The joy of no sex – meet the rare & endangered species
Posted on 29. Nov, 2011 by Vraj Vihari das in Celibacy Articles
Endangered Species
“You must be crazy”, yelled the manager on hearing that we practise celibacy and live in a monastery. I was presenting spiritual literature in the streets of Mumbai to a group of software professionals and their leader asked me about my life. I told him we get up early in the morning around 3.30 to 4.00 am and our day is packed with various services. He interrupted me and expressed shock at our schedules. I reasoned that we are happier now with this lifestyle than we were earlier. He wondered how someone could be happy getting up so early in the morning when that’s the time he and his colleagues go to bed on weekends after wild partying. He was also appalled that we abstain from sex. My gentle reasoning was ineffective; he and his colleagues looked upon me incredulously and dismissed me abruptly. Then they hurriedly left for their office, leaving me alone on the pavement, wondering if I am indeed a member of an abnormal species.
Celibate monks are indeed a rare and endangered species, but certainly not abnormal. In his autobiographical The Journey Home, Radhanath Swami reveals how for thousands of years many seekers of God have practised celibacy and led a contended life. Right from Jesus and St Francis and other celebrated celibates in the Christian order, to the thousands of unknown simple God seekers who have led a pure life in search of God, religious traditions are filled with innumerable examples of successful celibates. In our own tradition of the Vaishnava branch of Hindu customs, I recalled a large number of celibate monks like Haridas Thakur and Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati who led a life of strong character and purpose. Even in our own little monastery there are over hundred and fifty monks and at least twenty of them have been around for over two decades. And they all are happy practising spiritual principles in the renounced order as celibates.
The reason for happiness is not in practising celibacy; it’s due to a strong and meaningful connection to God. The early morning collective prayer sessions give strong impetus to connect to God. Spiritual practitioners who attend the daily prayer sessions feel tangible connection to God; the drive for sex and other carnal pleasures then seem insignificant. For a sincere spiritual practitioner the benefits of spiritual practises are rich, and while the itch of sex desire remains in the heart for many years, it doesn’t distract one from his spiritual pursuits. Moreover sex isn’t a sought after pursuit anymore. It’s rather seen as an irritable impediment on the spiritual path; it occasionally raises its ugly head and then quietens down in the face of strong spiritual practises.
To the extent a celibate spiritual practitioner is absorbed in his devotional principles, lust is not a serious worry; whenever Cupid attacks, the itch is tolerable. However when the spiritual practises are a distracted performance, one finds material life including sex, more attractive.
Radhanath Swami once responded to a challenging sceptic that if sex indeed is a source of joy why the prostitutes don’t dance in ecstasy on having sex many times. Sociological studies have repeatedly shown that the sex workers are the miserable lot in society. Sex doesn’t give lasting pleasure, and no way does it alleviate the miseries of life. On the contrary unregulated sex life can compound our tale of woe. Marriage is a sacred institution where dedicated spiritual practitioners in the company of a like minded spiritualist seek God. For some others who want to be exclusively focussed on God without any distractions, renounced order practise of celibacy is a bonafide method.
It’s a pity that the group I met weren’t interested to know this science. When I see people fail to appreciate our lifestyle I take comfort in a verse from the Bhagavad Gita
“What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage” (Bhagavad Gita 2.69). This implies what most of the world sees as normal is known to be abnormal for a spiritualist and what the sincere seekers see as normal is perceived as bizarre by those obsessed with material pursuits.
mysm
Dec 8th, 2011
Endangered species or upcoming species !!??
We see that these species are coming up in every nook and corner of the world….So these species are going to be the next Zing thing..
Mukund
Dec 15th, 2011
thank you for sharing
Vidya Patham
Dec 15th, 2011
Thank you for sharing this wonderful article. In fact we are very grateful to the celibate practitioners due to whose efforts, inspiration and guidance many, many wandering living beings are being guided back to the lotus feet of the Lord.
