Celibate life is a beautiful tradition that comes from the great sages of

former eras. The consciousness of lust brings people to snub the

mystic spiritual potential. To have sexual relations without the desire
to advance spiritually, without the desire to make an offering to God,
steals a great quantity of spiritual and physical energy. All those who
have sexual encounters without a higher purpose confirm that
afterwards they feel fallen, defeated, with an empty heart. This is
because they undervalue the mystery of life and do not accept that
sexual energy has a very elevated purpose.

The suffering that humanity has experienced by sexual motive has

been very great. And nowadays many people are
reconsidering celibacy. If a person acts in agreement
with the sacred nature of marriage and manages his sex life with
this higher truth, he can cause a pure devotee to be born in this
world. The scriptures explain that when God incarnates on the
Earth, He chooses those people who have dedicated their life to
Him and desire to have a son like Him.

Children are the product of the consciousness of their parents. In

this way, if a lusty child is born, it is because the parents were lusty
at the moment of conception.

This consciousness is the greatest treasure, the greatest gift, because only through
it, can we invoke and connect ourselves with God, the Lord of the heart.

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Maxims:

* God-conscious children are the true purpose of procreation.

* "I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned
about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord. But a married man is
concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife-- and his
interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the
Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a
married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please
her husband." Corinthians I 7.32-34

* When sexuality is not coupled with responsibility or true love, it only brings a
life full of desolation, sadness, anguish and emptiness.
* If one wants to be genuinely happy, one should accept the inevitable fact that
love always implies sacrifice.

Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti

Health benefits of voluntary celibacy,

According to yoga, ayurveda and even Chinese medicine one can preserves sexual energy
and transmutes it into spiritual well being.

The benefits i observed were shining eyes, glowing face, increased energy, mental peace
and balance etc. Ofcourse first 2-3 weeks there were withdrawal effects, just like quitting
any habit, but after that the benefits were great

Brahmacharya (Celibacy)
By Sri Swami Sivananda

Brahmacharya is absolute freedom from sexual thoughts and desires. It is the vow of
celibacy. It is control of all the senses in thought, word and deed. It further involve a
permanent abstention from indulgence in erotic imagination and voluptuous reverie.
Brahmacharya is the sum and substance of Yoga. Brahmacharya is the Achara or
conduct by which you attain or reach Brahman (God)In a narrow sense, Brahmacharya is
celibacy. In a broad sense, it is absolute control of all the senses. The door of Nirvana
(liberation) or perfection is complete Brahmacharya.It serves as a gateway for the bliss
beyond, and opens the door of liberation. It contributes perennial joy and uninterrupted
bliss.

The vital energy, Veerya , the seminal energy, which supports your life, which is the
Prana (life-force) of Pranas, which shines in your sparkling eyes, which beams in your
shining cheeks, is a great treasure to you. It is the precious energy that preserves physical,
mental, moral and spiritual wellbeing.

Note carefully the evil after-effects, once the Veerya is lost. Prana gets unsteady. It gets
agitated.. The body and mind refuse to work energetically. There is physical and mental
lethargy. Exhaustion and weakness are experienced. Bad memory, premature old age,
various sorts of eye diseases and nervous diseases are attributable to the heavy loss of this
vital fluid.

Those who have lost much of their semen become easily irritated. They lose their balance
of mind quickly. Little things upset them. Those who have not observed the vow of
celibacy become slaves of anger, laziness and fear.
Man, with his boasted intellect, has to learn lessons from birds and animals. Even animals
have more self-control than men. It is only the so-called man who has degraded himself
much by indulgence. He has become an absolute slave to passion. He is a puppet in the
hands of passion. Lions, elephants, bulls and other powerful animals have better self-
control than men. Lions cohabit only once in a year. After conception, the female animals
will never allow the male animal to approach them till the young ones are weaned and
they themselves become healthy and strong. Man only violates the laws of nature and
consequently suffers from innumerable diseases. He has degenerated to a level far lower
than that of animals in this respect.

The practice of celibacy is not attended with any danger or disease, or undesirable results
such as the various sorts of 'complex' wrongly attributed by the Western psychologists.
The complex is a morbid state of mind due to excessive jealousy, hatred, anger, worry,
and depression.

On the contrary, even a little of self-restraint or a little practice gives inner strength and
peace of mind. It invigorates the mind and nerves. It helps to conserve physical and
mental energy. It augments memory, will force, and brain power. It gives power to face
the difficulties in the daily battle of life. One who has perfect control over sexual energy
attains power unobtainable by another means.

Diet plays a prominent part in keeping up celibacy. There are different compartments in
the brain and each food produces its own effect on each compartment and of the general
system. Confection produces aphrodisiac effect. It directly stimulates the reproductive
organs. Garlic, onions, meat, fish, and eggs stimulate passion.

Give proper attention to food. Have moderation in diet. Take Sattvic (pure) food such as
milk, fruits, and wheat. Occasional fasting checks passion, calms the emotions, controls
the Indriyas (senses), and helps in the practice of celibacy.

Mere human effort alone will not suffice. The divine grace is needed. Lust cannot be
completely uprooted from the mind except by the grace of the Lord. God helps those who
help themselves.

See mother in all women. Cultivate sublime, divine thoughts. Repeat the Lord's Name
and meditate regularly. You will be established in celibacy.

The Yogi penetrates into the subtle hidden nature of things through Yogic Chaksu or the
inner vision of wisdom. The Yogi gets control over the astral nature of semen and thereby
prevents the formation of the very fluid itself.

You must not labour under the delusion that you have eradicated lust completely by
adjusting the diet a bit, by practicing Pranayama, and by doing a little Japa, and that you
have nothing more to do. Temptation may overcome you at any moment. Eternal
vigilance and rigorous Sadhana are very essential.
 We live in times of great darkness, and rare but powerful sparks of light,
of mass confusion and genuine, pure knowledge.
We live at the precipice of massive change toward evil,
but also massive opportunities for good
This is a time of great decision for all. No one is exempt.

It is worth repeating that a true celibate possesses tremendous energy, a clear brain,
gigantic will-power, bold understanding, retentive memory and good power of enquiry.

I gave up sex eight years ago... and it's the best thing I
ever did
By Sonia Poulton
Last updated at 7:44 AM on 15th October 2008

I have been celibate since 2000, and I can honestly say sexual abstinence has numerous
benefits. I considered it vital, for my sanity, to have 'time out' from romantic
relationships. Miss Meadmore has described sexual intimacy as 'a hassle'. I can relate to
that. When I was sexually active I was also, in common with millions of other people,
deeply anxious.

I was insecure and needy, and no amount of reassurance would assuage my feelings of
being unloved and used. There was an underlying nagging feeling that I had given myself
too easily and would now be cast aside.

These days, my male relationships are much more sincere. I am wanted for myself not
merely as a source of physical satisfaction.

I had to accept that sex affected my emotional well-being and physical health and had
blurred my understanding of relationships.

Psychologists might treat a sex addict with a cognitive behavioral therapy that focuses on
the mental processes that lead to addiction, or a psychodynamic approach that looks at
underlying causes, such as childhood trauma and longstanding feelings of neglect.