Doubts

Hello Kaushal,

Good to hear of your efforts at Brahmacharya. Coming to the answers,

1. A Brahmachari should NOT wear any undergarment such as a brief, supporter or kaupin at night while going to sleep. The penis and testicles being in a state of compression and held tight during the course of the day should be allowed to relax and rest at night by letting them free and loose from the grip of any undergarment. This ensures that the scrotal skin and the penile skin are able to rest, breathe and revitalize themselves and adequate amount of blood freely flows into the genital area. Also during REM (Rapid Eye Movement sleep -involving random movement of the eyes during sleep) which occupies a period of close to an hour and half to two hours the penis naturally gets into a state of erection. This is a healthy mechanism of the body that ensures that the penis is pumped with rich oxygenated blood for revitalization. This erection is not sexual in nature or a result of sexual currents but a healthy body mechanism to ensure health of the genital region. Depending on the bodily function, it is common for a normal healthy male to experience between two to five such erections unconsciously while being asleep with no sexual thoughts. Sometimes these erections extend up to early morning just before one wakes up. Since wearing an undergarment prevents the penis from getting erect due to constriction of blood flow, one should not wear an undergarment while sleeping at night.

2. As explained in the previous answer, sexual thoughts surface with an intensity dependent on the past tendencies stored on the causal body due to past sexual karma. With increase in the duration and honesty of true Brahmacharya, these thoughts gradually lessen over a period of time and finally taper off when the aspirant reaches a high state of spirituality further to cleansing of karma after a few years of honest Brahmacharya. One need not worry or become depressed at the advent of sexual thoughts but what is very important is to ensure that these thoughts are not allowed to grow and flower into desire and lust. At the slightest hint of a sexual thought arising, one should displace these sexual thoughts and replace them with the opposite thoughts of virtue, purity and constructive activity. The key is to immediately divert the mind away from such thoughts and bring it back into the realm of opposite thoughts. Sexual thoughts if let to flower and grow blossom into desire, lust and fantasy finally ending in a wet dream.

3. There is no better guru or master one can have in Brahmacharya than the Almighty Lord. It is only through his grace that one even gets to hear the word 'Brahmacharya' and then the mind to try and practice such an austere mode of life. The very fact that a person is striving towards Brahmacharya is an indication that the Almighty Lord has willed the person to get established in this divine mode of life; for progress in Brahmacharya is impossible with mere human effort. It requires God's grace, his will and his blessings. The best way to avail of his guidance and blessings is to wholeheartedly surrender to him with devotion, love and commitment through constant god thought, prayer and meditation. If the intentions and desire of the Brahmachari to get established in unbroken Brahmacharya are sincere and genuine, God undoubtedly extends his helping hand and guides the aspirant.

It is advised to keep the practice of Brahmacharya a secret. Brahmacharya being a divine and virtuous mode of life is of a sacred nature and not the kind of a topic which is to be shared or talked about with all and sundry. A successful celibate always practices Brahmacharya in secret and keeps it as a divine relationship between him and God. It is only an unwise man who boasts or talks about his Brahmacharya with people and this will undoubtedly end in a break.

The great saints and masters who advocated Brahmacharya were self-realized souls who had already gone through the tough and rigorous discipline of achieving absolute and unbroken Brahmacharya beyond twelve years and sometimes many decades. They had accomplished the very goal of Brahmacharya - self realization and were beyond the effects of lust or desire forever. The story goes that Lord Jesus himself had disappeared from the view of the world for a period of close to 18 years before he gained recognition, name and fame as the Jesus known today. No one knew of his whereabouts and activities during those eighteen years. This period was nothing but a state of withdrawal from people and the mundane illusions of life to concentrate and focus on a life of austerity, discipline, meditation and Brahmacharya. It is only after he reached the supreme state of self-realization that Jesus wisely decided to come forward and work for uplifting mankind.

Same was the case with Bhishma. Known as a Brahmachari of unquestionable caliber, Bhishma had achieved a very supreme state of Brahmacharya and spirituality in his previous births much before he was born as Bhishma. His advancement was to such a degree that there were no sexual tendencies lodged within right from birth. He thus became capable of advocating Brahmacharya without the fear of falling and with courage intended with a well wishing perspective.

Till one reaches the supreme state of self-realization through Brahmacharya, the practice should be kept a secret and away from the prying instincts of people.

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