Sumit Sharma
Dec 15th, 2011
Thanks for sharing.
Ranjit Purohit
Dec 15th, 2011
People with material approach cannot even imagine this.
deepak bagla
Dec 16th, 2011
excellent article
Kalpana Kulkarni
Dec 16th, 2011
Amazing to read about the lives of the monks in the temple.
Jagannath Dham Das
Dec 17th, 2011
Its so amazing yet so inspirational to see the glorious lifestyles of the monks who have dedicated their everything for the service of humanity !
All Glories to Srila Radhanath Swami for maintaining such wonderful society !
Hare Krishna !
Ravi Garg
Dec 18th, 2011
Very enlightening article on Celibacy…….Genuine celibates should be worshipped for flowing against the current of material desires which is extremenly difficult….
Paramesvara Dasa
Dec 19th, 2011
By providing superior taste, one can abstain from inferior taste. Otherwise it is very difficult for him to give up the inferior taste. All glories to all Vaisnavas.
Pankaj
Dec 21st, 2011
“What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage” …..Powerful quote!
Abhinav Mutreja
Dec 21st, 2011
Wonderful Article
srivaspandit das ( dr shreyas palav)
Dec 21st, 2011
sublime messages like these r easily realised by simple people…but they seem very complicated for a person complicated with material pursuits…thank u prabhu. Hare Krishna.
Kalpana Kulkarni
Dec 22nd, 2011
Celibacy is really a rare thing in this age of Kaliyuga. The monks at radhagopinath ashram have dedicated their lives for a higher pursuit of inspiring fallen souls like us to come to the right path. thank you so much.
Rahul Ranjan Mishra
Dec 23rd, 2011
Beautiful and very unique article!!!
The site itself is very unique!!! Its hard to imagine at first go that people with this kind of life style can be happy but the article very convincingly impresses this praiseworthy fact.
Thyanks a lot to all of you.
nandkishordas
Dec 23rd, 2011
thank you for sharing this
Manasa
Dec 23rd, 2011
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful article!!
Jagannath Dham Das
Dec 25th, 2011
We are eagerly waiting for more articles on this website !
Hare Krishna !
Sanjiv Chandnani
Dec 25th, 2011
So true the morning practice gives the conection to God which makes other carnal desires tolerable. I vouch for this.
This is such a simple and sublime way to connect to God but in today’s world we have gone far away from reality by aping the animal life that is followed in the western countries.
What we have got is completely dissatisfied minds, jobs that make us work out of our skin, broken families and shallow relationships.
Wish to thank the authors for this beautiful website.
Dashrath Wasmatkar
Dec 30th, 2011
Really a very inspiring article. Especially conviction of writer to face accusation of outside world is very strong, logically very sound. Thank you for giving such nice understanding along with quoting from Bhagvad Gita.
Anshu Jaiman
Dec 31st, 2011
Hare Krishna Maharaj…Maharaj ki jai hoo…
Maharaj materialist will take time to understand. you are absolutely right in what you are doing and i am with you and i am following you and will follow you.Maharaj you are the real spiritualist,real humanitarian,real social worker and everything.Keep it up!!! we are with you…!!!
thank you very much for sharing this.
yas- anshu jaiman
Anshu Jaiman
Dec 31st, 2011
Hare Krishna Maharaj…Maharaj ki jai hoo…
Maharaj materialist will take time to understand. you are absolutely right in what you are doing and i am with you and i am following you and will follow you.Maharaj you are the real spiritualist, real humanitarian, real social worker and everything. Keep it up!!! we are with you…!!!Mahraj even if no one stays with you in your belief but I’ll always stand with you. You are a great soul and I respect you and admire you. In my subtle body I want to be like you.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare…Hari Bol..
