Vedic Scriptures say again and again that there is no austerity higher than celibacy. These type of topics are usually not discussed in public domain but we will attempt to honestly & frankly discuss this as taught by Rasika Acharyas for our real spiritual benefit.
Only sincere seekers who are aiming for topmost vraja-prema bhakti can read this article if Srimati Radharani inspires them from within. If you are not aware of spirituality and just landed on this website by chance, I don't advise you to read this. You might better first read beginners spirituality guide here before reading this particular article.
If you are reading this, read it till bottom for taking the complete essence. Don't skip in between else the purpose of reading this would be lost.
Also, a big disclaimer that I am made to write on this site only for own personal meditation on Sri Vrindavan Dham by listening to vani (words) of Rasika Acharyas and as directed by my guru tattva (and not for anybody else. Check About Section).
Also, this article is especially translated and derived from words of Rasika Acharyas and my guru-tattva and I was inspired impromptu this morning to just do the translation. Even though I don't prefer to talk anything other than Radharani, Krishna and Vrindavan (by the mercy of Rasika Acharyas), I don't know why they inspired me today morning to translate this off-topic from main inner Vrindavan Prema Rasa.
It's up to seekers on how to interpret the content on this site as Radharani inspires them from within.
Now, let us come back to our main discussion.
Usually, we don't shy away from doing the sinful activities but do shy away when we have to find the sutra or answers to curb these sinful activities.
The book 'Demystifying The Mystical Vrindavan' is the essence and crux of this entire website.
If you are considering to dive into the final goal of our Vedic Scriptures and spiritual life, and if Radharani inspires you, do get a copy of the book .
Lord Shiva says that maintaining celibacy is most most most important austerity one can perform! There is no bigger austerity than this in the entire three worlds. Lord Shiva says that one who is akhand brahmachari (devout celibate) by the mind, action and words is a manifestation of Lord Shiva himself.
For spiritual seekers, doesn't matter whichever religious path or sampradaya they belong to, the importance of brahmacharya (celibacy) is so so important.
Till the time you are not practising brahmachari (celibate), it is impossible to find the topmost spiritual treasure of vraj-prema-bhakti.
It is due to lack of brahmacharya that one is not able to do akhand bhajan (constant spiritual practice) or has no enthusiasm for spirituality. As mentioned again and again by Vedic Scriptures and Rasika Acharyas, there is nobody as blind as a person who is not maintaining celibacy.
Celibacy has been regarded as so so important by the Vedic Scriptures but owing to the environment of negative advertising and free availability of sinful content in the present-day world, even young children are ruining their celibacy from a very early age.
People are unable to understand the big mistake they are committing.
The celibacy is a kripa (mercy) of Krishna. Just by the practice of celibacy, one gets big strength to walk in any direction in life. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita (7.11) that He is the sex life not contrary to religious principles.
Those who ruin it undoubtedly become ineligible for the topmost spiritual path of prema-bhakti. It's no less than inviting death. It is the loss of body, loss of knowledge, loss of strength, loss of talent, loss of independence, loss of dharma and loss of bhajan.
One becomes handicapped in life by not maintaining brahmacharya.
If the foundation is broken, then the building however beautiful is bound to collapse. Similarly, if brahmacharya is not maintained, it's not possible to grow spiritually.
Those who are not practising celibacy become irritated and angry even in small conversation, make others disturbed and are themselves unstable.
They become jealous, commit sins and become slaves to material objects. Their lust kills them internally. Krishna tells this in detail (in Bhagavad Gita 3.36-42. You can read about it in extreme detail here).
If one doesn't keep a control on their senses, then it is the biggest foolishness. They are cheating themselves in the long run!
Externally they are just acting normal but internally they are always thinking about lust. If they don't get prakat (physical) chance to satisfy their desires, then they do it in their thoughts.
Btw there is no place in the body where virya (reproductive fluids) is stored. No doctor can surgically open the body and take it out, unlike saliva glands, cough glands etc. Every artery and cell of the body has vyapt shakti (or inner energy) and when one decides to fulfil their lust, then all the energy in every cell accumulates and this manifests immediately as these reproductive fluids. The moment one decides to satisfy senses, that is exact time this shakti (subtle energy) goes waste.
So it is important not to do bad actions, avoid bad association and bad thoughts.
When this fire of lust strikes, leave apart spiritual pursuits, even the welfare of the world is forgotten!
Without any reason, they become disturbed. Thousands of troubling thoughts go on in their mind. They become weak and sleepy at all times. They also become fat, lazy, sad and scared. Additionally, they develop fast breathing (instead of normal), joint pain, wet dreams and poor intelligence. This is bound to happen to those who destroy their celibacy considering it as entertainment.
With brahmacharya, one can achieve all siddhi and do even the impossible and unthinkable task for the better good of the entire world. Without brahmacharya, one can't achieve a big position in life.
One who is practising celibacy is not at all sacred and is dharmatma and mahatma even if there is so much of drama around them.
