Brahmacharya

Brahmacharya (pronounced /brʌmatʃərɪə/, Devanagari: ब्रह्मचर्य) is a Sanskrit word. "Brahma" signifies Brahman — The Ultimate Reality or The Unified Whole. The root "Char" means To follow or practice. Thus the word Brahmacharya signifies a life that is led in quest of the personal realisation of Brahman or, alternatively, a life expressing Brahman in one's actions and deeds.

Traditionally, such a life involved going to live with a spiritual teacher under whom the brahmacari or chela (student) practised strict celibacy, a life of moral restraint and devotion to meditation. Though part of the Hindu scheme of life it is also central to the sramanic traditions of Buddhism and Jainism.

Derivation

The word "Brahmacharya" stems literally from two components

1. "Acarya" composed of 'car' - "to go" and 'a' - "toward". Together this makes the word 'carya', which is often translated as activity, mode of behaviour, a 'virtuous' way of life. Acarya has meant in practice a teacher, spiritual guide, master etc and

2. "Brahma", the word for the absolute, eternal, never-born god-head.

So in a literal sense, the word Brahmacharya (Brahma + Acarya) seems to indicate a life lived in conformance with the deeper principles of realisation of Brahma-nature.

Usage

The term Brahmacharya has a number of uses.

One common usage denotes a particular phase of life (first 20-25 years of Life). Ancient Hindu culture divides the life in 100 year life span. This is the stage when the young child leads a student life, (ideally in the Gurukula - the household of the Guru). This stage of life is preceded by the Upanayanam of the child, during which ceremony, they are considered to be born again. It is the first in the four phases of human life, namely, Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, and finally Sanyasa, as prescribed by Manusmriti for the Dhwija castes, in the Hindu system of life. The practise of brahmacharya among other things requires one to be celibate.

The word, Brahmacharya, is also used for the vow of celibacy that a Hindu sanyasi or renunciate may take at any age when they have understood that living for material/sensual pleasures will never bring the perfect happiness that their soul desires. Thus their life becomes centered on surrender to Guru and God with the firm hope of God realization and the perfect Divine Happiness.

Yoga

The word Brahamacharya is also understood broadly in yoga as "sexual continence," which can be understood as being applicable as appropriate in different contexts (e.g. faith in marriage, celibacy for spiritual aspirants etc), in more extreme terms (complete celibacy full stop) or in more specific terms in relation to preserving and sublimating male sexual energy rather than losing it through ejaculation.

In yoga, the term Brhamacharya tends to take on a connotation of disciplining the use of and preserving sexual energy. Brhamacharya is discussed in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras as one of the 5 Yamas, the foundational commitments for the practice of yoga. According to the Yoga Sutras, the end-result or fruit of Brhamacharya practised to perfection is unbounded energy or vitality.

Many yogic techniques, such as meditation and asanas (e.g. shirsasana) can help one to achieve Brhamacharya interpreted as celibacy or strict control of sexual desires.

Diet and Ahimsa

Brahmacharya is also observed to contain one's sensual desires for food and taste, as well as materialism. Most brahmacharis prescribe to avoiding the consumption of meat, spices and cooked foods, said to cultivate the taste buds and pleasure senses of the mind.

To terminate egotism and possessiveness, as a part of curbing one's aggressiveness and tendency to commit violence, one must cease to covet all material possessions.

Modern Brahmacharis

Most Hindu, Buddhist and Jain monks take the vow for life, committing themselves to work of religious service and study. Mahatma Gandhi, the great Indian political and spiritual leader had embraced the vow and lifestyle permanently at age 36.

Many brahmacharis have the final goal of nirvana, or moksha in mind when they pursue strictly disciplined lifestyles.

Other interpretations of Brahmacharya

Brahmacharya can also be interpreted more generically in a variety of ways, such as:

• generally striving for excellence in all domains of activity and relationship
• pursuing 'virtue' however defined (like the classical Greek concept of Arete)
• clearing underlying personality conflicts and centring oneself and ones spiritual journey in clear, well conceived and sustainable values (that is, thinking of Brahmacharya as an ongoing practice of 'clearing' analogous to resolving personality complexes and conflicts in psychotherapy)
• refining one's 'energies' (prana/chi/aura etc) in relation to other people generally, to take one's energies higher

Future directions

In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the 5 Yamas (foundational principles) are to be practiced, and are practicable and of value, in every position or role in every class in every life.

Accordingly, the principle of Brhamacharya, correctly understood, must make sense, be practicable and be of value to, for example,

• the college student dating,
• the married person, and
• the spiritually committed aspirant.

It must be relevant and make sense in, for example,

• liberal society in the 21st century,
• China in the 12th Century, and
• North America in the 3rd Century.

Accordingly, it is clear that the underlying principle of Brahmacharya cannot be formulated only in terms of specific cultural values. And if it is to apply as much to, for example, a young wife about to start a family as to an old monk committed to spiritual practice, the principle of Brahmacharya cannot be formulated purely in terms of abstinence from sexual activity - as in this case, even from the traditional Indian point of view, the young woman's Dharma or duty/role in life is to have babies (and, therefore, to have sex). The universal principle of Brhamacharya must be found elsewhere than celibacy, and other interpretations of Brahmacharya might be more realistic (such as, for example, sexual continence which might be interpreted for an 18th century Brahmin Indian woman as having sex only in the boundaries of the defined relationship).

It is fair to say that at the present stage, Brahmacharya is a concept that has taken on significant ascetic connotations over the last several years - and modern translations of works such as the Yoga Sutras tend to reflect this. However, as can be seen from the discussion above, asceticism is not necessarily inherent in or fundamental to the concept of Brahmacharya - even from the viewpoint of traditional Indian philosophy. More exploration of the philosophical meaning of the concept and the underlying principles and practices in a form that are workable and meaningful in today's society is required to reclaim the original concept of Brahmacharya.

See also

• Monk

External links

• Junior Monks of Mata Amritanandamayi Ashram, Amritapuri, India.
• Articles on Brahmacharya by Swamis Sivananda, Chidananda, and Krishnananda
• Brahmacarya in the scriptures - Entry at Gaudiya Kutir Wiki
• Celibacy - Useful notes on different aspects of brahmacarya
• Interviews with Swami Chidananda: The Role of Celibacy in the Spiritual Life / Summary / Full text
• Science Discovers the Physiological Value of Continence
• Sex and sexuality - Including notes on brahmacarya, useful links at the end.
• antisex

on the (possible) roots of gandhi's satyagraha concept see journal of asian studies 30, 1971, Howard Spodek http://www.jstor.org/view/00219118/di973669/97p0253b/0