Yoga and Sex vs Celibacy

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#157

[QUOTE=artofliving;63516]Its all about doing everything with awareness… I really dont think , being single or getting married makes any difference

Ashwin[/QUOTE]

Dear Friend:

I couldn’t understand the meaning of your first sentence.

About being single or married, well, [I][B]manu smruti[/B][/I] stipulates the days on which [I][B]grihastas[/B][/I], i.e. householders may engage in sex, without substantially jeopardising the yogic aspect of preserving the reproductive fluids, so as these fluids remain available for [B]transmutation into [I]ojas[/I][/B] i.e. spiritual energy.

In [I][B]Hatha Yoga[/B][/I], the [I][B]Vajaroli[/B][/I] is available to aspirants who have the necessary resolve to suddenly switch on an attitude of detachment towards this very ancient sport!!

For other yoga aspirants, celibacy for the singles and [I][B]manu smriti[/B][/I] advice for householders is the practical way.

regards, anand

#158

With reference to post no #157 i would like to throw some light on celibacy. Well if people follow patanjali yoga sutra of living the initial requirement of starting this path are yam and niyam under which celibacy stands a firm ground. Celibacy doesn’t mean suppersing the innate desire of sex but rather freeing oneself from lustful emotion. Because there lustful emotion causes individual to follow a downward course of life and conscious equating individual to an animal psyche which is “prohibited” for native in spiritual path. When the author of post 157 says that nature has not intended man to be celibate,makes me think he is equating procreation to celibacy and as far as i m concerned celibacy in turn increases the consciousness and awareness as it makes the native different from animal psyche by taking him towards upward course of awareness. It doesn’t have an opposite effect if you remain celibate for too long rather its the duty of the native of spirituality to free himself from lust and be celibate and as the case of householder yogi is concerned ejaculation for the purpose of creation is his free will as a householder and ejaculation in this case doesn’t mean for him dat he broke his celibacy unless lust overtook the procreation process. And celibacy is of utmost importance in sex in tantrik yoga where the essence of semen follow the upward course as semen have a two way process one lustful sex where the psyche can be related to animal and other divine sex where psyche turns to divinity;it may require a partner at the initial state in tantrik wisdom and in advanced state and in initial state for some people(like in raja yoga) who try to perform inner sex(antar maithun) by the union of kundalini with divinity in the sahasrar(crown chakra). So when you say that yogi who try to remain celibate walks against the current,fighting there own nature;shows superficial knowledge in this regard rather i would say they are trying to free themselves from the clutches of nature and instead they are trying to follow the real nature of human psyche of celibacy which helps them trace path of divinity rather than animalism. And procreation is a different matter than celibacy and celibacy if properly understood is the innate nature of human being. Its my understanding in this regard,well people are free to discover theirs and if nature intents whats the right course for human beings than there’s no way of salvation as the human soul is always free from its clutches, its only the nature and its process makes us think the other way.

#159

[QUOTE=Anand Kulkarni;63526]For other yoga aspirants, celibacy for the singles and [I][B]manu smriti[/B][/I] advice for householders is the practical way.
regards, anand[/QUOTE]

Does the manu smriti advice about masturbation for singles?
I cannot withhold my bindu for longer than one month, my pubic region starts hurting…

#160

[quote=anand kulkarni;63405]dear friend:

“jaisa bhava, taisi siddhi”. It means, one’s inner attitude is the cause of attaining to the fruit of that attitude. So your words express your inner attitude viz. That of everything being business.

With this attitude one can become a good businessman, but not a yogi.

Regards, anand[/quote]

lol

You sure do have a lot of fixed ideas.

#161

[QUOTE=panoramix;63533]Does the manu smriti advice about masturbation for singles?
I cannot withhold my bindu for longer than one month, my pubic region starts hurting…[/QUOTE]

Dear Friend:

Celibacy is not easy at all. Your post quoting Swami Sivananda describes the difficulty.

As a first step, one should pray to the Guru to help you out in this. With grace of Guru and Almighty, nothing is impossible.