The inner knowledge of all scriptures can only be understood by practising brahmacharya. If next time, one reads scriptures and is unable to understand the meaning, they just need to ask themself if they are practising brahmacharya. It is the biggest strength for sincere seekers and all knowledge manifests from within to a person who is practising celibacy.
Thus children should be trained for brahmacharya before going into marriage. When one does this and gets into grishasta ashram (marriage), they invite exalted saintly souls as their children. Krishna Himself says that He is the sex life not contrary to religious principles.
One who is brahmacharya doesn't need to do exclusive sadhana (devotion). By default, Krishna sits in their heart and does meditation of Radharani. It is natural for them. The seeker is just fully banked upon Krishna.
One can't even imagine how much happiness and bliss the person who is practising brahmacharya is enjoying.
Not practising celibacy destroys happiness.
Usually, up to 25 years of age, one should be practising brahmacharya before getting in grihasta ashram (institution of marriage). In the present fabric of society, it is all opposite owing to the easy availability of internet, phone, bad association and poor education system. By 25, children have committed all the sins that are nothing but an invitation to their ruin in the long term.
If one has practised brahmacharya for 10 years, then their kids would be pious devotees or mahabhagavat who will contribute to the social welfare of entire world.
Without brahmacharya, life is nothing less than animalistic. Hence, Rasika Acharyas say not to destroy it with hands.
Human life is very very rare and very very special. One should not waste it in fun, entertainment but to enquire about topmost purpose of life (vraj-prema-bhakti).
For some time, the material world will look nice but it will hit so badly in the long run. Nobody will be there to give even water. The material world is crazy. One day and all your life can go topsy turvy!
It's not without a reason that Srila Prabhupada writes in the commentary of Bhagavad Gita that finding happiness in the material world is like a pig enjoying stool! Listen to words of Acharyas and Shastras, and if one does so, even if there is no happiness here, then also a sincere seeker can experience bliss internally here as they dive in bhajan (spiritual depth).
What is happening in today's world is that those who are married go out with other people's wife or husband. Do you know what happens to them?
They will go to hell in next life and will be stuck to a hot burning statue of women (or men) for thousands of years. One has to experience the pain and can't die even. It is so so lethal! It's described in depth in Garuda Purana.
The human birth is so much rare. Either achieve topmost spiritual perfection or satisfy your lust and confirm your invitation to hell.
Today preachers don't say about this subject in a mass gathering. They prefer to do laughing and joking talks for some time, and then some attractive music flavoured with a bit of devotional vibe happens so that the audience is happy, appreciates them and sings their praises. That is not preaching. Preaching is when the preacher is realised about topmost prayojana (goal) of the Vedic Scripture, of chanting the holy names. (Read this).
After satsang (spiritual discourse), one should be lost for some time meditating on passtimes and words of scriptures. One should realise their incompetence and cry for Krishna. That is bonafide satsang (spiritual lecture).
If one is destroying brahmacharya like anything, the kids who are born to them will be destructive, will hit them as they grow up, and won't even give them water in their old age.
Attempt brahmacharya for some time. The face will witness a glow and even without doing anything, there would be happiness from within.
After years of bad habit and wrong practice, initially, when one wants to reform, it is tough to maintain brahmacharya.
As days go, we feel as if we want to destroy it. There is an urge. But if during this while, If one listens to authentic bonafide saints, chants Hare Krishna Mahamantra, reads spiritual books, has right food, follows regulative principles, then they can easily handle this urge.
If one maintains brahmacharya for a year, then they will be in their own spiritual bliss and won't look lustfully to the opposite sex provided they don't have a bad association. But if they have a bad association, even after 20 years of practising brahmacharya, they might fall down!
In initial days it might become difficult due to the bad habit of the past. If it happens naturally as wet dreams, one needs not to worry and just ignore. Don't look at it. But one should not attempt to do this by own desire when awake.
Engage in something when the mind starts troubling you. Don't stay alone during an extreme urge to destroy brahmacharya. Start chanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra, read spiritual books, Krishna book, listen to kirtan in full sound, or associate with some Premi Rasika Vaishnav.
As one sincerely follows this, one will feel bliss. Then, one doesn't need to do bhajan but it happens by default.
Any disease won't be able to impact you fully as now you have the power of brahmacharya-sakti.
Those who don't practice brahmacharya can't take benefit of true bhajan (spiritual life).
If anybody is practising brahmacharya and has abhiman (pride) about it, it will just take 2 minutes, if not 20 seconds to destroy this pride. Mayadevi (material energy of Krishna) is extremely powerful but for the sincere seekers, she acts like a mother and guides them to original true tattva of prema-bhajan.
Until one surrenders fully and bypasses anartha nivrittia stage by kripa (mercy) of guru-tattva, it is impossible to transcend brahmacharya and the fire of lust.
We will attempt to dive more in this subject from a deeper spiritual perspective if Sriji inspires us later. This was a generic article for sincere seekers. One quick way to bypass this all is just a confidential simple sutra. Check it here now.
Jai Jai Shri Radhe!
Hare Krishna!