A devotee friend of my husband who would like to stay brahmachari has asked this and we are looking for an answer.
By researching modern day yoga sites, one mostly finds advice on how to increase one's appetite, sleep and sexual desire by the yoga practice!
As devotees, we know that the mystic yoga is meant for fully controlling one's bodily and mental functions to be able to fix one's mind on Lord Vishnu. By chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, we are already trying to fix our mind on Lord Vishnu from the very beginning. But keeping this goal in mind, devotees may still use certain mystic yoga methods to help their spiritual practice.
So please share if you have some knowledge and/or experience in this matter:
Which yoga asanas and/or pranayama practice help to diminish the activity of the genitals and ultimately come to the point of the semen flowing upwards to the brain (urdhva-retah), as described in the Srimad Bhagavatam by the examples of great sages?
Thank you for any valuable information or even hints.
Replies
Recommend reading Tantra Yoga books, one for instance, Sexual Secrets by Nik Douglas and Penny Slinger, there is a online PDF on google u can download of it and it should lead you into more divine union either together or separately.
Another book by Nik is called Tantra....We have a large library of books on Tantra from all over the world and also offer online service to the seeker........
Hari krishna Om
Bhaktitantrananda
SB 11.17.33 — Those who are not married — sannyāsīs, vānaprasthas and brahmacārīs — should never associate with women by glancing, touching, conversing, joking or sporting. Neither should they ever associate with any living entity engaged in sexual activities.
Dear Devotee
Hare Krishna
It is a pity that none of these are viable now.
But forcing lust upon ones own poor, innocent, vulnerable, unassuming, atomic composured Jivatma children (Jivatmas) and driving sex with such power and force (maithunyagara BG 3.39) to facilitate perverted gaming (leela in the perverted reflection) by generating critical mass of over populated skin and introducing celibacy as one of the parameters of "release" from the framework of "nitya badha" is a greater pity.
Contoured and enhanced perversion that needs to be stopped http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/5/25/6
It is derogatory to the exalted position of The Supreme Personality of God Head and needs to be dissolved and also not created again.
Guru Ji Srila Praphupada has always talked about re-spiritualization of the materialized. What needs to be added to it is non-materialization of the spiritual and impress upon the materializers of the Jivatma's "right to remain spiritual".
Radhe Radhe
yes , its a sad that vedic varna and ashrama dharma is lost in the age of kali :
SB 12.2.1 — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Then, O King, religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, mercy, duration of life, physical strength and memory will all diminish day by day because of the powerful influence of the Age of Kali.
SB 12.2.3 — Men and women will live together merely because of superficial attraction, and success in business will depend on deceit. Womanliness and manliness will be judged according to one’s expertise in sex, and a man will be known as a brāhmaṇa just by his wearing a thread.
SB 12.2.4 — A person’s spiritual position will be ascertained merely according to external symbols, and on that same basis people will change from one spiritual order to the next. A person’s propriety will be seriously questioned if he does not earn a good living. And one who is very clever at juggling words will be considered a learned scholar.
It's good that devotees are finally conceding that one can not remain an Urdhvareta just by performing Bhakti. To remain an Urdhvareta, austerities should be performed as per one's Varnashrama dharma. Brahmacharis, walking on the path of celibacy should definitely perform such severe austerities. If austerities hinders Krishna consciousness, it can be reduced but never stopped as stopping it would also hinder Krishna consciousness. Hence, austerities and bhakti should go hand in hand.
Cause of lust is not always offences committed against pure devotees. In fact, lust is ingrained in all the jivas. Since, it comes in the path of Krishna consciousness, it becomes necessary to uproot it completely in order to please Krishna.
As regards the matter of improving the focus while chanting the mantra, Shashankasan , Akarana Dhanurasan, Garudasan, Virasan, Yoga Mudra and Khatu Pranam are some of the postures which can be used to improve concentration.
Dear Krishna Ji
Hare Krishna
You have said "just by performing Bhakti".
None of us can uproot anything that is done by His energies (without His empowering) while we are also minute energies of Him.
It is Bhakti Yoga alone that can uproot this contamination since the controls are with Him.
How is the ingraining done and why will help as an aid in perfection of Bhakti Yoga.
Haribol
Dear Rajagopal Prabhuji,
Hare Krishna and dandavat pranam !
It's true that Bhakti Yoga alone can uproot the lust in a jiva. However, in this case, the Bhakti should be inclusive of dharma, atma-gnan and vairagya. Bhakti which is bereft of dharma, atma-gnan and vairagya can never help any one become an urdhvareta.
Only an inclusive Bhakti can help one attain the grace of Lord Hrishikesha. When a brahmachari is performing Bhakti of Lord Hrishikesha along with dharma (in the form of austerities), atma-gnan and vairagya, Lord will feel pity upon him and shower his causeless mercy, which will make him an urdhvareta.
One can not discount the value of austerities in the life of a brahmachari. Scriptures have prescribed many dos and don't for a brahmachari.
