“To make the energies of the Self (Swa-virya) materialize is extraordinary spiritual effort (parakram)!

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan

The events of the World we live in are surrounded by an evolution that is inevitable.  We as a collective on Earth are being met with challenges and consequences that may cloud our vision.  These challenges evoke us to awaken with some degree of consciousness to work through the murkiness of our thoughts until clarity is conquered. 

These challenges range from compulsion to over-indulgence, that can lead to an unhealthy weightiness that depletes our life force.  Brahmacharya invites us to become cognizant and purposeful in our actions, so that we can commit to a life of spiritual pursuit that ultimately leads to full consciousness of one’s true self.  What does this mean? Well, for one, we get to give up our identity as sexual beings and see ourselves beyond our sexuality.  We get to transcend to another level of consciousness where we can practice being in holiness rather than continuing to live in excess and over-indulgences such as sexual pleasures, food, exercise, work and shopping to name a few.  Instead, we get to conserve our energy, applying it to the place that does not deplete us, but is sustaining. It’s keeping in alignment with a sound mind and body, living in spiritual health in a challenging society.

This is Brahmacharya:  brahma being the Sanskrit word for divine, absolute and/or ultimate reality, creator.  It is thought of as the essence of one’s true self.  Charya is defined as to walk toward.  When you put the two together, Brahmacharya is the mastering of one’s code of behavior in all aspects of their life: social, physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional.  The process of this profound and onerous practice leads to enlightenment and attainment of self-realization – living in the cognizance of all that encompasses God, letting go of having to satisfy your fleshy appetite.

People’s behavior when permissive may be left feeling tired and engorged.  Why does one go from one extreme to another?  Why does it seem easier to stick with the familiar than to make changes to achieve healthier results? Practicing Brahmacharya is a lifelong discipline.  One that unifies the delusional self with the ultimate true self.  What a liberating and uplifting attainment!  

Discipline has on many occasions been mistaken as something derogatory, but the beauty of it is how one can attain liberation through their devotion of it. Discipline affords one to make healthier decisions that may amplify the results that they seek.  Are we not curious to know our life purpose, to know who we truly are without the embellishment of material goods, possessions and indulgences that can lead to attachment? 

While all along the delusion of what’s most important in life is to possess things -making one feel that unless they have material goods, they are not accomplished thus making one feel insecure or not good enough.  Do we really need things to know and feel that we exist?  Do we need to walk this planet thinking, “Look at me, I’m somebody.”

When we strip down to the very bareness of surrendering realizing that we are human beings with or without things, what is left for us, but to cultivate and acknowledge who we are.  We learn that we are much more than just the materials we acquire.  We would be cognizant of our beingness and experience the ability to control our daily thoughts and actions. We would possess the embodiment of freedom. What would this look like to you? What would it feel like?  The question then becomes, how badly do we want liberation? 

Indubitably, the spiritual path offers a freedom that we may never come to experience unless we take the necessary steps to let go and surrender.  We can look at it as a ladder and take one step at a time. We learn to live in effort rather than in fear and be a living example of the brahman way which would be a life goal…should we decide to walk that path. 

Are we not curious to know our life purpose, to know who we truly are without the embellishment of material goods, possessions and indulgences that can lead to attachment?