Thread on Brahmacharya / Semen Retention / Nofap / Chi / Sexual Energy / Ojas Sakthi

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Thread on Brahmacharya / Semen Retention / Nofap / Chi / Sexual Energy / Ojas Sakthi

This thread covers various topics including but not limited to Brahmacharya, Semen Retention, Nofap, Abstinence, Celibacy, Chi Energy, Ojas Sakthi, Sexual Transmutation/Sexual Sublimation, Para Sakthi,   etc. 

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Introduction

1) Brahmacharya

Brahmacharya literally means Achara or conduct that leads to the realization of . or one’s own Self. It means the control of semen, the study of the Vedas and contemplation on God. The technical meaning of Brahmacharya is self-restraint, particularly mastery of perfect control over the sexual organ or freedom from lust in thought, word and deed. 

"Brahmacharyena Tapasa Deva Mrityumupagnata"

The Vedas declare that by Brahmacharya and penance the Devas have conquered death. 

How did Hanuman become a Mahavir? It is with this weapon of Brahmacharya that he acquired unsurpassable strength and valour.

The great Bhishma, the grandfather of the Pandavas and the Kauravas, conquered death by Brahmacharya. 

It is only Lakshman, the ideal Brahmachari, who put down Meghanada, the man of inestimable prowess, the conqueror of the three worlds, the son of Ravana. Even Lord Rama could not face him. It is through the force of Brahmacharya that Lakshman was able to defeat that invincible Meghanada. 

The valour and greatness of emperor Prithviraj was due to the strength of Brahmacharya. There is nothing in the three worlds that cannot be attained by a Brahmachari. 

The Rishis of yore knew fully well the value of Brahmacharya and that is the reason why they sang in beautiful verses about the glory of Brahmacharya. 

Just as the oil comes up in a wick and burns with glowing light, so also, the Veerya or semen flows up by the practice of Yoga Sadhana and is converted into Tejas or Ojas

The Brahmachari shines with Brahmic aura in his face. Brahmacharya is the bright light that shines in the house of the human body. It is the blossomed flower of life around which the bees of strength, patience, knowledge, purity and Dhriti wander about humming hither and thither. 

In other words, he who observes Brahmacharya will be endowed with the above qualities. The scriptures declare emphatically: 

“Ayustejo Balam Veeryam Prajna Sreescha Yashastatha 
Punyamcha Sat-Priyatvamcha Vardhate Brahmacharyaya”

By the practice of Brahmacharya, longevity, glory, strength, vigour, knowledge, wealth, undying fame, virtues and devotion to the truth increase.

SOME IDEAL BRAHMACHARIS

Hanuman

Hanuman was born of Anjana from Pavana, the wind-god. He was named Hanuman after the name of the city Hanuman over which his maternal uncle Parti Surya ruled. Hanuman’s body was as hard as stone. So, Anjana named him Vajranga. He is also known by the name Mahavir or mightiest hero, because he exhibited several heroic feats. His other names are Balabhima and Maruti.

The world has not yet seen, and will not see in the future also, a mighty hero like Sri Hanuman. During his lifetime he worked wonders and exhibited superhuman feats of strength and valour. He has left behind him a name which, as long as the world lasts, will continue to wield a mighty influence over the minds of millions of people.

Hanuman is one of the seven Chiranjivis. He is the only learned scholar who knows the nine Vyakaranas or sciences of granunar. He learnt the Sastras from the sun-god. He is the personification of Brahmacharya. He is the wisest of the wise, the strongest of the strong and the bravest of the brave. He is the Sakti or energy of Rudra. He who meditates on Hanuman and repeats his name attains power, strength, glory, prosperity and success in life. Hanuman is worshipped in all parts of India, particularly in Maharashtra.

Hanuman had the power to assume any form he liked, to swell his body to an enormous extent and to reduce it to the length of a thumb-nail. His strength was superhuman. He was the terror of the Rakshasas or demons. He was well-versed in the four Vedas and other sacred book’s. His valour, wisdom, knowledge of the scriptures and superhuman strength attracted everybody who came near him. He had extraordinary skill in warfare.

Hanuman was the chosen messenger, warrior and servant of Sri Rama. He was a votary and devotee of Lord Rama. Rama was his all-in-all. He lived to serve Rama. He lived in Rama. He lived for Rama. He was a minister and intimate friend of Sugriva.

Hanuman was born on the morning of the 8th of the lunar month, Chaitra, on the most blessed day, Tuesday. From his very birth, Hanuman exhibited extraordinary physical strength and worked many miracles. When he was a child, he jumped up at the sun and caught hold of him to eat. All the gods were very much troubled. They came with folded hands to the child and humbly entreated him to release the sun. The child set free the sun at their request.

