Brahmacharya(celibacy)

by Muni Sheelgunvijayji

This is continuation from the series on Jain Sadhu. Read first part here, second part here, third part here and fourth part here.

To which the entire world is a slave, something which the entire world needs, something that when controlled makes controlling everything else easier, the control on which is the primary step in purifying the soul to connect with god and the solution to which is not available to anybody in this world, that is ‘Abrahma’ or sexual desire in all forms.

A Jain Sadhu tries not to break this great vow to his fullest. Those who are dependent on Abrahma, they may experience ecstasy but that joy is short-lived but the downsides are many. When the desire is fulfilled, it brings with itself satisfaction and pleasure but when the desire is unfulfilled it leaves the person in a terrible state.

A Jain Sadhu restricts himself from this great sin through mind, words and actions. They do not think of anything related to ‘Abrahma’ in their mind. They don’t speak anything which hints of Abrahma. And, they do not perform this great sin through their actions. A Jain Shravak is allowed to have a spouse but Jain saints dont as much as think of the opposite gender.

If there is any vow that is the toughest and the most important, it is Bhramacharya. If a Sadhu has any problems relating to maintaining this vow, then he ceases to be a Sadhu. He ceases to be called a Sadhu. It would be okay to say that this vow is the treasure of a Jain Sadhu.

To help a Sadhu adhere to his vow, Lord Mahaveer has prescribed 9 rules to them.

1. A Jain Sadhu does not stay in a place where women and animals live. If they stay in a place where there are women, there are chances of violation of the great vow. That is the reason why Lord Mahaveer has instructed Sadhus to stay in a place where there are no women.

2. A Jain Sadhu is not allowed to talk about women.

3. In a place where a woman was sitting, Jain Sadhu cannot sit there before 48 minutes. They don’t even sit on a table on which a woman is sitting.

4. A Jain Sadhu never gazes the body of women. They never look at women with affection. They only look at the pure soul in them. Women are also considered divine souls.

5. A Sadhu does not stay in a place where ill words spoken by women or where the face or others parts of women are visible.

6. Those who become Sadhu after their marriage are not allowed to think or have feelings about their married life or their wife or children. They are not allowed to event think about their past life. Those who become Sadhu without marriage should not get curious about what happens after a marriage. They are not given the liberty to think about the post marriage life as it has chances of affecting the celibacy vow.

7. A Jain Sadhu does not accept those kind of food items that arouse sexual desires nor do they intake intoxicated substances.

8. Their food consumption is limited. When we consume to the fullest, we get out of control and we start searching for desire in worldly things which can lead to breaking the celibacy vow.

9. To restrict other people from being attracted to them, they never wash their face. They only wear white clothes because clothes are also a way of attraction. They never apply any kind of makeup or apply beauty cream to enhance their charm. They just work to beautify and purify their soul and not their body. They don’t even comb their hair.

These 9 rules go along with the lives of Jain Sadhus like milk and water. Note these 9 rules also apply to women becoming Sadhvis(nun) accordingly.

Even if a Jain Sadhu is speaking to a woman, it is done with all restrictions and within limits. Additionally,

a. Women cannot touch a male Jain Sadhu. They have to sit at a distance of a minimum of 2 feet from the Sadhu.

b. Women can never sit alone with a Jain Sadhu. There must be somebody else accompanying the woman.

c. After dusk or sunset, women are not allowed to visit Sadhus. They can only meet Sadhus during day time.

d. Women can meet Sadhus with appropriate dressing which is within limits. They cannot wear inappropriate clothes when meeting a Sadhu.

Many more similar rules are applicable to Sadhus and the people visiting them. Jain Sadhus do not read newspapers, watch television or use mobile phones for this primary reason of vow of celibacy. Celibacy is the soul of a Sadhu’s life without which a Sadhu is considered dead.

We learned about the fourth and the greatest vow of celibacy in brief.

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