Thank you very much for sharing this.
yas- anshu jaiman
Anshu Jaiman
Dec 31st, 2011
Hare Krishna Maharaj…Maharaj ki jai hoo…
Maharaj materialist will take time to understand. you are absolutely right in what you are doing and i am with you and i am following you and will follow you.Maharaj you are the real spiritualist, real humanitarian, real social worker and everything. Keep it up!!! we are with you…!!!Mahraj even if no one stays with you in your belief but I’ll always stand with you. You are a great soul and I respect you and admire you. In my subtle body I want to be like you. What a great man you are! What a great soul you are! Your example is too much for the materialist to digest.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare…Hari Bol..
Thank you very much for sharing this.
yas- anshu jaiman
Anshu Jaiman
Dec 31st, 2011
Hare Krishna Maharaj…Maharaj ki jai hoo…
Maharaj materialist will take time to understand. you are absolutely right in what you are doing and i am with you and i am following you and will follow you.Maharaj you are the real spiritualist, real humanitarian, real social worker and everything. Keep it up!!! we are with you…!!!Mahraj even if no one stays with you in your belief but I’ll always stand with you. You are a great soul and I respect you and admire you. In my subtle body I want to be like you. What a great man you are! What a great soul you are! Your example is too much for the materialist to digest.You have shown to the world how to love Krishna (GOD) with all your heart and soul..You are my hero..You should be given respect and honor in all the worls of all the universes.Hari Bol…!!!!
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare…Hari Bol..
Thank you very much for sharing this.
yas- anshu jaiman
kanakraj
Jan 1st, 2012
thanks for inspiring us
harshad
Jan 2nd, 2012
wonderful article….i visited this site for the first time and its amazing !
Deepak
Jan 3rd, 2012
Really inspiring & wonderful article. It’s really rare to get this kind of insightful knowledge. Thanks for sharing
Rambaboo maheshwari
Jan 6th, 2012
Such Wonderful Article can only come from someone who is practicing the principles. Thankyou.
Kajal Gandhi
Jan 7th, 2012
very nice article…thank u..!
Kalpana Kulkarni
Jan 11th, 2012
Wonderful article. We are really amazed as to how the residents have given up their good material lives and dedicated themselves to be of service to the Lord. Really inspires us. Thank you.
Abhinav Mutreja
Jan 12th, 2012
Someone following celibacy – Really rare species
Chandrashekar
Jan 17th, 2012
It gave me lot of hopes in life.. thank you
Kalpana Kulkarni
Jan 23rd, 2012
Thank you for inspiring us!
Kalpana Kulkarni
Jan 24th, 2012
Thank you for imparting so much knowledge to inspire us to progress in our spiritual lives.
Kalpana Kulkarni
Feb 5th, 2012
Celibate monks are really an endangered species.
madhura
Feb 10th, 2012
Thank you for sharing!
Jagabandhu Dixit
Feb 11th, 2012
Material pleasure is really an illusion and is the cause of anxiety
Jay B
Feb 13th, 2012
A very well written article & any open minded person will surely accept this sublime truth !
Hare Krishna !
Rajeev
Mar 13th, 2012
Very wonderfully described .. concluding lines by Krsna himself are powerful … thnak you for sharing .
Shyam Mahtani
Apr 27th, 2012
Lord Krishna also says that it is the very rare soul who knows Him through devotional service, and that too after many many births. As such, the majority of the population is misdirected by their past Karmas and are not in a state to understand celibacy and service to God. Thank you for this beautiful article and please pray for these souls that they may meet a devotee like you again and seriously accept service to Krishna, thus starting on their road back to Godhead.
Vaibhav Sharma
May 14th, 2012
The refutation which Radhanath Swami presented to a person, that how the prostitutes are not really happy in their lives although they are engaged in the most pursuied thing in this world was very striking to me.
Thank you for sharing
Rajendra Prasad
May 16th, 2012
Storng adehernece to spiritual practices by brahmchais inspires and motivates otheres who are not so determined and self controlled like me.