A Rishi pronounced a curse on. Hanuman for his wrong action that he would remain unconscious of his great strength and prowess till he met Sri Rama and served Him with devotion. Hanuman saw Sri Rama for the first time in Kishkinda. Sri Rama and Lakshmana came there in the course of their search for Sita whom Ravana had carried away. As soon as Hanuman beheld Sri Rama, he became quite conscious of his own strength and power.

Hanuman burnt the whole of Lanka and brought news of Sita to Rama. In the great war between Rama and Ravana, Hanuman killed many heroes of the Rakshasa army. He did many superhuman acts. Carrying a big mountain and other great activities were nothing for Hanuman. All those were due to the power of Brahmacharya.

When the great war was over, Vibhishana was installed on the throne of Lanka. The time of banishment was over. Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Hanuman sat on the Pushpaka Vimana or aeroplane and reached Ayodhya in time. The coronation ceremony of Lord Rama was celebrated with great eclat and pomp. Sita presented a necklace of pearls to Hanuman.

Glory to Hanuman, the blessed devotee of Lord Rama. Glory, glory to Sri Anjaneya, the mighty hero, undaunted warrior and learned Brahmachari, the like of whom the world has not yet seen and will not see in all time to come.

May we derive inspiration from Hanuman’s ideal life of Brahmacharya! May His blessings be upon you all. Let us sing His glory:

Jaya Siya Ram Jaya Jaya Siya Ram
Jaya Hanuman Jaya Jaya Hanuman
Jaya Siya Ram Jaya Jaya Siya Ram
Jaya Hanuman Jaya Jaya Hanuman


Sri Lakshmana

Lakshmana, the son of Dasaratha by his second queen Sumitra, was the younger brother of Sri Rama. He was an Avatara of Adisesha. He was the constant companion of Rama both in pleasure and in pain. Rama and Lakshmana lived, dined, played and studied together. One could not bear the separation of the other. Lakshmana was a loving servant also of Sri Rama. He carried out Sri Rama’s commands to the very letter. He lived in perfect obedience to Sri Rama.

Lakshmana had pure and untainted brotherly love. His object of life was service to his elder brother. Obedience to the commands of his brother was the motto of his life. He would not do anything without getting Rama’s permission. He regarded Sri Rama as his God, Guru, father and mother. He followed Rama as a shadow.

He was quite unselfish at heart. He abandoned all the comforts of a royal life willingly only for the company of his brother. He served Rama’s cause in all possible ways. He made Rama’s cause his own. He sacrificed every personal consideration on the altar of brotherly love. Sri Rama was his all-in-all. Lakshmana could relinquish anything, his life even, for the sakc of Rama. He abandoned in a moment his mother, his wife and his royal comforts to follow Sri Rama and Sita in exile. What a magnanimous soul! What a great Tyagi he was! Here is an unprecedented example, in the history of the whole world, of a disinterested, noble and devoted soul who lived only to serve his brother. That is the reason why the readers of Ramayana eulogize Lakshmana for his pure and unique love towards his brother. Some eulogize Bharata, while others speak very highly of Hanuman, but Lakshmana was in no way inferior to Bharata or Hanuman.

Lakshmana followed Sri Rama for the long period of fourteen years though he was perfectly aware of the dangers of the forest. He accompanied Rama with his bow and arrow, though his help was not required by Visvamitra. It was all due to his devotion and love towards his brother Sri Rama.

Sri Rama also had intense love for Lakshmana. When Lakshmana fell down unconscious by the fatal arrow of Meghanada, Rama’s heart was broken. He wept bitterly. He made a determination not to revisit Ayodhya when he lost his dear brother. He said, "A wife like Sita can be had, but a real devoted brother of the type of Lakshmana cannot be had again. The world is nothing for me without my brother."

Lakshmana was pure in thought, word and deed. He led the life of an ideal Brahmachari during the fourteen years of exile. He never looked at the face or body of Sita. His eyes were ever directed towards her lotus-like feet only. When Sugriva brought Sita’s cloak and jewels—which, while she was being carried away, she had allowed to fall on the earth, seeing the monkeys on the mountain—Rama showed them to Lakshmana and asked whether he recognized them. Lakshmana said:

Naham Janami Keyure Naham Janami Kankane

Nupura Eva Janami Nityam Padabhivandanat

"I do not recognise the bracelets or ear-rings; I know only the anklets, for I worshipped her feet alone." See how Lakshmana revered Sita as mother or Goddess.

Meghanada, the son of Ravana, had conquered even Indra, the lord of gods. By virtue of this victory, Meghanada also came to be known as Indrajit. He had a boon of being invincible to all except to one who could abstain from all sorts of sensual enjoyments as least for a full fourteen years. He was unconquerable. But Lakshmana destroyed him by the power of his purity, by the power of Brahmacharya.

