Sri Ramakrishna Math : The Vedanta Kesari, Editorial: Brahmacharya

Etymologically the word brahmacharya means, to dwell in, to be attuned with, and to realize one's identity with, Brahman, the Supreme Spirit. Vyasa, the commentator of the Yoga Sutras, however, defines brahmacharya as the control of the organ of generation and giving up of all forms of lust, which means not only abstaining from gross sexual indulgence but also thinking, willing, seeing, talking, observing and indulging in sexual entertainment mentally or through other senses. Thus, brahmacharya can have various dimensions: transcendental, subtle or mental, and gross, physical or physiological. Finally, sex plays such a dominant role in the life of most of the people that it is worth considering another of its dimensions, viz., social. Ever since the postulation of the theory of libido by Sigmund Freud and the consequent sexualization of the western culture, the social dimensions of sex and brahmacharya have gained much greater importance.

We may not agree with the postulate of Sigmund Freud that sex is the most important driving force in man and that the fullest sexual development, both physical and psychological, is the goal to be achieved for a complex-free psyche. But we must admit that Freud has provided us with deep insights into the workings of the subconscious mind. The roots of lust are indeed deep. Even Sri Krishna has hinted at it in answer to a pertinent question by Arjuna. He not only describes the power of lust but in a significant in-depth analysis, points out three seats of lust:

Arjuna asks: Prompted by what does a man commit sin, even though unwilling, being goaded, as it were, by force?

The Blessed Lord says: This is desire (lust), this is anger, born of the constituents of rajas, of inordinate appetite and is most sinful. Know it to be an enemy here. O son of Kunti, knowledge is covered by this enemy of the wise in the form of desire (lust) which is like an insatiable fire. The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its seats; covering knowledge by these, it deludes the embodied being.

Thus according to Sri Krishna, desire, especially lust, is extremely powerful and can overpower even a wise man. Secondly, it has three seats, i.e., it acts and rests at three levels. That a person enjoys the objects through the senses is understandable. But lust also rests in the mind. That means, an individual 'enjoys' through imagination, memory, and mental cogitation also. The third seat of lust--intellect--is the most significant and deep. Intellect is that function of the mind which arrives at firm conclusions and decisions which later take the form of beliefs and convictions which prompt our thoughts and actions. So what is the meaning of having intellect as the seat of lust? When one, through experience, reason or by false belief, is convinced that indulging in sex is good, that it conduces to health, peace and happiness, that it is the only true goal of life and that there is nothing wrong in fulfilling one's lustful desire by whichever means, then lust is firmly established in its deepest, surest seat in the intellect. It is easy to control the senses; one might with some effort abstain from sensual imagination, memories and thoughts pertaining to lust, but it is extremely difficult to conquer lust if it has taken firm root in the intellect in the form of a firm conviction. Hence Sri Krishna, while advising Arjuna 'to kill this sinful thing which destroys the realization of knowledge, by first controlling senses at the very outset,' also advises him thus:

Thus knowing that which is beyond the intellect (self) and controlling the mind by the intellect (self), kill, O mighty armed one (Arjuna), the enemy in the form of desire (lust), which is difficult to conquer.

It is important to thoroughly understand this mechanics of lust if one really wants to practise brahmacharya. In the Katha Upanishad we get a concept of shreyas and preyas. Shreyas means that which is beneficial and conducive to well-being in the long run. Preyas means that which is only pleasant and attractive, and though providing momentary joy and pleasure, is harmful in the long run. Human beings are naturally attracted towards the pleasant. That lust is the most attractive and pleasing need not be mentioned, but very few people know or realize that when uncontrolled, it may lead to total destruction and ruin. And if it is proved by reasoning that enjoyment of sex is also the most beneficial, how difficult it could become to conquer it! Today this is being propagated all over the world, with the help of multimedia.

Of the five yamas or moral values, brahmacharya alone has a physiological dimension which has been studied by the Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda, there are seven dhatus or elements in the human body. The food that we eat is digested and converted into its essence or rasa which is absorbed into the system. Rasa is transformed into blood, blood into flesh, flesh into fat, fat into bone, bone into marrow and marrow into shukra or seed or semen. According to this theory semen is the seventh dhatu and naturally the most important and refined. It is the very essence, as it were, of all the preceding six dhatus. Hence its loss is considered a great loss. If preserved, shukra gets absorbed into the system and is converted into ojas. Ojas is something subtler than the dhatus. It has a physical aspect as well as a subtler mental aspect. It nourishes not only the physical body but also the brain and the nervous system. It imparts physical lustre and charm to the body and sharpens the intellect, heightens the memory and conduces to general serenity and blissfulness.

