Why celibacy (brahmacharyam) ?

Question

To my knowledge religions such as hinduism, jainism, buddhism hold celibacy as pure and better spirituality. With respect to a normal person (not the one running behind lust), is it possible to maintain celibacy? Is celibacy a pure form of spirituality?

If celibacy is a pure form of spirituality then is it not restricted to certain age in human life? I am really seeking the truth behind the significance of celibacy (brahmacharyam) in spirituality.

Answer 1

Sexual energy is much like 'money' and its mechanics work almost like that of money. You can't keep 'spending' whatever money comes to you. You need to exercise 'control' and 'save' and 'invest' your money intelligently - 'spend' only that amount that is 'required'. The practice of so called 'celibacy' or 'brahmacharya' is the understanding and practice of the saving and the investment part. Since most humans do not understand the biophysiology of saving and re-investing sexual energy, they find is 'difficult' to understand what should be done with the surge of passion that arises. This makes practicing celibacy difficult to maintain. Once the techniques are understood, and practiced, a higher king of neurobiophysiology develops which makes it easier to sublimate the sexual energy when it arises. Ofcourse the spending part can be done according to requirement. Most humans just end up 'spending' because they do not know 'how to' /save' or 'invest' even if they want to do so.

Answer 2

I know in the Catholic church preists practice celibacy. It is VERY difficult, but they do this becuase it is a huge sacrifice for God. Also because the church is supposed to be their "bride". All of their time and love and energy is devoted to Jesus' Church. This is why they do not marry. Because when you marry your time love and energy should go to your spouse.

Answer 3

an ideal that doesnt make sense to most in the realm of flesh,but when practiced can give one the ability to concentrate deeper thus leading to deeper meditation on the self

Answer 4

The period to learn and devotion to guru to lead abetter tommorow.

Answer 5

Celibacy refers either to being unmarried or to sexual abstinence. A vow of celibacy is a promise not to enter into marriage or engage in sexual intercourse. Celibacy has long been a synonym for abstinence or chastity, with "celibacy" a weightier word implying a commitment or even a vow. Some modern commentators use "celibacy" in a limited and loose way, meaning only abstention from sex with a partner. They distinquish between "celibacy" (being partnerless) and "abstinence" (the real thing), and believe one can masturbate and still be called "celibate." They refer to this as "unchaste celibacy." But this is not the long held understanding of the word. Celibacy implies chastity and complete sexual abstinence (as above) and is probably the strongest English word for the sexless state.

The term involuntary celibacy has recently appeared to describe the partnerless state, even though many describing themselves thus do masturbate. ("Involuntary singlehood" would be more apt.)


Clerical celibacy

Clerical celibacy is a requirement for priests, a church law which is maintained by the Roman Catholic Church and also by the monastic orders of Hindu and Buddhist traditions in the East. In the Orthodox Church ordinary parish priests are expected to be married men with families before ordination, and they need their family's approval to become a priest. Clerical celibacy was an important point of disagreement during the Reformation.

Reformers argued that requiring a vow of celibacy from a priest was contrary to biblical teaching (see 1 Tim 4:1-5[1], Heb 13:4 [2] and 1 Cor 9:5 [3]), a degradation of marriage and a reason for the widespread sexual misconduct within the clergy at the time of the Reformation (e.g., discussed by Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion IV,12,23-28 [4]).

The Church did not change its position claiming to be based on Matthew 19:12. The arguments against the Reformer's interpretations were some of the following: the Church never condemned or forbade marriage but has only required celibacy of those who would enter the priesthood so they could devote themselves completely to the care of Christ's Flock (see Mathew 19:12) or who have otherwise taken vows to do so of their own free will (in response to 1 Tim 4:1-5); the Church has never dishonored marriage but has elevated its honor from its Old Testament and secular status while acknowledging Christ's elevation of celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven to an even more honorable status (in response to Heb 13:4); and the Church has not required celibacy of all ecclesiastics at all times in history (it was not required of the majority of ecclesiastics in the early Church, and in modern times certain converts are permitted to be married when receiving Holy Orders), although Christ's counsel is normally followed (in response to 1 Cor. 9:5, which lists certain ecclesiastics who had the right at the time, but apparently chose not to exercise this right for the sake of the Gospel). The Church also found that the clerics who engaged in sexual misconduct were not sincere, unreserved followers of Christ, but those who had either become ecclesiastics with the wrong intentions or had lost their fidelity to Christ.

The Catholic Church's practice of clerical celibacy among priests and bishops of the Latin Rite and bishops of all rites, Eastern and Western, was confirmed by the Second Vatican Council and reaffirmed by Pope Paul VI in his encyclical letter, Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, June 24, 1967.


Reasons for celibacy

* Health reasons, to eliminate the risks of venereal disease.

* Desire to focus energies on other matters, like social issues.

* Religious reasons: Catholics understand celibacy to be a reflection of life in Heaven, and a source of detachment from the material world, which aids in one's relationship with God. Catholic priests are called to be espoused to the Church itself, and espoused to God, without overwhelming commitments interfering with the relationship. Catholics understand celibacy as the calling of some, but not of all. The Church has clear teachings on sexuality and family life, and the intrinsic supernatural goods of both. Many public aberrations of celibacy, then, can be explained by a misunderstanding of celibacy itself.

* The Greater good: A refusal to reproduce, because it may be detrimental to society by contributing to over-population. Celibacy could also be a means of preventing a hereditary condition or contagion from spreading.

* It could make a relationship less complex and even more democratic. It can be argued that the historical Christian ideal was celibacy partially for this reason.

* An inability to obtain a willing sexual partner, due to social awkwardness or anxiety, physical or mental handicap, or lack of physical attractiveness and/or financial resources (involuntary celibacy).

* It could even be a case of no interest in sex or simply disliking sex (asexuality).

* Among Catholics and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) homosexuals are expected to remain celibate or marry someone of the opposite sex. A Catholic organization promoting chaste celibacy for homosexuals is Courage International. Those who identify as homosexual can not become Catholic priests however regardless of whether they maintain celibacy. The LDS Church encourages its members to not feed any such tempted desire. In early times homosexuals would also be celibate to avoid punishment under sodomy laws.

* In Buddhism, the main goal of living according to the celibate, is to eliminate (or at least decrease) desire. Desire is seen as one of the main causes of suffering, both in the world as in the mind or heart. Desire, especially sexual desire, is often compared to drinking salted water. The more you drink, the more you want, without easing your thirst. Therefore, not drinking the salted water results in happiness.