life for which the Yogi strives and can consequently hesitate in giving up the former,
have yet to develop the strong intuition which tells them unequivocally that they have
to sacrifice a mere shadow for the real thing, a passing sensation for life's greatest gift.
Let the student who feels hesitation in giving up such enjoyments of the senses or
seeks a compromise, honestly ask himself whether he believes that a person who is a
slave of his passions is really fit to embark on this divine adventure and the answer
that he will get from within will be clear and unequivocal.
So this is the first thing which must be clearly understood with regard to Brah-
macarya. The practice of higher Yoga requires complete abstinence from sex life and
no compromise on this point is possible. Of course, there are many Angas of Yoga
which the would-be Yogi can practise, to some extent, by way of preparation, but he
must definitely and systematically prepare to give up completely not only physical
indulgence but even thoughts and emotions connected with the pleasures of sex.
The second point to note in this connection is that Brahmacarya in its wider
sense stands not only for abstinence from sexual indulgence but freedom from craving
for all kinds of sensual enjoyments. The pursuit of sensual pleasures is so much a part
of our life and we depend to such an extent on these for our happiness that it is consid-
ered quite natural and blameless for anybody to indulge in these enjoyments within the
limits of moderation and social obligations. The use of scents, indulgence in the pleas-
ures of the palate, wearing furs and similar pleasures of the senses are so common that
no blame attaches to the pursuit of such enjoyments even where they involve terrible
suffering to countless living creatures. It is all taken as a matter of course and very few
people ever give even a passing thought to these things. And for the man who is lead-
ing the ordinary life in the world moderate enjoyments of a kind which do not involve
any suffering to other creatures do not really matter. They are a part of the normal life
at his stage of evolution. But for the would-be Yogi these seemingly innocent enjoy-
ments are harmful, not because there is anything ‘sinful’ about them, but because they
carry with them the potentiality for constant mental and emotional disturbances. No
one who allows himself to be attracted by the ‘objects of the senses’ can hope to be
free from the worries and anxieties which characterize the life of the worldly man. Be-
sides being a source of constant mental disturbance the pursuit of sensual enjoyments
tends to undermine the will and to keep up an attitude of mind which militates against
a whole-hearted pursuit of the Yogic ideal.
ben green
(Ben Green)
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