What is a meaning of Brahmacharya for a yoga student and a teacher?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does it mean suppressing a natural force?
Does it mean living like a monk? 
Does it mean living loveless life? 
Or does it mean you are so drenched in love that you forget about sexuality?

 

Brahmacharya means Sex and sexual relation should not be predominant in your life. Sex, sexual activity and physical relations has its own importance, yoga is not against it. But when it takes predominant place in your mind as it has done in our current society then it creates complications and becomes destructive force.
Eating has its own importance. But if you keep on thinking about eating all the time, instead of giving you nourishment that food will kill you. Same thing happens with Sex, when the sexual activity or the emotional bond between the relationships is exaggerated instead of giving you joy and pleasure it will kill your intelligence and creativity.

Cup has its own place, plate has its own place. You can’t drink a coffee from plate or having a solid food from cup is weird.
Same way Sex has its own place, male-female energy has its own place
but when you overemphasis the outermost layer of that sexual relationship then the harmony between to beings soon ends.

The story of a king and the mystic describes the principle of Brahmacharya well.

Once upon a time there was a king living in a palace, taking care of his whole kingdom. One day he just came out for patrolling and when he reached near the forest, what he saw is one mystic standing on one leg practicing meditation. He stayed there for a long waiting for the mystic to finish his Sadhana. But the mystic didn’t open his eyes. King went back to the palace and decided to come back again. This way he repeated many days until the mystic finishes his Sadhana. The day mystic opened his eyes, highly overwhelmed king fell down on his feet and asked him to come to his palace and teach him meditation. Without having a single doubt mystic said yes and went with a king to his palace. For a fraction of second king had a doubt in his mind but with an urge to learn the meditation practice king ignored his mind and gave a warm welcome to the mystic in his palace. He gave him the best cloths, lavish food and luxurious room to live. Mystic started teaching him the pranayama and meditation every day. King was very happy with his practice. Many days and the months passed and the time came that king started feeling anxious. Somehow he was feeling distracted in his mind. The mystic could see that and asked him about his discomfort. King had no option but to confront about the mystic’s attitude of living. King said, “Í was highly impressed on you when I saw you doing Sadhana under the tree standing on one leg. But now I feel what is a difference between you and me when both of use doing Sadhana under one roof wearing a same appealing cloths, indulging the most desirable food while living in a luxurious palace.” Mystic smiled at him and told him “you had a doubt about me since very first day but I will give you an answer just walk with me.” King started walking with him hoping to get the answer. Both of them walked far away from the palace and at the time of sunset finally king stopped the mystic. He said, ‘’Where are you taking me? You are not even answering my question. The sunset has happened and I have to go to my palace.” Mystic replied, “That’s the answer for your question, you have to go to your palace. But I have nowhere to go. I can do my Sadhana under the tree even in the middle of the storm or heavy wind; or I can also practice meditation inside the luxurious palace by getting totally detached from the material things.”

 

Conclusion: When you are detached to your actions or the environment around you; you are always in tune with the divine within you.

If you are too much attached to your sexual activity or any sense pleasure, it will not let you grow in your creativity but if you are enjoying it as a natural activity and not being attach to your body of the partner or making it as a habit then the physical activity has very little significance. It will not pull your energy down. It takes too much energy because our mind is creating fantasies. Fact is very little but the fantasy is exaggerated, that it becomes blown out of proportion.

Why we give so much importance. Because it belongs to our unconscious mind. Our unconscious mind belongs to animal kingdom. Food and Sex is the only function working in Animals. But the human being has a potential to go beyond their sex center. Only when your third chakra i.e. Manipura chakra starts working, your spiritual journey begins.

According to Sage Patanjali, Brahmacharya is one of the principle from yama which helps you to gather the cosmic force in order to lift the energy upward from lower chakras to higher chakras where the sadhaka can experience the spiritual awakening.