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
Dear Mataji,
Pranam & Hare Krishna !
Yogis try to burn the semen, which remains in the body, with great effort. However, Lord Krishna maintained perfect brahmcharya, even in the midst of the company of women. Such powers are only present in God. No one else is capable of remaining uninfluenced in this way. Therefore, other yogis should make an effort to avoid thinking of women in both the jagrat state and the svapna state.
Conquering lust is the most difficult of all spiritual endeavors. To be an urdhva-reta by way of yogic powers, is only possible for Nar-Narayan Rishi. (Lord Krishna resides in Badrikashram with Arjuna in Nar-Narayan form. Here, He performs great austerities for spiritual progress of all spiritual aspirants of the Bharat-Khand.) In addition, a true devotee of Lord Nar-Narayan can also gradually develop firm brahm-charya by the power of His worship, but others cannot.
If semen is discharged through the genitals in the jagrat state or svapna state, a person cannot be called a brahm-chari. Nevertheless, a person who follows the eight types of renunciation of women is walking on the path of brahmacharya. So with time, by the grace of Lord Nar-Narayan, he will gradually become a firm brahmachari.
Semen is also released through a person’s sweat. So in order to retain semen, following Yoga techniques and asans can be used :
1. Jal-basti - (Flushing with water) A strict yogic practice to help cleanse the inner parts of the body, which in turn helps in the observance of brahmacharya. The practice involves standing in waist-high water and drawing in water through the anus, swirling the water around the stomach, and then discharging it again through the anus. Another version of the practice involves drawing in water through the genitals and then flushing it out either through the genitals or the anus.
2. Kunjar-Kriya- (Elephant act) A strict yogic practice to help cleanse the inner parts of the body - which in turn helps in the observance of brahmacharya. The practice involves drinking a considerable amount of water, swirling it around the stomach, and then discharging it out again through the mouth.
3. Gorakh-asan - (An asan to control the indriyas) Specific yogic asan or sitting posture where a person sits with both heels tucked into the groin, the toes folded under the buttocks, and the large toes held by the hands from behind the back. Considered to help in preventing the ejaculation of semen, and therefore helping in the observance of brahmacharya. Also known as goraksh-asan or bhadrasan. One can sleep in night in this asan to prevent wet-dreams.
Besides these Yogasans, a person can control his lust by three ways :
1. By atma-gnan
2. Control of diet and
3. Remaining in swadharma.
But Lord Krishna had 2 sons, Pradyumna and Shambo. How is it then possible that we was a Bramhachari. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, I'm confused and need clarification.
Hare Krsna dear devotee.
The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.
To completely satisfy the self one has to engage in loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord.
There is an adjective, loving.
So why do some other form of yoga?
Do you think that this bhakti and chanting is not so powerful?
There is just somethings I cannot do right now because I am a very conditioned soul.
Best thing is to increase bhakti more and more not reduce it by doing asana and pranayama.
So you may have some accident some time but you should not give up .
Increase your chanting to 64 rounds, read so many hours a day and serve the devotees in a humble mood.
you can also control your eating so you do not sleep and dream so much.
Also you have to know your capacity and avoid situations which weaken you and trigger lust.
For a brahmacai it is better to never even look at a women.
Speak and even think of them.
Out of sight out of mind as they say.
Only when you have become more mature in bhakti you will feel some freedom from the pushings of material nature but even then you have to be on your guard.
As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence.
In India the brahmacaris eat neem leaves daily to cool the body.
How effective this is I do not know.
Worship Lord Nityananda and pray for the merciful kick of His lotus feet.
Submit to an advanced vaisnava and accept some personal discipline at their hands.
Falling at the feet of the Lord cry for pure bhakti.
Hare Krsna.
sattvam vishuddham vasudeva-shabditam
yad iiyate tatra pumaan apaavrtah
sattve ca tasmin bhagavaan vaasudevo
hy adhoksajo me namasaa vidheeyate
"I am always engaged in offering obeisances to Lord Vasuseva in pure Krishna Consciousness. Krishna Consciousness is always in pure consciousness in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead known as Vasudeva is revealed without any covering."
...The word vishuddham in the above verse means purity. So purity is the force. Our body, mind, words and deeds - everything should be pure. Elsewhere Srila Prabhupada is mentioning that success is only possible by celibacy. Celibacy is purity in thought, word and deed. Contrary to the general understanding celibacy includes control of not only sex impulse but also control of other senses. Celibacy is of two kinds- physical and mental. Physical celibacy is abstinence from sex act. Mental celibacy is the control of impure thoughts. Mental celibacy is more difficult than physical celibacy. It is the mind that does all actions. A desire arises in mind then one thinks how to fulfill it then action follows. No space is empty at any time. If one thing is removed from one place, immediately another thing comes to take its place. So it is necessary to entertain divine thoughts to replace evil thoughts.
How to maintain mental celibacy? We are reminded of our beloved spiritual master, H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj's statement - "If you want to remain a brahmacari, you must get married to Srimad Bhagavatam. If you don't marry Srimad Bhagavatam, then the four walls will itself kill you and you will not be able to maintain celibacy." Hearing this statement we should not misinterpret that Srimad Bhagavatam is only for brahmacaris. In one of the lectures, our senior god-brother H G Devakinandan prabhuji was sharing one of profound statements of Maharaj to grahasthas - "Even though you are married, always keep the spirit of brahmacarya alive in you. So you should have some quite moments with scriptures in your home daily and that will keep the fire of devotional service going." So irrespective of our ashram we need to take shelter of the scriptures and "purify" our thoughts, words and deeds and then Lord will reveal Himself to us without any covering.
As Kunti Maharani also prays in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.8.19
maaya javanikaachannam / ajnaadhokshajam avyayam
na lakshyase mudha drshaa / nato natyadharo yathaa
"Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, You are the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy. You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized."
When we are not pure in our thoughts, then Lord will cover Himself by the curtain of maya and we will not be able to recognise Him.
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