O Lakshmana! We shall ever sing thy glory and repeat, "Ram Lakshman Janaki, Jai Bolo Hanuman Ki!" Introduce us to our beloved Lord Rama, thy dear brother and master. Help us also in holding communion with Lord Rama. O Lakshmana! Be ever merciful to those neophyte Sadhakas who grope in the darkness of ignorance! Teach us the secret of success and help us in becoming staunch celibates till the end of our lives. Once again, salutations to thee, O Lakshmana, the darling of Sumitra and the apple of Sri Rama’s eyes!



Bhishma

Bhishma’s father was Santanu, who was the ruler of Hastinapura. His mother was Ganga Devi. His early name was Devavrata. He was an incarnation of Vasu Devata.

One day Santanu went into the forests, close to the banks of the Yamuna, for hunting. He came across a handsome maiden. He said to her, "Who are you? What are you doing here?" She replied, "I am the daughter of Dasaraja, the fisher-chief. My name is Satyavati. I am engaged at his command in rowing the boat for taking passengers across the river".

King Santanu wanted to marry her. He went to Dasaraja and asked his consent. The fisher-chief replied, "I am quite willing to give my daughter to you in marriage. But, first, I want you to give me a promise".

The king replied, "O Dasaraja, what is that? I will certainly do what lies in my power". The fisher-chief said, "The son born of my daughter should succeed you".

Santanu did not wish to give this pledge to the fisher-chief, because his valiant and intelligent son Devavrata, whom he loved intensely, would have to abandon the throne. He would no longer be the heir apparent. But the fire of love for the maiden burnt him. He was in a great dilemma. He grew pale and did not take any interest in the affairs of the state. He opened his heart to the chief minister whom he trusted, but the latter was not able to advise him in the matter. Santanu tried to conceal his love for the maiden from his son Devavrata.

Devavrata was wise and was very strong. He suspected something and thought that his father was unhappy. He said to his father, "O beloved father! You are prosperous. You have got everything. There should be no cause for your anxiety. Why are you cheerless now? You are losing your vigour and strength. Kindly let me know the reason for your grief. I am ever ready to do what lies in my power to remove it."

The king replied, "O beloved Devavrata! You are my only son. If any calamity falls on you, I will become sonless. I will be deprived of heaven. You are equal to a hundred sons. Therefore, I do not want to marry again. But one son is no son according to the words of the Rishis. These thoughts are troubling me in my mind".

Thereupon, Devavrata, accompanied by the old minister and many respectable Kshatriya chiefs, went to Dasaraja and pleaded on behalf of his father. He asked him to give his daughter to his father in marriage.

The fisher-chief replied, "O amiable prince! I have already told your father about the condition on which I can give, my daughter in marriage to him".

Devavrata said, "O fisher-chief! I make a solemn declaration now that the son that may be born of this girl shall succeed my father to the throne. I shall do all that you wish".

The fisher-chief said, "I highly appreciate your noble character and high ideal. But your sons may expel my daughter’s son at any time at their sweet will. I entertain a grave doubt on this point".

Devavrata prayed, "O Truth! Dwell in me for ever. Come and pervade my whole being! Give me inner strength to stick to the vow of perfect celibacy that I am going to take now in the presence of these people!". He then resolutely said to the fisher-chief, "O Dasaraja! Listen to what I say. From today, I shall lead a life of strict Naishthika Brahmacharya till the end of my life. All the women of the world are my mothers. I am the most devoted and loyal subject of the King of Hastinapura. If I die sonless, I shall yet attain the abode of eternal bliss and immortality".

From heaven at that time, the celestial damsels, the gods and the assemblage of sages showered flowers on him and said, "This is verily Bhishma, the Terrible!".

The fisher-chief said, "O prince! I am quite ready now to give my daughter in marriage to your father". Thereupon, the fisherman and his daughter accompanied Devavrata to the palace of Santanu. The old minister informed the king about all that had happened. The monarchs who assembled in the hall greatly appreciated the extraordinary spirit of self-sacrifice and renunciation of Devavrata and said, "Devavrata is really Bhishma, the Terrible". Since then, Devavrata bore the name of Bhishma. King Santanu was immensely pleased with the noble conduct of his son and conferred upon him the boon of death at will. He said, "May the gods protect you! Death shall never come to you as long as you wish to live".

What an exalted soul! This noble example is an unprecedented one in the history of the world. No one save Bhishma, on the surface of this earth, had made such a great sacrifice for the sake of filial duty at such a young age. Bhishma’s filial duty and piety might very well be compared to that of Lord Rama.

Bhishma was very firm, in his principles. He was absolutely free from the slightest tinge of selfishness. He was an embodiment of self-denial and self-sacrifice. His power of endurance and patience in all the difficult trials he met with, were marvellous and unprecedented. He was matchless in fortitude and courage. All men honoured him. All the Kshatriya chiefs paid their homage to him. He was a mighty Yogi and a sage. He was above body consciousness. He rested in his own Satchidananda Svarupa. That is the reason why he was peaceful and serene even though he was pierced by sharp arrows all over his body. Lying on the bed of sharp arrows which was as soft as a bed of flowers to him, he gave wonderful discourses on political, philosophical, religious, social and moral subjects to Yudhishthira. Have you ever heard of anyone, save Bhishma, in the history of the world, who was able to give lofty and sublime discourses on his deathbed? Bhishma laid his life for others. He lived to serve and elevate others. The noble life led by the high-souled Bhishma of mighty will-force still inspires sterling virtues in those who study his discourses in the Santi Parva. Bhishma died long, long ago, but his voice in the Santi Parva and his ideal and exalted life awaken slumbering people to action, righteousness, duty and enquiry, rigorous Tapas and meditation, to this day.


Glory to Bhishma, whose exemplary life of Brahmacharya inspires our hearts even today and elevates our minds to magnanimous heights of divine glory and splendour.

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Ojas Sakthi

Ojas is the essential energy for the body and mind that is gleaned from eating pure and nourishing (sattvic) foods. In Sanskrit, ojas means "vigor."

In the practice of Ayurveda, ojas is thought to be responsible for vitality, strength, health, long life, immunity and mental/emotional wellness. The seat (or location) of ojas within the body is at the heart.

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Veerya

The vital energy, the Veerya that supports your life, which is the Prana of Pranas, which shines in your sparkling eyes, which beams in your shining cheeks, is a great treasure. Veerya is the quintessence of blood.

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Sexual Sublimation / Sexual Transmutation

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. 

According to Yogic science, semen exists in a subtle form throughout the whole body. It is found in a subtle state in all the cells of the body. It is withdrawn and elaborated into a gross form in the sexual organ under the influence of the sexual will and sexual excitement. An Oordhvareta Yogi not only converts the semen into Ojas, but checks through his Yogic power, through purity in thought, word and deed, the very formation of semen by the secretary cells of the testes or seeds. 

The body of a man who is truly an Oordhvaretas has the scent of a lotus.The semen dries up in those who practice Pranayama seriously. The semen-energy ascends up to the brain. It is stored up as Ojas Sakti or spiritual energy and comes back as Amrita or nectar.

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Sexual Energy - Para Sakthi

What is this sex energy? This energy, this sex energy, is a manifestation of God. It is . in dynamic expression. It is Shakti, Para Shakti. We all know that this phenomenal universe is the activity of the cosmic power call this which is illimitable, indescribable and infinite. 

We call this cosmic power Para Shakti, Maha Shakti, Maha Maya or Prakriti. Countless billions of universes come and go through the activity of this great cosmic energy. It is this cosmic energy, this Para Shakti, that manifests as the incredible energy of the sun, the energy of the planets and, the incredible speed at which they whirl in their own orbits. 

It is this very power that is also present as the sex energy in us. Sex energy is part of the one indivisible great cosmic power present in the human individual. In its gross biological aspect, it is called the sex energy. In its subtler aspect, it is the energy of discrimination, the power of the intellect to analyze and enquire and ratiocinate. In a still subtler aspect, in its psychic aspect, it is the power of the Kundalini. And in its supreme aspect, it is nothing but Atma Shakti. 

It is something divine, it is something sacred, and its supreme function in the scheme of things of the Creator is to keep going the universal process. It is the function of reproduction which is present in all nature, in all life. Without this subtle power of duplication or reproduction, all species will become extinct. So, the utilization of the sex energy for the purpose of reproduction is actually a sacred process for cooperating with Brahma, the Creator. And any other aspect of the sex energy is a secondary, lesser aspect. 

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Chakras in Yoga

Chakras, or 'plexuses of consciousness' form the major nerve ganglia of an extraordinary circuitry of nadis, energy channels that link together our animal body with our subtler bodies and their higher functions such as intelligence and love. In computer language, these chakras could be considered cosmic network hubs and the nadis as multi-gigabyte-per-second optical fiber wiring. Except, this wiring extends inside and outside the computer.



There are seven 'chakras'. 

The first is the 'muladhara', the root chakra, which is the link in each person with 'mula prakriti', with mother nature. This chakra is located at the base of the spine, and so it is understood that at the base of the spine we are all related to the physical web of the universe. The whole universe as we know it, from the atom to the star, is a web of interdependent energies, and our physical bodies are part of that web of energies. At the 'muladhara' we are linked with all the energies of the universe. As that chakra opens we become aware of this energy. Ancient people lived much more from the muladhara. They were immersed in the physical universe. This was a limitation to some extent and they had to grow out of it, but we have grown so far out of it that we have lost consciousness of it. We now have to recover that deep physical consciousness, consciousness of matter and of our integration in the material world. So we have to allow the muladhara to open and become activated. 

