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Yoga for the transformation
It has been a long time since I have been contemplating on writing whatever I know of yoga and tantra in a simple way.
Before going into the actual details of some of the techniques, I would like to say a few things.
In the Rajayoga form more emphasis is laid on "brahmacharaya" which means, abstaining from the sensual pleasures totally. However there are broader definitions of brahmacharaya which I am not going into.
But in the tantric tradition the emphasis is on transformation of sexual desires into the divine as opposed to total withdrawal from sensual pleasures.
Though these two systems look radically opposite in their approach, they aim at the same goal: attaining a blissful state.
May be most of us are more inclined towards the second path because a total elimination of sensual pleasures could sound frightening and pointless to many.
I am going to explain some techniques both from the Rajayoga form and the tantric form. The most important underlying common thing in both these forms is the concept of protecting semen( though this is just a part of the practice, since it is relevant to our focus, I would mostly discuss that.
Therefore I would explain what semen is regarded as in yoga, tantra and to some extent in Ayurveda and various techniques ( postures, breathing, mudras, bandhas and herbal medicine) to strengthen and protect semen.
Note:
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I will not make any comments on whether a complete sublimation of sexual energy to the extent of zero sexual(in the conventional meaning of sex) activity is called for.
This is something which the readers have to explore and realize for themselves and this series only talks about the means to achieve a balance in sexual energy, how far one decides to take it is a matter of individual choice, it would be fantastic even if it helps one to lead a happy married life, or to be in peace with once sexuality if one is single.
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to be continued......
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Comments
excellent....I can't wait for more
thanks....great start. please share this klnowlege.
Part1:Veerya
Interestingly the word Veerya has two meanings in Sanskrit. The first meaning is strength and valour. The second meaning is semen !
The meanings are almost used synonymously is various Indian literature.
Veerya (Semen) – the vital fluid
Veerya is, the vital fluid or semen. You can attain eternal bliss and peace by preserving the Veerya. Brahmacharya means control of the Veerya. The vital force or Veerya is preserved only by one who is established in the practice of Brahmacharya. The vital fluid or semen is lost and wasted during sexual indulgence.
From food comes juice or chyle; from chyle comes blood and flesh; from flesh comes fat; from fat comes bones; from bones come marrow. Lastly, from marrow comes semen. The Veerya comes out of the very marrow concealed in the bones. It is found in a subtle state in all the cells of the body. Mark here how precious the semen is! It is the last essence of food. It is the essence of essences.
As the vital force is the most precious substance in the physical body, it should be carefully preserved. Its wastage means loss of physical and mental energy.
It is said that a drop of semen comes out of forty drops of blood. According to Ayurveda it comes from eighty drops of blood.
Just a sugar pervades the entire sugarcane and butter pervades milk, so also semen pervades the whole body. Just as buttermilk is thinned after the butter has been extracted, so also the semen is thinned by its wastage. The more the wastage of the semen, the more the physical and mental weakness.
Ojas
When semen is preserved, it gets reabsorbed by the body and stored in the brain as Ojas Shakti or spiritual power. The seminal energy is changed into spiritual energy. This is called the process of sex-sublimation. The Ojas Shakti is used for spiritual Sadhana by the Yogi.
The vital force is closely linked with the nervous system. Hence, it is vitally necessary to preserve it carefully if one desires to have strong nerves.
In the Yoga Shastra it is stated: "The falling of semen brings death; the preservation of it gives life." The semen is the real vitality in man. It is the hidden treasure in him. It gives a glow to the face, strength to the intellect and well being to the entire system. Girls, too, suffer great loss through having unmindful indulgence, giving way to lust. Vital nervous energy is lost. There is a corresponding loss of Veerya in them as well.
The Srutis state that a man’s full life span is a hundred years. Pure non-stimulating food, games and daily exercises are very important for keeping up Brahmacharya
To be contnd.......next ...(How to preserve semen)
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Ref: http://www.hinduism.co.za/celibacy.htm#Veerya%20%28Semen%29%20%E2%80%93%...
Note: I am deliberately keeping this series not highly authentic in terms of definitions and references, because that will be impractical owing to the depth of the subject ad diverse explanations by many experts on the subject and will be too ambitious and will not serve the purpose.
Thanks, Professor
Welcome
Marnia I am learning too.
I was thinking about this
after I read it. I've read similar materials about the Hindu tradition, of course. I'm afraid that in the obsession with conserving semen, there may have been a misunderstanding about the importance of intimate bonding behaviors between householders. This is understandable, but unfortunate for us pair-bonders.