In the Agni Purana, the subject of 8 fold brahmacharya has been dealt in a great length. It forbids sannyasis to :
1. Not listening to speech of women.
2. Not to talk about women.
3. Not to copulate with women.
4. Not to look at women.
5. Not to talk with women in private.
6. Not to wish for a woman
7. Not to desire firmly for women.
8. Not to frolic with women.
Besides these vows, there are some other don'ts described in Srimad Bhagwatam such as not to touch a woman, not to glance at a copulating couple, not to look at images of women etc.
If only a Bhakti bereft of dharma, gnan and vairagya could make a brahmachari an urdhvareta, why would have scriptures prescribed such difficult vows for a brahmachari ? Hence, the opinion of scriptures is to perform Bhakti along with dharma, atma-gnan and vairagya.
Some passages of scriptures give more importance to Bhakti, some give more importance to dharma, some give more importance to atma-gnan and some give more importance to vairagya. Only in few passages and scriptures, importance is given to dharma, atma-gnan, vairagya as well as Bhakti. A wise devotee would give importance to these four and put them in practice. Whereas, a weak soul would take only the strength of Bhakti and ignore dharma, atma-gnan and vairagya.
Desires are ingrained in the karan-sharira, which is sticked with a pure soul since time immemorial. Only Bhakti of Lord Hrishikesh performed along with dharma, atma-gnan and vairagya could help one detach from this karan-sharira and get back to Godhead.
Dear Krishna Ji
Hare Krishna
Lord Gauranga existed this way just to give a demo to the aspiring individuals undergoing "perceived embodiment".
All these are still susceptible to the assaults of maha maya especially since the intensity of these are enhancing steadily and constantly even being door delivered through various media. In a place like Bangalore and Mumbai we have retail outlets of all the deadly “”influences”” (indicative that these are external factors and ingrained as you have rightly said) of sin every two hundred yards on every street..
Ideal condition would be that all individuals will be like “Shukadev Goswami” in complete first level recall of "perceived embodiment" and "un-perceived embodiment" which is no distinction between flora and fauna let alone man and woman which again is one of the heights of illusion. But then the world will not run if it becomes thus.
Lord Hrishekesha/Bhagavan Sri Krishna or the Master of Senses is our Father http://vedabase.net/bg/14/4/en1 and He is having to drive millions http://caitanyacaritamrta.com/madhya/15/172/en1 of dukhalayas http://vedabase.net/bg/8/15/en which He has termed so modestly which the Manu Smriti has not as purported by Guru Maharaj Srila Prabhupada is called “maithunyagara” http://vedabase.net/bg/3/39/en or the “shackles of sex” which He does not like to drive.
Are we trying to battle His purpose by our puny endeavourers?
As children we are supposed to take care of our parents. It may be best to humbly inquire with Him as to what it that is bothering Him that this has to be done to His own children, understand the instructions and serve Him eternally and relentlessly in that accordance.
Haribol
Warm Regards
Hare Krsna devotees, pranams, I just remembered I read a book on this topic many years ago and have found that book again here on ISKCON desire tree /e books /gaudia books.
Prema pradipa by Bhaktivinoda Thakur.
In this book you will hear of the superiority of bhakti over the yoga process and how the claim that astanga yoge can better control the senses is a misunderstanding.
This is a nice story in this regard and it is a very nice read.
I ask you all to please give it a read and see what nectar is there.
Its not such a big book.
The later chapters do get very philosophical regarding rasa tattva and may prove to be too advanced for some of us.
On reading and discussing this book with my shiksa guru faith that bhakti is the topmost yoga system and there is no other to attain the ultimate goal of life krsna prema was confirmed.
Everything depends upon such guidance of the genuine sadhu guru.
Dear Jagadatmadas Prabhuji,
Hare Krishna and dandavat pranam !
It seems that I was misunderstood.
First line of my last reply reads that "It's true that Bhakti Yoga alone can uproot the lust in a jiva." Thus, we are almost on same line. There is no anomaly here.
However, I maintain that the force of Bhakti should be so powerful that the virtues of swa-dharma, atma-gnan and vairagya should be automatically gained just by the strength of this Bhakti.
If the force of bhakti performed by a sadhak is weak, the virtues of swadharma, atma-gnan and vairagya would not follow and hence the vow of brahmacharya would just remain an ideal.
Here,
'Dharma' means the path of good conduct as enjoined by Smritis and Shrutis.
'Atma-gnan' means realization of knowledge that 'I am soul' and not this body. Further, I am qualitatively same but quantitatively subordinate to Lord Krishna.
'Vairagya' (non-attachment) means absence of love for objects other than Lord Shri Krishna.
'Bhakti' means profound love for Lord Krishna accompanied by knowledge of His Supreme glory.
Lord Krishna has said, "Abandon all varieties of dharma and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear" - in context of any temporary and occasional downfall. This verse gives us no concessions for not following dharma. A devotee should try his level best to follow dharmic regulations to please Lord Krishna till his last breath.
Futher, I have not talked about practicing of Ashtanga Yoga but 8 forms of Brahmacharya (i.e Ashtanga Brahmacharya) prescribed in the Agni Purana for those who are in the Brahmacharya/Sanyasashrama.
I would surely read 'Prema-Pradip' by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Thank you very much for your recommendation.
Please forgive me for offences committed, if any.
Your servant,
Krishna Mukherji
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