You try the following:

[ol]
[li]At the dietary level, stop consuming meat, eggs, onion and garlic and reduce intake of common salt. You could replace common salt with mountain salt.[/li][li]At the [I]Hatha Yoga[/I] level you could take up the simplified Vajaroli, which is exactly the same as the second of the five tibetan rites. (Lying down with palms facing the floor, inhaling and then raising up the legs and the head, till the legs are vertically up and then exhaling further and further bringing about a strain just below the abdomen and maintaining this final position for some time, which is to be increased from say 5 seconds to 20 seconds. Repeat 3 to 7 times increasing with practice.[/li][li]At the attitude level, one could read literature of the saints and yes, you could chant the siddha mantra,[I][B]“Aum Namo Narayanaya”[/B][/I], whenever the mind is thus troubled.[/li][/ol]

Having said this, I must also say that the introductory practice of mahayoga, in which the mind gets engaged in only and only Prana, is definitely the simplest and highest yoga practice. Here is how:

[ol]
[li]Sit in any comfortable pose on a wool mat laid on the floor. Relax the body to the maximum possible.[/li][li]Calmly close the eyes with an [I]inner attitude[/I] of surrender tor [I]Pana[/I], the divine life force in us that drives the body and mind.[/li][li][B]Allow[/B] Prana to move the air into and out of the body. Do not impose any breathing. Simply follow the air that [B]automatically[/B] enters and leaves the body.[/li][/ol]

Practise this sitting for 3 minutes or more as per available time. By this practice, slowly, your question will get answered from within.

regards, anand

#162

[QUOTE=The Scales;63540]lol

You sure do have a lot of fixed ideas.[/QUOTE]

Dear Friend:

I am not the subject matter of this thread.

regards, anand

#163

[QUOTE=Anand Kulkarni;63551]Dear Friend:

I am not the subject matter of this thread.

regards, anand[/QUOTE]

well your right about that part.

#164

Contemplating; becoming proficient at the skillful practice of yogic techniques/methods one gains deeper understanding and control of the physical, pranic, conscious-unconscious-subconscious, ego, etc., eventually a finite to infinite level of awareness is directly experienced and recognized, illusions dissipate as a non-dualistic state emerges, “worldly distractions” no longer entangled ones existence thus techniques become less important, one becomes ?as is?, not as one imagines to be therefore beliefs, faith, acceptance, all dogma becomes weighty without purpose, shed fear and the burden of luggage (attachments) is cast away, the journey becomes less impeded.

#165

[QUOTE=The Scales;63540]lol

You sure do have a lot of fixed ideas.[/QUOTE]

Dear friend:

You said the above, in response to these thoughts posted by me:

“Jaisa Bhava, taisi siddhi”. It means, one’s inner attitude is the cause of attaining to the fruit of that attitude. So your words express your inner attitude viz. that of everything being business.

With this attitude one can become a good businessman, but not a yogi.

Let me further illustrate these thoughts.

In Hinduism, there is a deity known as [B]Lord [I]Hanuman[/I][/B]. This Lord has the human like body and the head of a monkey.

Those who are yet unprepared in their inner attitude will scoff and ridicule those who worship such a “creature”.

To spiritual aspirants, [B]Lord [I]Hanuman[/I][/B], among other things is:

a) an epitome of selfless service, which is seen in His dedication to Lord Rama.
b) an epitome of might and strength, which he remembers, only when reminded by His Lord Rama.
c) an epitome of celibacy, from which he derives all his super human strength.

Moreover Hanuman is [I][B]Vayu Putra[/B][/I] literally meaning “son of Lord Wind”. In Yogic terms, Wind or breath represents and in fact, [B]is[/B] [I]Prana[/I].

Thus the spiritual aspirant who may have problems in cultivating certain qualities, has an inner attitude of worshipful reverence towards Lord Hanuman, because he knows that this inner attitude will eventually calm the monkey mind in him and bestow all the divine qualities that Lord Hanuman stands for.

regards, anand

#166

I really dont think , being single or getting married makes any difference

The topic is sex and celibacy, not singlehood and marraige. Many marriages are sexless and many single people have an active sex life.