Any thoughts?
Thanks Marnia
Actually there are two reasons why I am not updating my blog series fast enough.
1. I am a little busy with some important long pending work.
2. The point that you mentioned is also in my mind, I am finding it difficult to strike a balance.
Let me put it something like this:
If a man who is obsessed with porn: if you say stop, he would feel you are asking him to stop sex. But you know porn is not sex. But he does understand the difference.
In the same way to a man who is obsessed with intercourse way of sex, if you say try Karezza, he may feel you are asking him to stop having sex. But you are in fact asking him to get into deeper aspects of sex.
In the same way there is another level, where sex pervades ones whole being where even a man-woman kind of sex is also a limitation, here I do not mean its exclusion, or other kinds like gay or lesbian relationship , what I mean is a deeper level of companionship wich embraces all fellow human beings and all forms of life.
However these are possibilities, which depend on individual choice.
Making a decision right in the beginning before making the journey can be a hindrance for you may not know where it is taking you until you make the journey.
More importantly though sex is one of the most neglected areas of our lives ( more so in India), there are also other areas ( like compassion and kindness to fellow beings) in life which cannot be left out when one tries to reach deeper levels of sexual understanding where the boundary between sex and other aspects of life dissolve.
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My dilemma is to talk about a holistic approach to energy conservation without excluding the 'feminine' side.
In tantra schools of thought which emphasise on man-woman unity, an initially period of celibacy is prescribed as a means of purification to get rid of unclear concepts of sex and women, where any kind of addiction which stems from the wrong notion of treating a woman as an object is eradicated.
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I agree that the bonding behaviours in traditional Indian house hold is highly marginal, however there are sociological reasons for that, I am sure which you are aware of. There are also positive sides to it in the sense that family support is the biggest social insurance in India where ones individual privacy (between husband and wife) is sacrificed to a great extent,care for children and elders at home becomes more of a priority, which some of the westerners may find it hard to accept.
Am I addressing the questions you raised ? These days sometimes I find that my words are less logical
Maybe a little off topic
But I saw a documentary about the slums in mumbai, this guy was visiting from the UK and stayed with a family that had like 12 people living in a tiny cramped house with 3 rooms, all sleeping on the floor. It was a big culture shock for the visitor but you could clearly see that the people had some kind of spiritual happiness despite living in considerable squalor (rats everywhere, people defecating pretty much anywhere etc)
He asked a guy what would he do if he wanted to spend some time with his girlfriend, knowing that the tiny house is full with people and everyone would hear, and was told that they would go and find a cheap hotel for the night. But I don't think it would be something they did regularly.
I couldn't help but imagine what would someone do if they wanted to masturbate? I think the answer is that no one did. I guess they were either happy and didn't feel like they needed to, or they were never able to get in to a situation on their own when they were young to try such a thing.
hi
You are talking about Mumbai ! There are very few places in India which are similar. However many people living in the same house ( a large family which has grandparents, children and their spouses and grand children) is a common thing in India. In traditional families , husband and wife would find time to talk to each other only at night perhaps.
However in reasonably rich people's houses they would have some amount of privacy, but the concept of privacy itself has different meaning here. A wife finds much support talking to husbands wife about a few things which she does not feel comfortable talking to her husband, she has a large support group and would not need to lean so much on her husband emotionally and otherwise.
Things are changing fast, nowadays couple opt to live separately but many men and their wives feel guilty to get separated from their parents because they would be alone in their old age and there would be no one to take care of them.
In many places children ( especially men) after marriage live with their parents and living separately is considered selfish and unacceptable in the society.
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Realization for a wave in the ocean is when it comes to know it is water.
may not be fast enough
but rest assured there is a large interest in your next posting!
Thank you
Yes, you addressed my questions...beautifully. And I agree that ultimately the goal here is larger than sex.
My thought is that for some people, karezza may be a a more effective stepping stone to that state of mind than a celibate struggle, with or without a household. Especially today, when it is so tempting to try to cope with urges using the illusion of satisfaction available on the Internet.
Good luck with your project. Your reflections are welcome whenever you find the time.
Part 2
I was planing to to write about semen conservation techniques when I found this link on this site where most of the things that I wanted to discuss were already mentioned.
http://www.reuniting.info/node/2011
Since I am a little busy, will resume my writing shortly. Till then if you have any thoughts please let me know.
I will add ideas which are not mentioned in the above link in my next post.