What are the benefits derived by taking the vow of Brahmacharya and preserving the most precious semen in the body?
1. You will have a wonderful memory, like that of some great saints. You will perform well in your school lessons as you will be able to remember facts well.
2. You will have strong will-power. You will walk like a king or queen. You will find it easy to turn a deaf ear to the taunts of others and will not succumb to peer pressure. You will have the strength to say "no" when friends tempt you to do wrong things.
3. You will have a strong, healthy body which will not fall a prey to diseases easily. It will be able to ward off diseases.
4. Your nervous system will be strong. You will not be afraid of anything. Even if an intruder appears before you, you will not fear. There will be no fear of darkness, thieves or thugs.
5. You will have a charming personality. Brahma Tejas will shine in your face due to practice of Brahmacharya. You will attract people. Physical beauty is nothing compared to the beauty in one who practises Brahmacharya. We see this in the case of saints, how like a magnet they attract people.
6. You will always progress on the path of virtue and towards God. More love for God will develop in your heart, as also more love for all those around you. You will enjoy peace of mind and bliss. Your habits will be pure and noble. You will lead a rich and fruitful life. You will love all, and all will love you in return. All those who come in contact with you will be influenced by your radiant personality.
7. When you take up any kind of work in later life your earning capacity will be high as you will have good concentration and application to your work due to practice of Brahmacharya. You will be able to achieve more in much less time than others.
8. Once the semen or vital force is lost, it will not be easy to recoup the same. Saints say that the semen that is preserved is taken up to the brain where it is stored. Great personalities utilise this stored up power, called Ojas Shakti, for high and noble purposes, like seeking God, for art and music, for serving the poor and needy, etc. Saints accomplish great things mainly through the power of the Ojas Shakti. The Ojas Shakti is indeed a marvellous power.
Gurudev Swami Sivananda had a wonderful memory. During the first year of his medical career he could answer the fifth year papers. Many years later, when he became a well-known saint and lived in his Ashram in Rishikesh, he exercised his great memory power to the astonishment of visitors and inmates of the Ashram. Hundreds of names and addresses of his disciples and devotees living all over the world were lodged in his memory. All this was due to the power of his Brahmacharya.
