Brahmacharya means celibacy. A Brahmachari is one who is a celibate,
one who observes chastity or celibacy. The term 'Celibacy' is from the
Latin word 'Caelebs', which means 'unmarried' or 'single' and
signifies the state of living unmarried. It means control of not only
the reproductive Indriya but also control of all senses; it means
purity in thought, word and actions.

The life of a Brahmachari begins with the Upanayana ceremony, the
investiture of the sacred thread, his second birth. The Brahmachari
should direct his entire attention solely to study and acquiring of
such knowledge as would enable him to become a worthy member of
society. During this period of study let him live either with his
parents or at the place of his study under the supervision of
teachers. He should not live by himself, with friends and
acquaintances, nor with relatives.

A Brahmachari is one who is attempting to realise Brahman by his
conducting a life of absolute celibacy. Brahmacharya is the conduct of
leading a celibate life. A Brahmachari should study religious books
till he reaches the age of twenty-five. If he has taken the vow of
celibacy till the end of life, if he wants to become a Naishtika
Brahmachari, he need not enter the stage of householder. He should
have real lasting Vairagya and Viveka (dispassion and discrimination).
Then only he will be really benefited. He can devote his whole life to
spiritual pursuits.

A Brahmachari should worship his Guru, worship cows and gods with due
reverence. Guru is the embodiment of all Vedas and all Devas.
Therefore God and Guru should be taken as one and he should worship
his Guru daily. He should serve his Guru with faith and devotion for
complete twelve years.

The Brahmachari should have Japa as his highest possession. He should
never leave Japa. Through Japa alone the Brahmachari attains success,
no matter whether he performs any other Vedic sacrifice or not.
Through the contact of his senses with their objects of gratification,
he undoubtedly acquires sin. Hence, by controlling them, he achieves
success. Control of the senses is possible for the Brahmachari only
through Japa.

Brahmacharis should do their Sandhya Vandana daily at the proper
time,-morning, noon and evening. 'Sandhya' is the point of junction of
two periods of time. There is a special manifestation of force or
purity at Sandhyas. The student will derive immense benefit by doing
prayers at this particular meeting point of two periods of time.
Arghya (offering libation) with repetition of the Gayatri should be
given to the sun at the proper time. You will have wonderful health,
vigour and vitality and a pure, sharp intellect. At the present moment
students have entirely neglected their Sandhyas. Their minds have been
charged with materialistic poison. They have become slayers of Atman.
"Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die" has become their
philosophy! Poor, self-deluded souls! How long will you continue this
state of affairs? Do not kill the soul within. Awake, arise and purify
yourself. Do Sandhya. Understand and realise its potency and efficacy.
Do some form of worship or other and realise the splendours of the
Atman. Regain your lost divinity.

A true Brahmachari only can cultivate Bhakti. A true Brahmachari alone
can practise Yoga. A true Brahmachari only can acquire Jnana. Without
Brahmacharya no spiritual progress or success in worldly affairs is
possible.

Brahmacharis should entirely give up betel-chewing, cigarettes,
tobacco, snuff, tea, coffee, etc. Tobacco produces nicotine poisoning,
tobacco-heart (irritable heart), nervous diseases and
tobacco-amblyopia (eye disease).

O bold Brahmachari, practice of Brahmacharya gives good health, inner
peace, strength, peace of mind and long life. It invigorates the mind
and nerves. It helps to conserve physical and mental energy. It
augments strength, vigour and vitality. It gives power to face the
difficulties in the daily battle of life. It is the master key for
opening the realm of health and happiness. It is the corner stone of
bliss and unalloyed felicity. It is the only specific that keeps up
true manliness. Therefore keep up Brahmacharya by all means.
Brahmacharya is freedom from sexual thoughts and desires. Preserve the
vital fluid. It is the life-force in you. You will enjoy supreme
bliss. A perfect Brahmachari can move the world, can command the five
elements, like Sant Jnana Deva.

Brahmacharya is the basis for acquiring immortality. Brahmacharya
brings material progress and psychic advancement. It is the substratum
for a life of peace in the Atman. It is a potent weapon for waging war
against the internal Asuras, viz., Kama, Krodha, Lobha, etc. It
contributes perennial joy, uninterrupted and undecaying bliss. It
gives tremendous energy, clear brain, gigantic will-power, bold
understanding, retentive memory and good Vichara Sakti. Through
Brahmacharya and Brahmacharya alone you can get physical, mental and
spiritual advancement in life.