If one has sex but does not ejaculate, is that brahmacharya/celibacy?

If one masterbates is that or is that not celibacy?

Many monks, nuns, swamis, priests, yogis and godmen have been single and celibate throughout the ages but are we really to believe they never masterbated?

I say that masterbation counts as celibacy because you are not engaging in sex with someone else.

What do you guys think?

#167

[QUOTE=GORI YOGINI;63584]The topic is sex and celibacy, not singlehood and marraige. Many marriages are sexless and many single people have an active sex life.

If one has sex but does not ejaculate, is that brahmacharya/celibacy?

If one masterbates is that or is that not celibacy?

Many monks, nuns, swamis, priests, yogis and godmen have been single and celibate throughout the ages but are we really to believe they never masterbated?

I say that masterbation counts as celibacy because you are not engaging in sex with someone else.

What do you guys think?[/QUOTE]

Dear Friend:

Preserving the reproductive fluids, i.e. not letting them out of one’s body, is celibacy.

The question of what monks etc have done is a separate issue, pertaining to their spiritual attainment.

regards, anand

#168

Yeah but if one has a girlfriend, even if he never dropped a drop during sex with her, he would not be considered celibate in India, right?

#169

[QUOTE=GORI YOGINI;63591]Yeah but if one has a girlfriend, even if he never dropped a drop during sex with her, he would not be considered celibate in India, right?[/QUOTE]

dear friend:

I have already posted about the yoga principle that celibacy is a practical alternative to the difficult [I]hatha yoga[/I] practice known as [I]vajaroli,[/I] available to men, in which a partner is involved till discharge, but the semen is immediately drawn in.

regards, anand

#170

Well as far as i can think celibacy is more of a emotional or mental concept and the physical concept comes next. I don’t think what anand said and gori thinks that preserving the semen and not ejaculating it is what we call celibacy but its more than that. Celibacy’s work is to use the essens of semen for the purpose of increasing ones vibration so that the native can use its help to transcend the path of spirituality. Well one can masturbate and do sex and still can preserve the fluid but if awareness is not there and the native is overwhelmed or overtaken by lust then its not celibacy at all because in such a case his consciousness is following the downward path with the help of his lustful mentality rather than the opposite and it could lead to suppression which is more dangerous; well he might get physical benefit but spiritual benefit is more than nil. Awareness with other things play major role here thereby checking that neither you are suppressing your desire nor you are in time taking you to the level of animalism because human being has the ability to go below the muladhara level of consciousness. So for some its better to follow the natural course of sex life than to remain celibate because they are just suppressing their desire in name of celibacy and when it bounce back people remain in a state of shock.

#171

[QUOTE=Anand Kulkarni;63542]Dear Friend:

Celibacy is not easy at all. Your post quoting Swami Sivananda describes the difficulty.

As a first step, one should pray to the Guru to help you out in this. With grace of Guru and Almighty, nothing is impossible.

You try the following:

[ol]
[li]At the dietary level, stop consuming meat, eggs, onion and garlic and reduce intake of common salt. You could replace common salt with mountain salt.[/li][li]At the [I]Hatha Yoga[/I] level you could take up the simplified Vajaroli, which is exactly the same as the second of the five tibetan rites. (Lying down with palms facing the floor, inhaling and then raising up the legs and the head, till the legs are vertically up and then exhaling further and further bringing about a strain just below the abdomen and maintaining this final position for some time, which is to be increased from say 5 seconds to 20 seconds. Repeat 3 to 7 times increasing with practice.[/li][li]At the attitude level, one could read literature of the saints and yes, you could chant the siddha mantra,[I][B]“Aum Namo Narayanaya”[/B][/I], whenever the mind is thus troubled.[/li][/ol]

Having said this, I must also say that the introductory practice of mahayoga, in which the mind gets engaged in only and only Prana, is definitely the simplest and highest yoga practice. Here is how:

[ol]
[li]Sit in any comfortable pose on a wool mat laid on the floor. Relax the body to the maximum possible.[/li][li]Calmly close the eyes with an [I]inner attitude[/I] of surrender tor [I]Pana[/I], the divine life force in us that drives the body and mind.[/li][li][B]Allow[/B] Prana to move the air into and out of the body. Do not impose any breathing. Simply follow the air that [B]automatically[/B] enters and leaves the body.[/li][/ol]

Practise this sitting for 3 minutes or more as per available time. By this practice, slowly, your question will get answered from within.

regards, anand[/QUOTE]

Anand,

I have no guru, but I frequently ask living and passed masters for help. I shall utter the Siddha Mantra too, as you suggest. Thank you.

I don’t eat all that stuff except eggs. I have three eggs per week, in order to get the required amino acids.

As to the practice:

I do practice vajroli in order to activate my rogue swadishthana chakra.
And a bunch of other tantric and yogic practices to awaken my prana and chakras, as well as asanas and meditation. I couldn’t do more.

Western streets, specially in summertime, are true hell for young brahmacharis like me. I’m about to invent the “chastity glasses”, I’ll keep you informed…

[B]Aum Namo Narayanaya![/B]

#172

[QUOTE=panoramix;63702]Anand,

I have no guru, but I frequently ask living and passed masters for help. I shall utter the Siddha Mantra too, as you suggest. Thank you.

I don’t eat all that stuff except eggs. I have three eggs per week, in order to get the required amino acids.

As to the practice:

I do practice vajroli in order to activate my rogue swadishthana chakra.
And a bunch of other tantric and yogic practices to awaken my prana and chakras, as well as asanas and meditation. I couldn’t do more.

Western streets, specially in summertime, are true hell for young brahmacharis like me. I’m about to invent the “chastity glasses”, I’ll keep you informed…

[B]Aum Namo Narayanaya![/B]
[/QUOTE]

Dear Friend:

Good to hear your resolve.

The[I] swadhisthan chakra[/I] is also known as [I][B]“karmashaya”[/B][/I] i.e. the storehouse of all [I]karma[/I]. So the relevant yogic practices are for emptying this storehouse rather than to activate it.

My Guru has told me not to worry about the result, because that aspect is up to Divinity. Dedication is what is in our hands.

Thus, all the asanas which one does should be held in their final positions, with an [B]inner attitude[/B] of “offering” that asana to Divine Prana, because by performing that asana it is Prana that is getting channelised to some particular zone in the astral / pranic body.

regards, anand

#173

[QUOTE=Anand Kulkarni;63704]

“The[I] swadhisthan chakra[/I] is also known as [I][B]“karmashaya”[/B][/I] i.e. the storehouse of all [I]karma[/I]. So the relevant yogic practices are for emptying this storehouse rather than to activate it.”

[/QUOTE]
.
.
.
.
Well Anand did you mean that activating of swadisthan chakra is not necessary with regard to above lines or that i misunderstood. Well no question regarding it to be karmashaya but isn’t it that activation of this chakra really important with regards to kundalini sadhana.

#174

[QUOTE=Spirit175;63710].
.
.
.
Well Anand did you mean that activating of swadisthan chakra is not necessary with regard to above lines or that i misunderstood. Well no question regarding it to be karmashaya but isn’t it that activation of this chakra really important with regards to kundalini sadhana.[/QUOTE]

Dear friend:

I apologise for the misunderstanding caused. The chakra certainly should be in an awakened state for the concerned purification to take place. I said it a sense of giving more importance to purification associated with this chakra.

Gratefully yours
anand

#175

Well anand i apologise too for misunderstanding it and since swadisthan when activated is a source of creativity,refined thinking,control of sex impulse,pure knowledge in terms of perception,helps in concentration and gives power to the brain needs proper activation otherwise it leads to off balance personality,excessive thinking,over ambition etc. and in your posts you gave its practical approach nicely. And thanks for the clarification.

#176

[QUOTE=Anand Kulkarni;63727]Dear friend:

I apologise for the misunderstanding caused. The chakra certainly should be in an awakened state for the concerned purification to take place. I said it a sense of giving more importance to purification associated with this chakra.

Gratefully yours
anand[/QUOTE]

By activation I mean purification or awareness, it’s a requisite of the Kriya Yoga sadhana I’m dealing with.