Proceeding after a year of Brahmacharya

One should render one's heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the Almighty for having given success in Brahmacharya. His grace and will alone are responsible for success. We may strive and put in our efforts, but success is finally awarded by him alone.

Success in a year of unbroken Brahmacharya without willful indulgence in sexual thoughts, words and deeds and without the voluntary release of semen gives a certain amount of orientation and confidence to the practitioner as regards his strengths and weaknesses. One will be in a better position to analyze one's plus and minus points as regards domains where there is scope for further improvement. Making a thorough and logical analysis of the same, the Brahmachari should make a list of those negative emotions, words and deeds he finds himself coming back to and consciously start striving at negating such thought patterns which fire up these emotions. Efforts should be applied in curtailing and nullifying the action of the ego as and when it starts raising its head due to past habits. There is no ego in reality. It is the biggest Maya (illusion) and the chief cause for downfall in Brahmacharya. The birth of ego also robs one of clear thinking and positivism, immediately giving rise to faith in the negative. Negative emotions soon follow suit and inundate the mind and body. This is when we become prone to committing mistakes as regards ourselves and others. This is the first step towards formation of negative karma which will have to be worked out through suffering at a later stage. So both from the point of view of Brahmacharya and overall karmic cleanliness, one should seriously work towards negating unwanted emotions that threaten to rob one of innate Godliness.

Performing the physical exercises and activities that you have described are no doubt beneficial to Brahmacharya. But the aim of Brahmacharya is not merely physical but mental, psychic and finally spiritual. The final and most important aim of Brahmacharya is to lead one discover the truth about one's own self (Atman). All problems man faces are based on the ignorance of not knowing who he really is. It is this ignorance born out of desire and anger that lead man astray. This is why we practice Brahmacharya, so we can ultimately reach that Supreme state where we are free from all problems - physical, mental, psychic and karmic. So we can reclaim our lost state of infinite bliss and go beyond all forms of suffering.

To take it to the next level, gradually try to develop a sense of God devotion and admiration. Work seriously at slowly getting free from falling prey to negative emotions such as anger, attachment, greed, arrogance, jealousy etc.. by reminding oneself that all these emotions are totally uncalled for even in the most trying of situations and that they are the chief cause behind all forms of suffering. The man who has developed control and finally risen over negativity is the happiest and most fortunate man. No amount of money, luxuries or material objects can lead to the state of happiness which such a man possesses. Establishment of such positive traits will automatically lead to God devotion and God belief.

Give up on the negative mentality of blaming oneself or others. It is of no use if we become harsh or overly critical of our own selves or others. What is required further to a mistake is corrective action. To err is human and to forgive is divine. Direct energy at learning and correcting mistakes. Do not waste energy on blame games, pessimism, anger or mud slinging as regards oneself or others. Some people get caught with condemning and blaming their own selves with a pessimistic mentality. This is another form of Himsa (violence) as regards oneself. It drains energy, builds negativity and finally leads to mental, physical and emotional ill-health. Performs tasks without haste and without stress or anxiety. These are again of no use. They do not improve productivity by the least. All things happen when the time for fruition arrives on the boat of destiny. Till then, nothing happens. But this should not be our concern. As long as we are striving in the right direction with honest and sincere efforts, there is no need to worry and become irate. Our right is to the action alone and never to its fruits. Sometimes, the fruits of our actions evade us in spite of sincere efforts. Sometimes, the results are instant. Neither should bother us. All this is Maya (illusion). It is not our business to think of the results. Our business ends at sincere efforts. Then we should silently watch what happens without getting affected by whatever be the result. The highest productivity and efficiency is always attained by those who follow this approach. They work in a calm, logical, right thinking and efficient manner.

Continue with the practice of Brahmacharya by applying the above mentioned points in addition to present efforts. This will lead to a clear mind, calm disposition and a positive attitude in all fronts of life resulting in better well being at the physical, mental and karmic levels in course of time.

ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)