The next chakra is the 'svadhisthana'. This is the life consciousness, or sex consciousness, and this was a very important element in the Tantra which eventually led to its falling into disrepute and being rejected. In Tantra part of the practice was to develop sexual energy as one means of uniting with the Godhead. There is both physical energy and life energy, which is the energy which is in all the plants and animals and in all the life of nature. We also share in that energy and through this chakra we are related to, and united with, this whole life energy of the universe. The aim is to convert this energy. We do not simply let it out in its normal channel, and neither do we suppress it (which would be disastrous); rather we try to draw it within. The energy has to rise through all the chakras and in this rising it becomes an inner force, 'ojas', as it is called. This is a very practical discipline. People today are trying to find a way between suppressing sex and indulging it. The third way is to have a disciplined method for transforming the energy. This is done largely through control of the breathing but also through the mantra, the breath and the word. 

Access to the third sphere of psychic energy is through the opening up of the 'manipura chakra'. This is the level of emotional energy. Here again we are all linked emotionally, first with our mother and father, family, blood relations and so on. These are very close emotional ties, and we know now how a person's life may be conditioned by these emotional experiences which begin in the womb and develop during the first two or three years. As this chakra opens up the emotional energy has to be controlled. Normally when the chakras open the energy is not controlled; tantric yoga is precisely the control of the energy in the chakras, not letting the energies dissipate themselves but learning to bring them within. In this way the emotions are brought within this current, this force, and allowed to rise up to the deeper centre. It needs to be emphasised that to do this is to control the emotions. It is not a matter of suppressing the emotions or of indulging them, but rather of learning the middle way of control. Again the method is the same. It is done by sitting, by breathing and by concentration of the mind. To concentrate the mind, those who are religious concentrate on God, on Jesus if one is a Christian, on Shiva or Vishnu if one is a *****. One concentrates the mind at that point and then the energy is allowed to rise to that point. It is given a direction. It is not safe to awaken the chakras if one is not directing the energies which are released. It is dangerous because one may awaken powers which cannot be controlled. But, by focussing on the Supreme in one way or another, one guides the energy towards the still point. 

The fourth chakra is the 'nahata', the heart chakra. This is the chakra of affection. The emotions are unstable, affection is stable. (P.197) It is the centre of the will and of the reason, the 'manas' or lower mind. Most people live from the heart chakra; feelings, affection and practical discipline come from the heart. It is a deep centre and to focus on it is a very valid way, but it does not take one very far. This is the middle level of consciousness, the mental consciousness in its rather limited aspect and that is where many people remain. 

Next comes the 'visuddha', the throat chakra, which includes the verbal and sound-based consciousness: words, language, poetry, music and so on. All this opens up in the throat. So there is a progression as one emerges from the deep consciousness, through emotional ties with one's mother and family, through the heart where one is opening up to a wider sphere of knowledge and of practical reason and will, and now one is opening up through one's feelings, and imagination, and through music and poetry, to a wider sphere altogether. 

Then one comes to the 'jna chakra' and this corresponds to the 'buddhi', the intelligence. That is where one focusses the mind, so one is drawing all the energy up through this point. The 'buddhi' is where one opens on the transcendent and that is why in meditation one tends to concentrate on the ajna chakra. There can be concentration on the heart and this is good, but there needs also to be concentration on the mind, the intellect, the 'nous'. At that point one comes to the 'buddhi', the point of awakening and of enlightenment. The Buddha is the enlightened one. This is the point of the so-called third eye, where one is beginning to open to the transcendent. Until that eye opens one is still living in the created world, the world of the senses and the mind; one has not yet gone beyond. The ajna chakra is the passage to the transcendent. The seventh and final stage is the 'sahasrara', the thousand-petalled lotus at the crown of the head. The chakras are pictured in different ways. One way is to see them as lotuses having different numbers of petals at each level. At first the petals are turned down. Then, as the energy rises, the petals are pictured as turned up symbolising the opening of the lotus, the opening of the chakra, at that particular level until one's whole being is transformed as the energy flows through it. The chakras are also associated with colours and with sounds. There is a whole science of colour and sound and energy, and the interrelationships between them have been very profoundly studied. 

At this point, then, the energy rises to the supreme chakra, the 'sahasrara', and there one opens on the transcendent. This is the realm of what is called transpersonal psychology, which relates to the consciousness beyond the ego. Beyond the gross world, the world of the senses, is the subtle world. It has become clear that practically all Western psychology is simply concerned with the lower levels of consciousness and Western psychologists are for the most part unaware of the higher stages. There are several stages beyond. The first is the lower subtle world where the mode of experience is through the subtle senses. Instead of only relating to the outer world through the gross senses one begins to develop subtle senses. One perceives the psychic world, which is a different level of reality enfolded in the physical world. The physical world is the outer shell and beyond that is the subtle psychic world.

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Relationship between Chakras, Sexual Energy and Sexual Transmutation 

In order to gain all the benefits of chakras, we should let these chakras to open up. Sexual energy is generally connected with the lower two chakras, muladhara and svadisthana, and isolated there. If all the chakras have to be opened up, the energy has to raise from lower parts of the body to the higher parts of the body slowly. 

