This section on Brahmacharya is specially prepared for the youth of today-the Spiritual Darlings of God. A great and wondrous duty lies with you. You should lead a pure and exemplary life. You should be loyal to God, to your religion, to your Guru, to your parents and to your teachers. You should courageously come forward and set the pace for the youth of today. This is true heroism. This is the real challenge before you. The path is arduous, difficult, toilsome and full of pitfalls and dangers. Are you prepared to take the plunge?
The saints of all religions, both of the past and of recent times, have always spoken about the glory of Brahmacharya. Brahmacharya is a Sanskrit word. Its true meaning is control of the senses. In a limited sense Brahmacharya means celibacy, or control of the sex urge.
1. The sense of taste has to be controlled by not taking foods that make the mind restless. Onions, garlic, highly spiced dishes, too much sweets and sugar, too much tea and coffee, non-vegetarian foods-all these make the mind restless. Alcohol, drugs and smoking are bad as they cause great harm to the mind and body.
2. The eye must be controlled by seeing only that which is pure and good, like colourful flowers and birds, inspiring pictures of saints and sages, of heroes and heroines. Birds, animals, insects and reptiles, as well as natural scenes like mountains and landscapes delight the mind and soothe it. Vulgar dances, scenes of violence, love and sex on TV, and reading magazines that deal with violence, love and sex, pollute the mind and body and awaken base feelings in one.
3. Listening to classical music, devotional songs and chants at Satsang and in the temple, soothe the mind, elevate it and fill one with love and devotion to God. Listening to disco music, on the other hand, makes one restless and brings base feelings in the mind. Also strictly avoid drugs, smoking, places of gambling, and evil company where abusive words are used.
4. Girls should avoid using perfumes and other items that go to beautify the physical body. They should dress modestly and not put on such garments as will awaken carnal feelings in males. Artificial decoration of the body in this manner will make one think too much of the body, and when one falls ill, the suffering will be greater because of increased body consciousness. Remember that the physical body is a sacred abode or temple of God and should be kept pure, strong and healthy. In any case, in time to come it will be discarded when the soul departs from it.
