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The principles of brahmacharya should be learned well before puberty, so that the sexual feelings the young person then begins to experience are free of mental fantasies and emotional involvement. Once established in a young person, this control is expected to be carried out all through life.
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When a virgin boy and girl marry, they transfer the love they have for their parents to one another:
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The boy’s attachment to his mother is transferred to his wife, and the girl’s attachment to her father is transferred to her husband. She now becomes the mother. He now becomes the father. This does not mean they love their parents any less.
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This is why the parents have to be in good shape, to create the next generation of stable families. This is their dharmic duty. If they don’t do it, they create all kinds of uncomely karmas for themselves to be faced at a later time.
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Red Zambla website

 

In spiritual life, we have to know through discrimination our soul as separate from body and mind, and then free it from the impurities of the mind through discipline.To the extent we practise sense-control, perfect continence (Brahmacharya), discrimination, we get real knowledge. Knowledge cannot be got without that..To the extent we get knowledge,we become free from bondage and sorrow. And then, finally ,the true Self shines forth filling us with bliss and glory.
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Meditation And Spiritual Life by Swami Yatiswarananda