Brahmacharya is one of those words that an average Hindu always finds no interest in, because of its extreme restriction on one’s sexual urges. In the yogic tradition of Hinduism, Brahmacharya plays an essential role in purifying and giving practitioners the power of total control over their body and mind.
It is also a mandatory step for any sect of monks to follow for their spiritual growth. Therefore, it is believed that there are numerous benefits to practicing Brahmacharya, but before we dive in further, let us first understand some of the core concepts behind it.
What is Brahmacharya?
The literal meaning of “brahmacharya” is celibacy, or abstinence from all sexual indulgences. It is made up of two Sanskrit words, “brahma” and “charya”, which translate into “conduct of truth”.
Thus, we refer to someone as a Brahmacharya when he or she actively follows the core principles of it, such as an adult who remains unmarried for life, or a young student who lives and studies in a gurukul.
Brahmacharya is more than just exercising strict control over the sexual impulses. It forces the practitioner to follow the guidelines that eventually lead to the realization of the absolute truth. As a result, a Brahmachary is someone who is committed to controlling their sensual desires and is willing to experience the truth.
According to Hindu texts, there are eight stages of sexual acts that a brahmachari must not engage in under any circumstances. Such as thinking, remembering, talking, foreplaying, or engaging with any sort of sexually motivated activties, to finally break the cilebacy.
The enforcement of not wasting a single drop of virya or restraining oneself from any kind of sexual desire is the number one reason that prevents most people from practicing Brahmacharya in their life. This is what westerners now refer to as the no fap challenge.
The Benefits Of Brahmacharya
A quick search on the internet will show hundreds, if not thousands, of results claiming the improved physical and mental health associated with Brahmacharya. While some are speculative, most of them are quite convincing and supported by scientific evidence.
Increased Willpower
According to various texts and scriptures, Brahmacharya has a direct relationship with your self-esteem and willpower. If you study the ancient sages of India and their legends, you will notice a common theme. That is, they all strictly practiced Brahmacharya in their lives.
Brahmacharya, like any other meditation, increases your willpower and the ability to stay self-motivated, which is sadly lacking in today’s world. On YouTube alone, there are thousands of videos with one goal of motivating its audience. However, practicing Brahmacharya eliminates the need to consume those self-help content by naturally increasing your willpower.
Healthy Lifestyle
Brahmacharya imposes some strict regulations on its practitioners. One of these rules is to live a healthy lifestyle. The rule encompasses everything from only consuming fresh and wholesome food to avoiding packaged food (or processed food) at all costs. This type of lifestyle is known as the Sattvic Lifestyle in Hinduism.
Brahmacharya practitioners are not permitted to consume tamasic foods such as meat, alcohol, spicy foods, and so on. This type of food is thought to have an influence on one’s demonic instinct. Therefore, by avoiding and strictly adhering to the rules of Brahmacharya, you can easily lead a healthy life.
Improved Concentration
Developing a good habit today appears to be an impossible task, as modern society constantly distracts us from our goals. Whether it’s easily accessible pornographic content or addictive social media, they all have one thing in common: they’re both addicting, and want to occupy as much of your time as possible in your life.
Brahmacharya, on the other hand, discourages its practitioners from engaging in such activities by boosting natural abstinence. If you have the opportunity to meet an active Brahmacharya practitioner in person, you can easily witness this phenomenon. They all have a great concentration power, or you can say they can focus on something much more easily than what the average person can do.
No More Laziness
Have you ever experienced unusual laziness? In Hinduism, especially when discussing the benefits of Brahmacharya, one of the first things that it removes from a person is just that: unusual laziness. There are even some medical studies that support this claim.
As per various Hindu texts and ancient legends, laziness is the most common enemy of humans, as it keeps us distracted from our goals. However, brahmacharya is said to increase natural energy in the body, thereby reducing laziness to a large extent.
Better Anger Management
Some people have the worst anger management issues. Everybody has encountered someone in their life who is unable to control their rage. As per Hindu belief, uncontrollable frustration or anger are thought to be the gateway to attracting misfortune in life.
Perhaps you’ve had this experience before, when you regret an action you took as a result of your uncontrollable anger. Brahmacharya suppresses the person’s natural instincts that cause anger.
Even if a person does become angry, he or she will have an easier time dealing with it because of the sattvic lifestyle they live as a Brahmacharya practitioner.
