How Celibacy Came Into Being

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 17 November 2023 “Daily meditation and constant Japa is the essential foundation of brahmacharya. Japa and meditation cause the subtle forces known as prana to rise upward. Those who become adept in these spiritual practices will become “Urdhvareta Yogis”–those in whom the sexual energies flow upward and become transmuted into spiritual energies." ------ Mr Anburaj's recipe for an asexual existence has amused me no end. In olden times, kings and monarchs used to have jesters (Vidooshak/Maskhara) in their courts who'd say and do all funny things to keep the courtiers in good humour. Mr Anburaj is a modern jester. That said, the futile emphasis on Brahmacharya (celibacy or sexual abstinence) is not just ridiculous, it's against nature. Celibacy is self-deception and practised by all deluded humans whose sense of spirituality is not only muddled but morbidly pathological. We must understand our sexual behaviour from a socio-religious perspective. Anthropologists believe that religion (quasi-religions or prototypes of 'modern' faiths) and god emerged simultaneously with human civilization that started fifteen to eighteen thousand or max. twenty thousand years ago. Homo sapiens emerged nearly 60, 000 years ago. Right from the beginning, humans understood that sex was the most pleasurable activity- it's and there cannot be two views about it. So pleasurable that the early humans even depicted crude coital postures on the walls of the caves. Not only that, early humans even associated their gods and deities with unbridled sexual capers and peccadilloes. Religion and god birthed priesthood. Mind you, prostitution and priesthood are the oldest professions in the world. With that, a misconception started to take root. It was believed that if humans remained neck-deep exploring 'depths' (pun intended), they'd not be focused on gods, deities and spiritual matters. This misconception turned into a false (spiritual) narrative that sex was a morally unedifying act and a serious impediment to realising god or godhood. Readers will be amazed to know that Zoroastrianism, in its formative centuries, advised its priests and followers to practise celibacy to understand the nature of god (called Viasta in Avesta). Zoroastrianism, the world's first monotheistic faith, is approximately 4,000 years old. In its first seven or eight centuries, it (Zoroastrianism) vehemently advocated against sex and spread a canard that Ahura Mazda (Avestan: Wise Lord) hated sex and ejaculation (Vaar in ancient Iranian; equivalent to Veerya or Semen in Sanskrit). The same thinking was prevalent in this part of the world during the Vedic or pre-Vedic era (there was no Hinduism at that time). By the way, Avesta and Sanskrit are pretty similar languages with a plethora of common words and derivatives. You have the example of Bhishma's supposed celibacy and how he was revered for not having sex till he breathed his last. According to Mahabharata, he died at the age of 159! What a waste! When you go deeper into these phenomena related to sexual abstinence in early human societies, cults, groups and ancient faiths, you observe a very interesting thing. It was not sex per se that was condemned. It was the ejaculation that was called the defilement of body and mind (Veeryam Varjyate Apvitram Sarvatre) and a serious stumbling block to the attainment of godhood. In short, semen was considered to be impure and intolerable to god. That's the reason, old texts of Hindu mythology used Skhalan as a euphemism or substitute for Veerya. Jayadeva vividly described Radha-Krishna's mating in his Geet Govinda (written, circa 12th century), yet calling it non-ejaculative! Isn't it tantamount to drinking non-alcoholic beer or smoking an e-cigarette without tobacco? All man-made moronic faiths have termed semen as something terribly dirty despite being generative fluid. Buddhism and Jainism have gone to the extent of calling it 'Niga' and 'Gosera' respectively. Both the words mean poison and are extremely reprehensible. Since sex generally results in ejaculation, which is supposed to be an impure act and extremely detestable to god, the whole shebang of sex was prohibited by all idiotic religions. Most of the sexually frustrated Jain Munis and Buddhist monks waste their lives in controlling the physical urge and they call it an achievement! My foot! These religious fools even try to thwart their involuntary nocturnal emissions. Catholic priests, who're not supposed to marry, indulge in all sorts of perversions. No wonder, Aurobindo, Vivekanand, Shivanand, this Nand and that Nand remained deluded and thought that having sex would keep them away from their 'lofty' enlightenment. Alas, Na Khuda Hi Mila, Na Visaal-E-Sanam/ Na Idhar Ke Rahe, Na Udhar Ke Hum. What a pity! Sex, nature's greatest gift to mankind, became something so sinful owing to all silly religious beliefs and brainless practitioners of celibacy. … A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. ------- URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/celibacy-came-being/d/131128 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism