Category:A Brahmacari Should
Theme Analysis
The foundation of Vedic spiritual education begins in the student phase of life, which is characterized by absolute celibacy and strict discipline. In his clear instructions, Śrīla Prabhupāda outlines that this period is not merely for academic study, but for rigorously training the senses to submit completely to the orders of the spiritual master. By living exclusively for the benefit of the guru without any personal material desires, the student develops the firm spiritual character necessary for lifelong advancement.
- Absolute Submission to the Guru: The student must live in the āśrama with a submissive attitude, performing menial service and strictly carrying out the orders of the spiritual master without independent action.
- The Strict Vow of Celibacy: A core principle of this phase is complete abstinence from sexual life, which includes avoiding the association of women and men addicted to women, even in subtle forms.
- Mastery over the Senses: True education means training the mind and senses from childhood to resist material enjoyment, embracing austerity and simple living to prevent future entanglement.
- Living for the Benefit of the Guru: The student collects alms and accepts food only upon the explicit order of the spiritual master, ensuring that everything is engaged for the guru's mission rather than personal gratification.
- Focus on Spiritual Emancipation: By saving time and energy from material pursuits, the student strictly focuses on executing devotional service to achieve liberation within this very lifetime.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Essential Principles A Brahmacārī Should Strictly Follow.
Pages in category "A Brahmacari Should"
The following 44 pages are in this category, out of 44 total.
A
- A brahmacari is supposed to assist a sannyasi; therefore a brahmacari should not try to instruct a sannyasi. That is the etiquette. Consequently Damodara should not have advised Caitanya Mahaprabhu of His duty
- A brahmacari or sannyasi is prohibited to associate with women, especially in a secret place. The sastras enjoin that one should not even talk to a woman in a secret place, even if she happens to be one's own daughter, sister or mother
- A brahmacari should accept prasada upon the order of the spiritual master, and if the spiritual master sometimes forgets to order the disciple to eat, the disciple should not take prasada on his own initiative; rather, he should fast
- A brahmacari should be quite well behaved and gentle and should not eat or collect more than necessary. He must always be active and expert, fully believing in the instructions of the spiritual master and the sastra
- A brahmacari should be very careful in associating with men who are attached to women
- A brahmacari should be very careful not to mix with women or with men addicted to women
- A brahmacari should be very expert in executing responsibilities, he should be faithful, and he should control his senses and try to avoid the association of women as far as possible
- A brahmacari should dress like that. And that is very economical. Our dress is saffron dress. It does not become dirty very quickly
- A brahmacari should live in the asrama of guru, danta, self-controlled, and only for the benefit of guru, not for anyone's benefit
- A brahmacari should live in the gurukula for the following purposes. The first is that he should be trained up how to control the senses. So that, if you teach any child from the childhood, he'll be trained up
- A brahmacari should not eat anything except prasadam, that also when he is called by the spiritual master, - You can come and eat
- A brahmacari should not have any complaint of bodily disease
- A brahmacari, or student, should perform sacrifices, a householder should give charity, and a person in the retired life or in the renounced order should practice penances and austerities
- A Brahmachary should not see any kind of naked picture. That is violation of Brahmachary law
- A cheater brahmacari should immediately be rejected as unimportant. Such persons should be shown compassion, and if one has sufficient strength one should teach them to stop them from following the wrong path in life
- A grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasi and brahmacari should be very careful when associating with women. One is forbidden to sit down in a solitary place even with one's mother, sister or daughter
- A student should practice completely controlling his senses. He should be submissive and should have an attitude of firm friendship for the spiritual master. With a great vow, the brahmacari should live at the guru-kula, only for the benefit of the guru
- Actually, a brahmacari should contribute whatever he has got to Krishna, through the Spiritual Master. The Spiritual Master does not accept anything for his personal use, but he employs everything for Krishna's service
- After completing one's education as a brahmacari in this way, one should give daksina, an offering of gratitude, to one's guru
B
- Brahmacari guru-kule vasan danto guror hitau (SB 7.12.1). A brahmacari should live at gurukula, very submissively. Danto means submissive, and only for the benefit of guru. No personal benefit. In this way brahmacari should take lesson from the guru
- Brahmacari should go to the house of the teacher or spiritual master at the age of five years old, and he should remain there for twenty years to understand the value of life
- Brahmacari should offer yajna, grhastha should give in charity, and sannyasi, vanaprastha, should undergo tapasya. Yajna-dana-tapah-karma. We should not give up this, these things
- Brahmacarya essentially means the vow not to marry but to observe strict celibacy (brhad-vrata). A brahmacari or sannyasi should avoid talking with women or reading literature concerning talks between man and woman
D
- Daksa sraddadhanah: faithful. Faithful to whom? To the spiritual master. Whatever he says, the brahmacari should take it: "Yes, it is my life and soul." That is the explanation given by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
- During the time of brahmacarya, or student life, a brahmacari should be taught to be expert in bhagavata-dharma, devotional service
I
- I do not mean to impose upon you such strictures (should rather fast than taking food out of his own accord), but the purport is that a brahmacari should not do anything without being directed by the Spiritual Master
- If the wife of the spiritual master is young, a young brahmacari should not allow her to care for his hair, massage his body with oil, or bathe him with affection like a mother
- If the wife of the teacher is a young woman, a young brahmacari should not allow such a mother to touch him. This is strictly prohibited
- In this (Hari-bhakti-vilasa) book the rules and regulation of the Vaisnavas are described - how grhastha should live, how brahmacari should live, how vanaprastha should live, how sannyasi should live
- It is said in Srimad-Bhagavatam that a brahmacari should beg and collect things and then deliver them to his Spiritual Master, and when the Spiritual Master will ask him to come and take prasadam he will do so
T
- The brahmacari should go neighboring householders' place to take something from him. This collection is not for his personal sense gratification. This collection is made from these persons to offer to the Deity
- The brahmacari should go out morning and evening to collect alms, and he should offer all that he collects to the spiritual master. He should eat only if ordered to take food by the spiritual master
- The brahmacari should go out of the asrama for begging alms - Mother, we are coming from such and such temple or asrama. Give us some alms
- The brahmacari should live under the care of the true spiritual master, giving him sincere respect and obeisances, acting as his menial servant, and always carrying out his order
- The brahmacari should rise early in the morning and worship guru, agni, fire, surya, and in the morning there should be class, and on the order of the guru, they should assemble and begin reading Vedic literature, chandamsi
- The first teaching is brahmacari should rise early in the morning. That is the general education. It doesn't require that you have to learn some book immediately. No
- The Lord was specifically instructing how a brahmacari should behave under the care of a spiritual master. A spiritual master is not an enjoyer of facilities offered by his disciples. He is like a parent
- These are the principles to be followed, that a brahmacari should always remain dedicated to the guru. Whatever collection he makes, he should offer to the spiritual master
Y
- Your determination to remain as brahmacari is very encouraging. Actually, a living entity does not require to be entangled more and more. Rather he should save his time to finish the Krishna Consciousness business, and thus be liberated in this life
- Your question is how much or how little brahmacaris should associate with the unmarried brahmacarinis in the temple. As brahmacari you should not mix at all with brahmacarinis. Actually they should not at all see the face, but that is not possible