PRACTICE OF BRAHMACHARYA By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA 6(59(/29(*,9( 385,)<0(',7$7( 5($/,=( Sri Swami Sivananda So Says Founder of Sri Swami Sivananda The Divine Life Society A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION First Edition: 1934 Eighth Edition: 1980 First Revised Edition: 1988 Second Reprint: 1993 (5000 Copies) World Wide Web (WWW) Reprint : 1997 WWW site: http://www.rsl.ukans.edu/~pkanagar/divine/ This WWW reprint is for free distribution © The Divine Life Trust Society ISBN 81-7052-067-3 Published By THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY P.O. SHIVANANDANAGAR—249 192 Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh, Himalayas, India. ii PUBLISHERS’ NOTE Instincts and appetites form a part of all life on earth. Sense impulses and biological urges are common to animal and man alike. Sex is one of the prominent, most important and absolutely essential aspects of human, animal as well as plant life. Sex is an integral part of life—human, animal and plant. While this aspect of life is regulated by nature in plants and by instinct in animals, in man it is left to his common-sense, intelligence and his developed reason to control and regulate the same. The vast and ancient scriptures of the world offer human society specific rules and regulations in this respect. With regard to India, as a nation, our forefathers followed the do’s and don’ts of the Dharma Sastras in meticulous detail and this, in large measure, contributed to their health, longevity and spiritual welfare. But alas, in the present-day world, and more particularly among the educated class, in all walks of society and in all age groups, norms of conduct laid down by the scriptures are flouted with so much impunity that we see, all around us, the number of physical, mental and moral wrecks increasing every day. One reason for this sad state of affairs is modern man’s ignorance of his own scriptural treasures. Swami Sivananda came on the Indian scene, in the early thirties, to blast this ignorance of the people by offering the hoary wisdom of the ancients through the media of his simple English writings. It is well known that spiritual treatises apart, the great Master, whose love for mankind knew no bounds, wrote a number of books concerning health, hygiene and medicine. One such book was “Practice of Brahmacharya” which dealt mostly with the subject of celibacy, and where celibacy was not possible, a regulated sex life. This book has been popular with the public. This apart, the Swamiji’s thoughts on the subject of sex and sex sublimation are also to be seen here and there spread over his voluminous writings. In the present volume, all of Swamiji’s thoughts and instructions on the subject of sex and celibacy have been gathered up from “Practice of Brahmacharya” and elsewhere, and thoroughly edited, with a view to offering the public, and especially to the younger generation, a working guide to the vital subject of sex sublimation. This has been done as an act of loving service to modern youth who are often left groping in the dark by an irresponsible society. These days we often hear about “juvenile delinquency,” but this juvenile delinquency itself is the result of adult irresponsibility. The youth of the world craves for guidance which is often not forthcoming from the parents, teachers or society. It is hoped that this book of holy Master Swami Sivananda will fill the above-mentioned lacuna and offer the youth of the world the knowledge and guidance which they so richly deserve in a vital area which affects their physical, mental, ethical and spiritual well-being. We pray that the blessings of the holy Master may pour on all those who may chance to go through the following pages and open up a new chapter in their lives. May all be healthy, happy and spiritually blessed. Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu! 8th September, 1988. —THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY iii CONTENTS PUBLISHERS’ NOTE.................................................................................................................iii PRAYER FOR PURITY.............................................................................................................vii SECTION I. THE PHENOMENON OF SEX........................................................................... 1 1. THE PRESENT-DAY DEGRADATION .............................................................................. 1 The world is all sexy ............................................................................................................................................. 2 Spiritual Sadhana is the answer to sex attraction................................................................................................... 3 Brahmacharya—the need of the hour.................................................................................................................... 4 2. THE WORKING OF THE SEX IMPULSE ........................................................................... 6 The flowery bow of Cupid .................................................................................................................................... 6 The Samskaras in the subconscious mind ............................................................................................................. 7 How to gauge your own mental purity .................................................................................................................. 9 Eradication of lust is no easy task ....................................................................................................................... 10 3. INTENSITY OF THE CRAVINGS IN DIFFERENT PERSONS........................................ 12 Passion in children, the youth and the aged......................................................................................................... 12 Sexual thought in sages, spiritual aspirants and householders............................................................................. 13 Lust in men and in women .................................................................................................................................. 14 4. SEX IS IN IMAGINATION ................................................................................................. 15 Beauty is a mental concept.................................................................................................................................. 16 Misleading descriptions of a woman’s beauty..................................................................................................... 17 Passion blinds the intellect .................................................................................................................................. 18 5. THE DISASTROUS EFFECTS OF SEXUAL INDULGENCE .......................................... 19 Wet dream and voluntary copulation—A vital difference................................................................................... 20 Youth with bloodless faces.................................................................................................................................. 20 6. THE VALUE OF SEMEN.................................................................................................... 21 Modern medical opinion ..................................................................................................................................... 22 Mind, Prana and Veerya...................................................................................................................................... 22 SECTION II. THE GLORY OF BRAHMACHARYA .......................................................... 24 7. THE MEANING OF BRAHMACHARYA.......................................................................... 24 The eight breaks in Brahmacharya...................................................................................................................... 24 Physical Brahmacharya and mental Brahmacharya............................................................................................. 25 A common complaint .......................................................................................................................................... 27 8. THE GLORY OF BRAHMACHARYA............................................................................... 27 Secret of health and longevity ............................................................................................................................. 28 Celibacy promotes concentration ........................................................................................................................ 29 9. IMPORTANCE OF CELIBACY IN SPIRITUAL LIFE ...................................................... 30 Celibacy in the different religious orders ............................................................................................................ 31 Brahmacharya—the foundation of spiritual life .................................................................................................. 32 10. BRAHMACHARYA FOR HOUSEHOLDERS................................................................. 34 What is Brahmacharya in married life?............................................................................................................... 35 When the wife becomes the mother .................................................................................................................... 36 Living a life of spiritual partnership.................................................................................................................... 36 11. WOMEN AND