The vital energy, the Virya, supports your life. It is the Prana of
Pranas which shines in your sparkling eyes, which beams in your
blooming cheeks. It is a great treasure for you. It is the
quintessence of blood. One drop of semen is manufactured out of forty
drops of blood. Mark here how valuable this fluid is!

Brahmacharya or spotless chastity is the best of all panaceas. One who
has perfect control over the sexual energy attains powers unobtainable
by any other means. The door to Nirvana or perfection is complete
Brahmacharya. Complete celibacy is the master-key to open the realms
of elysian bliss. The avenue to the abode of supreme peace begins from
Brahmacharya or purity. Ojas is spiritual energy that is stored up in
the brain. By sublime thoughts, meditation, Japa, worship and
Pranayama, sexual energy can be transmuted into Ojas Sakti and stored
up in the brain. This energy can be utilised for divine contemplation
and spiritual pursuits.

That man in whom the sex-idea is deep-rooted can never dream of
understanding Vedanta and realising Brahman even in one hundred crores
of births. Sexual Vasanas (subtle desires) are more powerful than
other Vasanas. Therefore you will have to direct all your efforts to
subduing the sexual Vasanas. Narada says in his Bhakti Sutras: "These
(sexual) propensities, though they at first are like ripples, acquire
the proportions of a sea, on account of bad company" (Sutra 45).
Therefore avoid evil company at all costs.

What is the state of your mind, when you attend a ball-room dance or
nautch party, or when you read the 'Mysteries of the Court of London?'
What is the state of your mind when you attend the Satsanga party of a
realised sage at Banares on the banks of the Ganga, or when you study
the soul-elevating classical Upanishads? Compare and contrast your
mental states. Remember, friend, that there is nothing so utterly
ruinous to the soul as evil company. One should not talk even of
stories of women, the luxurious ways of rich persons, rich foods,
vehicles, politics, silken clothing, flowers, scents, etc. Because the
mind gets easily excited; it will begin to imitate the ways of
luxurious persons. Desires will crop up. Attachment also will come in.

Obscene pictures, vulgar words, novels which deal with love stories,
excite passion and produce ignoble, mean, undesirable sentiments in
the heart. Whereas, the sight of a good picture of Lord Krishna or
Lord Rama or Lord Jesus or Lord Buddha and the hearing of the sublime
songs of Suradas, Tulasidas or Tyagaraja induce noble sentiments, holy
thrill in the heart and produce tears of joy and Prem, and elevate the
mind to Bhava Samadhi instantaneously. Do you clearly see the
difference now?

He who has wasted the vital energy becomes easily irritable, loses his
balance of mind and gets into a state of explosive fury for trifling
things. When a man becomes furious, he behaves improperly. He will do
anything he likes. He will even insult his parents, Guru and
respectable persons. He does not know what he is exactly doing, as he
loses his power of reasoning and discrimination. It behoves,
therefore, that an aspirant who tries to develop good behaviour must
preserve the vital energy. Preservation of this divine energy leads to
attainment of strong willpower, good behaviour, spiritual exaltation
and Sreya or Moksha eventually.

There is no harm in looking at a beautiful woman. You can admire her
beauty and think that the beauty in her face is the beauty of the
Lord. Beauty is God. Woman brings the message that God is Beauty of
beauties. Woman is the symbol of beauty. There should not be any
lustful look (Drishti Dosha). The angle of vision must be changed as
indicated above.

Again and again think that the beauty of the face is the beauty of the
Lord. Godly feeling will arise when you look at a woman or a beautiful
picture. Study the tenth chapter of the Gita—Vibhuti Yoga, again and
again.

Physical Brahmacharya must be strictly practised at first. Control the
body. Mental purity or mental Brahmacharya will gradually manifest.

Lead a well regulated moral life. Moral strength is the backbone of
spiritual progress. Ethical culture is part and parcel of spiritual
Sadhana. Loss of this vital energy is tantamount to practical death.
Heavy loss of the vital energy is the cause of desire, miseries and
premature death. Therefore take particular care to preserve this vital
energy. Keep up Brahmacharya or the vow of celibacy. By the observance
of Brahmacharya many of the sages of yore have attained immortality.
It is the source of new strength, vigour, vitality and success in life
and eternal happiness hereafter.