According to Ayurveda, therefore, excessive loss of shukra through sex would lead to weakening of the preceeding six dhatus by draining them out, and would also reduce ojas. It is, therefore, expressly advised that shukra must be discharged only for procreation and not otherwise.

Is there any counterpart of this theory in modern physiology? Probably not. It is difficult to confirm this theory of Ayurveda on the basis of the knowledge of allopathic physiology. Both the systems--modern Allopathic medicine and Ayurveda--have their own theories and concepts, entirely different from each other and it is not a sound policy to try to confirm one concept with the help of the other.

According to modern physiology the human body is governed by two set of nerves; one which is under the voluntary control of the individual and the other which works involuntarily and is not under the control of the individual. The latter, the autonomic nervous system, has two components: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. These two are highly excited during sexual intercourse. Whenever we are emotionally disturbed--be it in anger, fear, or sexual excitement--the autonomic nervous system is activated. The heart starts beating faster; the respiration becomes fast and irregular; there is perspiration, increase or decrease in salivation, etc. Such repeated stimulation of the autonomic nervous system and the consequent unnatural excitation of the cardio-respiratory system may ultimately produce permanent damage to these systems.

It has been shown that the seminal fluid contains secretions from a gland called prostate situated at the base of the urinary bladder. This prostatic secretion contains phosphates which, it has been proved, are useful for cerebral functions. Glycerophosphates are often used as brain tonics. Besides, prostate also produces chemicals called prostaglandins which have a wide range of anti-inflammatory protective effects on various organs of the body. Synthetic prostaglandins are nowadays extensively used as anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic drugs. It seems that the secretion of natural prostaglandins was Mother Nature's method of keeping the body protected against a large number of inflammatory reactions and providing natural resistance.

To what extent the loss of semen affects the natural prostaglandin-regulatory system and leads to loss of natural phosphates, and whether such a loss is significant for the physical and mental health of an individual, is difficult to say. But it is quite understandable that if the above facts are true, over-indulgence in sex and excessive loss of semen might adversely affect the physical and mental health of the individual. Ojas, in terms of modern physiology can well mean greater natural resistance and an ability to bear greater stress and strain, both physical and mental.

There are also many other ways in which these chemicals can be lost or gained. Even according to Ayurveda, ojas can be lost in many ways other than sex. It also remains to be determined what is the counterpart of shukra or semen in women. It is therefore irrational to lay too great a stress on the physiological aspect of brahmacharya. However, one fact cannot be denied. Sexual indulgence leads to excitement of the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems. No sadhaka aspiring to have deep, prolonged meditation can risk such excitement. One may, by practice, be able to sit unmoved in one posture for a long time as a physical feat, but without Brahmacharya it is impossible to have deep and prolonged one-pointed meditation.

Since lust has various seats--senses, mind and intellect--the practice of brahmacharya can also be done variously. Sri Krishna advises Arjuna to first of all control the senses: 'Therefore, O best of Bharata line, first of all you should control your senses and thus kill this enemy, destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.' It is always a safe policy to avoid people, places, activities and situations which might stimulate lustful thoughts. In the spiritual warfare, flight is the best way of winning over this deadly enemy, lust. Let us never be too self-confident. Lust must never be faced directly.

Some restrictions about food can also help in reducing the pull of the turbulent senses. Mahatma Gandhi had done a number of experiments with diet and was of the opinion that occasional fasting helped in subduing lust. The control of palate is often underestimated and not practised as rigourously as it should be. It is impossible to subdue lust without controlling the palate. Then there are certain Hatha-yogic practices, which, though effective, have the disadvantage of making one all the more body-conscious. They may, however, prove useful for some temperaments.

As we know, Sri Ramakrishna did not approve of Hatha-yogic practices. He dissuaded Yogen (later Swami Yogananda) from learning them. Instead he asked him to practise Japa with concentration, and Yogen soon derived great benefit from it. He asked another of his disciples to meditate upon the Divine Mother Kali on his chest when lying on bed to sleep. He asked Latu to think of the Master himself whenever he found impure thoughts arising in his mind. All these techniques have one thing in common--to think of the Divine.

It must be remembered that lust is not outside. It is within our mind. Hence it is more important to change our attitude towards the opposite sex. To Swami Vijnanananda, however, Sri Ramakrishna had given an extreme instruction--to totally eschew all contact with women. But he told others to look upon women as the embodiments of the Divine Mother. In Adhyatma Ramayana, Narada, in his hymn to Sri Rama says that males of all species are Rama and females are Sita. This attitude is most beneficial in sublimating our outlook towards people.

The ultimate solution, however, to the problem of lust is to develop Atmabuddhi--to consider ourselves and others as sexless, pure, blissful Atman rather than male or female bodies. Unfortunately it is not so easy and requires persistent, prolonged effort.

These are some of the general means and methods for the practice of brahmacharya. Modifications and alterations must be made according to the individual and his station in life. For example, Sri Ramakrishna has advised married people to live as brothers and sisters after one or two issue. He knew that all cannot practise absolute brahmacharya and has made concessions for householders. There are similar rules regulating the sex-life of the householder votaries in all religions, and the observance of these rules is far more important than the practice of an absolute vow of brahmacharya by a miniscule few monastics. It is heartening to see that many married couples, inspired by the ideal of Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi, are trying to practise brahmacharya in married life and endeavouring to reinstate the institution of marriage to its sanctified height once more.

According to Pitrim Sorokin, there is an odd, unidentified revolution taking place in modern times. This involves only individuals and has no army, or civil war. And yet this silent revolution, which he calls 'Sex Revolution', is being carried on by billions of people all over the world leading to sexual anarchy. This is as important as any other revolution because of its profound effects upon the individual and society. Sorokin, in his book, Sane Sex Order, discusses the harmful effects of sex anarchy on the physical and mental health and creativity of individuals, and upon society in general. One of its most dreaded effects is the breakdown of the family which is the unit of a sane and stable society. In USA and European countries, family life is rapidly deteriorating. In Britain, every year 150000 children under 16 are added to the number who experience the divorce of their parents. Never-married mothers quadrupled to 360000 over the period 1971-89. In 1980, 12 percent births took place outside marriage; in 1990, 28 percent did so. One-parent families now comprise 19 percent of the total, and more than 30 percent of births now take place outside marriage.

In USA, the epidemic of teenage pregnancy, 'Children having children', has become a public health crisis, and divorce rate has doubled in ten years. Two-fifth of children live in single-parent homes for at least some part of their youth.

It is not that children from single- parent families cannot prosper, but they do worse on average than those from traditional families in every dimension--physically, emotionally, behaviourally, educationally, economically and in terms of smoking and drinking. They die earlier, do less well at school, are less well nourished, suffer more unemployment, are more prone to deviance and crime and more susceptible to psychiatric illness. And community in one sense is family writ large. Loss of community life finds expression in crime, vandalism and violence. Establishment of a sane sex order and a stable marriage system are, therefore, the most important sociological needs of the times.

Anthropologically, there are many kinds of marriages. In Hinduism eight kinds of marriages have been described but monogamy with mutual consent is the accepted pattern. In Islam polygamy is allowed. Then there are tribes where polyandry is in vogue. There are also many kinds of family, apart from the traditional joint families and nuclear families with two stably married indidviduals living at home. While these traditional modes of marriage and family patterns may not be the ideal ones for industrial and post industrial societies, the need for human care and support by carers close to us, ideally our parents, until we are at least 20 and thereafter support of a spouse 'in sickness and in health' ...'till death do us part,' is one of the most notable features of being human.

All this cannot be fulfilled in the modern day culture dominated by sex anarchy and illicit sex relationships. Sorokin, therefore, suggests a scheme of ennoblement of culture and social life as a means to establish a sane sex order. It basically consists in liberation of our culture and institutions from the curse of sexuality. The main change in such ennoblement must involve desexualization of our fine arts, multimedia, including radio and TV, recreations and sports, our sciences and philosophy, social and humanistic disciplines, ethics and law; in short, our total way of life. Idealistic ennoblement of love, marriage and family are also a part of this great transformation.

This, then, is the sociological dimension of Brahmacharya, which must not be overlooked even while practising Brahmacharya in thought, word and deed.