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कामवासना से परेशान? || आचार्य प्रशांत, वेदांत महोत्सव ऋषिकेश में (2022)
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3 years ago
Sexual Desire
Mind
Violence
Choice
Relationship
Celibacy
Body-consciousness
Description

Acharya Prashant responds to a question about managing sexual desire in the least violent way. He begins by stating that if the compulsion to engage in the 'game of the body' is so strong, then one should at least do it with a person who will contaminate the mind the least. If one must have a physical relationship, it should be with someone who least dirties the mind, although this is a difficult path. The speaker refutes the idea that sex is a necessity like hunger, questioning if one dies from not having sex, unlike from starvation. He explains that it is a matter of choice. If one chooses to have sex, they must find someone who will not ruin their life, dirty their mind, or cling to their mind. The real precaution is not just physical; it is about being aware of whom one is getting involved with. The act is not a brief, one-hour affair; it can contaminate a person to such an extent that their 'sheet becomes dirty,' a metaphor for losing one's purity and being unable to face one's true self. Therefore, one must act in a way that the mind is not sullied. Acharya Prashant advises that when considering a partner, one must look beyond physical attraction. One has to deal with the entire personality of the other person—their thoughts, arguments, and emotions—for the rest of the time. He calls this a tricky matter where even great people have been destroyed, as it involves a collision with one's fundamental instincts. He mentions that this is why there has been a strong emphasis on celibacy (Brahmacharya) in India, as internal progress is not possible for someone who has made a person of the opposite sex the center of their life. Acknowledging the powerful urges that come with age, the speaker concludes that some damage is inevitable. The only practical advice is to minimize this damage. He states that it is certain that when two people are connected primarily through the body, they reinforce each other's body-consciousness and drag each other into hell. Therefore, the goal should be to minimize the harm.