If we indulge excessively in sexual activities, all the energy remains in lower two chakras and gets used up easily. Thus, energy doesn't move upwards into remaining chakras. The energy has to move up to all the chakras from lower to higher chakras. This process is a huge reason why sex has been included amongst the Tantric techniques – because of the ability to easily create huge amounts of energy in the lower centers which can then be shifted, or planted, into the higher centers of the being. The higher centers, such as the heart chakra, the third eye and the crown, facilitate higher states of consciousness such as unconditional love, spiritual devotion, non-attachment, lucidity and clarity.

Activation of each chakra can be attained by performing various yogic asanas, eating sattvic foods and following a specific lifestyle but the first step in the entire process is to retain the energy and prevent the energy from leaving the body through semen loss. Hence, it is advised to refrained from sexual activities through abstinence and retain semen. 

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SELECT SAYINGS ON SEX AND CELIBACY

Brahmacharya is abstaining from all kinds of Maithuna or sexual enjoyment for ever, in all places and in all conditions, physically, mentally and verbally. - Yajnavalkya

Thinking of a woman or her picture, praising a woman or her picture, sporting with a woman or her picture, glancing at a woman or her picture, secretly talking to a woman, thinking of a sinful action towards a woman actuated by sensuality, determining upon the sinful action, and bodily action resulting in the discharge of semen are the eight characteristics of copulation; and Brahmacharya is quite contrary to all these eight indications. - Daksha Smriti

Know that in this world there is nothing that cannot be attained by one who remains from birth to death a perfect celibate... In one person, knowledge of the four Vedas, and in another, perfect celibacy - of these, the latter is superior to the former who is wanting in celibacy. - The Mahabharata

Brahmacharya or spotless chastity is the best of all penances; a celibate of such spotless chastity is not a human being, but a god indeed... To the celibate who conserves the semen with great efforts, what is there unattainable in this world? By the power of the composure of the semen, one will become just like myself. - Lord Sankara

And those students who find that world of God through chastity, theirs is that heavenly country; theirs, in whatever world they are, is freedom. - Chhandogya Upanishad

A wise man should avoid married life as if it were a burning pit of live coals. From the contact comes sensation, from sensation thirst, from thirst clinging; by ceasing from that, the soul is delivered from all sinful existence. - Lord Buddha

These sexual propensities, though they are at first like ripples, acquire the proportions of a sea on account of bad company. - Narada

Sensuality destroys life, lustre, strength, vitality, memory, wealth, great fame, holiness and devotion to the Supreme. - Lord Krishna

Death is hastened by letting out semen from the body; life is saved and prolonged by preserving it.
There is no doubt that people die prematurely by letting the semen out of the body; knowing this, the Yogi should always preserve semen and lead a life of strict celibacy. - Siva Samhita

Caution in diet is of threefold value, but abstinence from sexual intercourse is of fourfold value. The Sannyasi had, and has a rule never to look at a woman. - Atreya
Let not a ***** see a woman naked. - Manu

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GREAT PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED SEMEN RETENTION / NOFAP / BRAHMACHARYA 

(DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFE)

1) Sigmund Freud Psychologist and Founder of Psychoanalysis




“Freud held the opinion (based on personal experience and observation) that sexual activity was incompatible with the accomplishing of any great work. Since he felt that the great work of creating and establishing psychotherapy was his destiny, he told his wife that they could no longer engage in sexual relations. Indeed from about the age of forty until his death Freud was absolutely celibate "in order to sublimate the libido for creative purposes," according to his biographer Ernest Jones.”


(Source:Sigmund Freud - Psychoanalysis - Psychotherapy )

2) Mike Tyson Boxing Legend



“I never knew that conquering so many women takes so much from you more than adds so much to you. I always read that the great fighters never had sex before fights and I was a young kid and I wanted to be the youngest heavyweight champion in the world, so I restrained myself from sex for around five years.”
( Source: Mike Tyson in ‘Tyson’ and Athletes on Abstinence )


3) Muhammad Ali Boxing Legend




“There’s a kid just come down here named Cassius Clay. If you bet on him every time he fights, you’ll be a rich man, ‘cause he won’t lose a single fight. I believe his thing is sexual control. And he’s got it. Any kid who can control his sex can with the title. I believe it.” (Olympic Boxing Coach, Harry Wiley, quote from book ‘Muhammad Ali, The Greatest.’ Further source:The New Science of Seminal Conservation )

4) Sir Issac Newton Scientist & Mathematician

Life long celibate. Believed to have died a virgin.

“The way to chastity is not to struggle with incontinent thoughts but to avert the thoughts by some employment, or by reading, or by meditating on other things,”

(Source: Letter to philosopher John Locke )

5) Nikola Tesla Legendary Scientist and Inventor 



“He believed that celibacy spurred on the brain…” 

One of Tesla’s other biographers, Kenneth Swezey, a journalist who remained close to Tesla in his declining years, called Tesla “an absolute celibate,” and confirmed that
he rarely slept. 

(Source: BBC Article  and TeslaUniverse Article )

6) Steve Jobs Founder of Apple 




“Our birth control method up to that point was Steve’s coitus interruptus, also called the pull-out method, which for him was about his conserving his energy for work,' she wrote. He explained that he didn't want to climax so he could build 'power and wealth by conserving one’s vital energies.” (Former girlfriend Chrisann Brennan’s book quoted in UK Daily Mail Newspaper )

7) Saigo Takamori 



One of the most influential Samurai in Japanese history, known as “The Last True Samurai”

“Although Saigo would remarry twice, father five children, and keep a company of Kyoto geisha, in 1854 he prided himself on avoiding women entirely. He saw abstinence as empowering rather than constraining…In his youth Saigo saw sex not as pleasurable dissipation or intimacy but as an impediment to happiness and loyalty.” ( From the book “The Last Samurai,” page 34.)


8) Plato Greek Philosopher 

“Plato’s dialog stresses the intellect over the physical because of the risk of slavish dependent on physical desires. In this context, Plato recommends reduced erotic engagement to better exercise and control the mind. In other words, sexual activity is only detrimental only in so far as it distracts from intellectual endeavors…Plato praises this exemplary self-control, citing famous athelete, Iccus of Tarentum, who had “possessed in is soul such art and such courage mixed with moderation that he never touched a woman—or a boy for that matter—during the entire time of his training.” Plato suggests that by consciously choosing to control sexual desires, an individual liberates the mind to better study virtue.” (Source: "Male Abstinence Portrayed: A Lofty Ideal and Dangerous Extreme in Ancient Greek Sexuality")

9) Leo Tolstoy Legendary Novelist



"I had become what is called a voluptuary; and to be a voluptuary is a physical condition like the condition of a victim of the morphine habit, of a drunkard, and of a smoker."

"These periods of irritation depended very regularly upon the periods of love. Each of the latter was followed by one of the former. A period of intense love was followed by a long period of anger; a period of mild love induced a mild irritation. We did not understand that this love and this hatred were two opposite faces of the same animal feeling." (Source: Leo Tolstoy's "The Kreutzer Sonata" )


10) Dalai Lama Spiritual Leader, Tibetan leader

"Sexual pressure, sexual desire, actually, I think is short-period satisfaction and, often, that leads to more complication."

(Source: Sexual intercourse spells trouble, says Dalai Lama )

[pastispresent]

11) Kanye West Rapper



"People ask me a lot about my drive. I think it comes from, like, having a sexual addiction at a really young age," he says. "Look at the drive that people have to get sex—to dress like this and get a haircut and be in the club in the freezing cold at 3 A.M., the places they go to pick up a girl. If you can focus the energy into something valuable, put that into work ethic . . . " (Quote from: The Unraveling of Kanye West )

12) 50 Cent Rapper




“Masturbation is a sin you stop right now fool!!! lol God is watching you” “Step to stop masturbating: 1. To avoid the urge to masturbate stop going to porn sites, 2. Make a conscious decision not to turn your head after people walk to you, 3. Do not go to strip clubs, 4. Do not look at lust filled magazines” (From Tweets, collected from: The 50 Cent Four-Step Stop-Masturbating Plan )

13) Pythagoras Philosopher and Mathematician





“According to Pythagorus (6th century BCE) sex should be practiced in the winter, but not the summer, but was harmful to male health in every season because the loss of semen was dangerous, hard to control and both physically and spiritually exhausting…” 



“Pythagoras himself established a small community that set a premium on study, vegetarianism, and sexual restraint or abstinence. Later philosophers believed that celibacy would be conducive to the detachment and equilibrium required by the philosopher's calling…” 


(Sources: Uta Ranke.Heinman (1988). Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven - the Catholic Church and Sexuality. Penguin Books USA. Cited in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_abstinence#cite_note-Uta-3 and celibacy", The New Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th ed.,vol 3 Chicago, 2007, cited in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celibacy#cite_note-59)

14) Mark Wahlberg Hollywood Actor 



"I don't get down with jerking off, dude. Look. I don't believe in everything that the church says. I try to do the right thing. I lead a clean and pure life. I'm a married guy. I have a beautiful wife. Sex is not the most important thing to me, being horny all the time, spanking the—I mean, it's not against the law. You can do whatever you want. And it's not like, 'I shouldn't do it because of my faith. I'm just not really that into it that much anyway."
( Interview quote: Mark Wahlberg Is Off His Rocker Again, Maybe Because He Never Masturbates )


15) Manny Pacquiao Boxer, Eight Division World Champion 




Believing the old adage that sex saps strength, Pacquiao follows a strict no-[wife] policy during training. “We’ve talked to doctors about it,” [trainer Freddie] Roach says. “Sex lowers your testosterone, so you’re not as mean.” Most boxers abstain for a week or more before a bout. “I ask my guys for 10 days,” Roach says. Of course Pacquiao beats the others even when it comes to abstinence. He stays chaste for 21 days before a bout, husbanding his energies for post fight festivities. ( Source: Playboy Magazine Article.Quoted in Manny Pacquiao Abstains Before Fights )

16) Michelangelo Legendary Sculptor, Painter and Engineer



Michelangelo’s contemporary Ascanio Condivi, who was also his biographer, described Michelangelo as having “monk-like chastity” 

(Source: Anthony Hughes, “Michelangelo,” page 326 (Phaidon: 1997) 


17) Socrates Greek Philosopher 




“Socrates first prescribes abstinence from sexual pleasure. A conventionalized treatment of his view on sex then follows which illustrates and amplifies the earlier summary treatment of its dangers…Xenophon [one that Socrates advices] makes the wrong move and finds that though sex may be a pleasure, it makes you a slave. (Source: “The Framing of Socrates: The Literary Interpretation of Xenophon’s Memorobilia.”  Page 54 )


18) The Great Gama 

[b][/b]

Undefeated World Champion Wrestler and Champion of World Wrestling 1910 and 1928



A wrestler's life is strictly regimented. At 3 am he wakes, performs his ablutions and goes to the akharha. At the akharha he wrestles and exercises until about 8 am. After practice he relaxes and bathes. Once his body has cooled down he drinks a mixture of milk, ghee and almonds. Later he eats a regular meal and if his regimen is strict he will spend the better part of the day resting. In the evening he will bathe again and return to the akharda at which time he will perform various exercises to strengthen his shoulders, thighs, lower back and neck. By 8 or 9 pm he is in bed.



In addition to the disciplinary regimen of exercise, a wrestler's life is defined by strict moral rules. Paramount is the injunction of self-control and anti-sensuality. A wrestler must be a celibate bhramacharya because semen is regarded as the primary source of strength.


(Source: Gama The Great and Athletes on Abstinence )

19) Swami Vivekananda 

Indian ***** Monk and Chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa



"You may wonder what made them do this, you may wonder if I had some strange power. Let me tell you that I did have a power and this is it — never once in my life did I allow myself to have even one sexual thought. I trained my mind, my thinking, and the powers that man usually uses along that line I put into a higher channel, and it developed a force so strong that nothing could resist it."  

(Source: “Complete Works Of Swami Vivekananda” and http://www.vivekananda.net )

[pastispresent]

LIST OF PEOPLE (INDIA ONLY)

1) A P J Abdul Kalam (Missle man of India)

2) Narendra Modi (PM of largest democracy in the world and won with landslide majority after a gap from 1980s)

3) Naveen Patnaik (4 times Chief Minister Odisa State, India)

4) Jaya Lalitha (4 Times Chief Minister of Tamilnadu State, India, Referred to as "Amma" [Mother], Nearly 200 people died on hearing her news of death)

5) Rahul Gandhi (Leader of opposition, seeing him improve slowly but not close yet to Narendra Modi ji)

6) Mayawati (Former CM of Utter Pradesh State which has population more than 65 countries in the world and has population near to US)

7) Yogi Adityanath (Monk/Yogi, Current CM of Utter Pradesh, 5 times elected to parliament)

8) Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Former PM of India. Quoted as one of the best PMs in India's history)

9) Anna Hazare (Anti-Curroption movement)

10) Ratan Tata (Chairman of TATA Group, who took the company from millions of market cap 
to more than $100 Billion Market Cap. Opened up new industries and revolutionized many markets)

11) Baba Ramdev (Brahmachari/Yogi, One of cult yoga gurus)

12) Salman Khan (One of the highest paid and top heroes of Bollywood since last 3 decades)

13) Mamata Benerjee (Current CM of West Bengal, Cult following, Austere life, Amazingly daring women)

14) Uma Bharti (Current Cabinet Minister in Modi's Government)

15) Sarbananda Sonowal (Current CM of Assam State, Former Central Govt. Minister/ Former State Cabinet Minister, Cult fan following)

16) Trivendra Singh Rawat (Current CM of Uttarakhand State, India)

17) Karan Johar (Indian Film Director, Producer, Screen Writer, Costume Designer, Actor, TV Personality popular in Hindi)

18) Late Dr. Homi J Bhabha (Indian Nuclear Physicist and father of Indian Nuclear Programme)

19) M Visvesvarayya (One of great Indian Engineers in modern times. Lived for more than 99 years of age. His birthday celebrated as Engineer's day in India)

20) Late Lata Mangeshkar - One of the most famous singers in India and her name is enough to evoke memories of her songs.


21) Swami Vivekananda (One of the most famous monks, probably regarded as wisest mind who lived in modern times)