Category:Becoming a Brahmacari
Theme Analysis
The Vedic system of varṇāśrama-dharma is scientifically designed to elevate human consciousness from animalistic propensities to pure spiritual realization. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the very foundation of this system is the student phase, known as becoming a brahmacārī. The essence of this stage is complete celibacy and the strict avoidance of material sense amusement. Because the basic principle of material entanglement is sex desire, training a boy to control this urge through tapasyā (austerity) is essential for him to grasp the meaning of spiritual life.
The training of a brahmacārī traditionally begins at the age of five. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes the importance of the gurukula, the school of the spiritual master, where young boys are sent to be purified. In this environment, regardless of whether a boy is the son of a wealthy king or a humble brāhmaṇa, he must act as a menial and obedient servant. This intense discipline destroys false ego and builds the character required for spiritual advancement. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that mothers also have a profound duty to train their sons in these austerities from an early age.
Becoming a brahmacārī is the mandatory first step in the progression of the four spiritual orders (āśramas). According to the Vedic standard, a man should spend his first twenty-five years as a celibate student. Following this, he may marry and become a gṛhastha, eventually retiring as a vānaprastha, and finally accepting sannyāsa. Without this preliminary training, the entire social structure becomes chaotic.
Śrīla Prabhupāda heavily critiques modern civilization for neglecting this science. While modern society builds thousands of colleges to train engineers and lawyers, it completely ignores the need to train youths in sense control. To counteract this, Śrīla Prabhupāda established gurukulas within the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, offering a practical way for modern people to control their lusty desires through devotion to Kṛṣṇa, since lifelong celibacy (naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī) is exceedingly difficult in the degraded Age of Kali.
- The Purpose of Celibacy: Becoming a brahmacārī means embracing complete celibacy and tapasyā to cut down material sense enjoyment and awaken spiritual understanding.
- Early Training in the Gurukula: Children must be trained from the age of five to live under the strict discipline of a spiritual master, acting as humble, menial servants.
- The Foundation of Varnasrama: The brahmacārī āśrama is the compulsory first stage of human life, preparing an individual for the subsequent stages of gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa.
- The Antidote to Modern Chaos: Śrīla Prabhupāda established educational institutions to teach the principles of self-control, offering Kṛṣṇa consciousness as the practical method to achieve the goals of a brahmacārī in the modern age.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Becoming a Brahmacārī - The Foundation of Spiritual Life.
Pages in category "Becoming a Brahmacari"
The following 36 pages are in this category, out of 36 total.
A
- A boy is trained to become brahmacari. Brahmacari. Brahmacari means complete celibacy. No sex life, no amusement. Because just to train him not to be attracted by this material sense enjoyment. Then he'll be able to grasp what is spiritual life
- As there are schools & colleges to train students to become chemical engineers, lawyers or specialists in many other departments of knowledge, there must be schools and colleges to train students to become brahmacaris, grhasthas, vanaprasthas & sannyasis
E
F
- First of all, they used to become brahmacari, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming grhastha. Celibacy, brahmacari, then grhastha
- For brahmana, the four asramas are compulsory. He must become a brahmacari. Then from brahmacari he becomes grhastha. Then from grhastha he must become vanaprastha. Then he must become a sannyasi
- For instance, the hatha-yoga process would say: You have to become a strict brahmacari and sit in the forest with your body at a right angle to the ground, pressing your nose with your finger for six months
I
- If you have desire to enjoy, then don't become a sannyasi, brahmacari. You become a married man, live peacefully with wife and children. That is allowed
- In the beginning, one becomes a brahmacari, a student who studies Vedic knowledge under the authoritative guidance of a spiritual master. He then becomes a householder and executes household duties according to the Vedic process
- In the system of varnasrama-dharma, which is the beginning of actual human life, small boys after five years of age are sent to become brahmacari at the guru's asrama
- In the varnasrama system, one first becomes a brahmacari, then a grhastha, a vanaprastha and finally a sannyasi. Going to the forest means accepting vanaprastha life, which is between grhastha life and sannyasa
- In Vedic civilization a man is taught from the beginning of his life to become a brahmacari, then an ideal grhastha, then vanaprastha, then sannyasi, and the wife is taught just to follow the husband strictly in all conditions of life
T
- Tapasa brahmacaryena (SB 6.1.13). Tapasa, to become brahmacari, to become . . . abstaining from sex life, it requires tapasya
- The first cultural education is how to teach the small children to become purified, brahmacari. In ancient times it was done by association in gurukulas. That is required, gurukula. We are starting, therefore, gurukulas
- The great sage Maitreya said: The four great Kumara sages headed by Sanaka, as well as Narada, Rbhu, Hamsa, Aruni and Yati, all sons of Brahma, did not live at home, but became urdhva-reta, or naisthika-brahmacaris, unadulterated celibates
- They have got different dresses. So Kali-yuga, simply by dress, he becomes a brahmacari, he become a grhastha, he becomes a sannyasi, simply by dress. What he is acting, nobody cares, that's all
- This (schools and colleges to train students to become brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas, sudras, brahmacaris, grhasthas, vanaprasthas and sannyasis) will provide the preliminary condition for good citizenship - varnasrama-gunan-vitah
- To become a brahmacari means to make advance in spiritual life. And the social order is there, the brahmanas, ksatriyas. So it is called varnasrama-dharma
- To become fixed, become sannyasi, the other three processes are there: to become brahmacari, to become grhastha, to become vanaprastha, stage by stage. But if one is able, he can take sannyasa
W
- We have opened our gurukula asrama in Dallas. We are teaching from the very beginning of life small children how to become brahmacari. That is required
- When a boy becomes brahmacari, even if he is the son of very rich man, he should live with the spiritual master as a menial servant. These are the injunction
- When a child goes to a guru-kula, he becomes a brahmacari and works like a menial servant. He may be the son of a great brahmana or a great king; it doesn't matter
- When he (Purusottama Bhattacarya) became a brahmacari, he was given the name Sri Damodara Svarupa. He left Benares shortly thereafter, without taking sannyasa, and he came to Nilacala, Jagannatha Puri, where Lord Caitanya was staying
- When one is serious about advancement of spiritual consciousness, he must live under the control of the guru to learn how to become brahmacari. This is the main purpose
Y
- You have to become a strict brahmacari and sit in the forest with your body at a right angle to the ground, pressing your nose with your finger for six months - Who could follow such an instruction
- You may be sannyasi or may be grhastha or may be brahmacari or a brahmana, a ksatriya, or vaisya, sudra. Never mind. Try to satisfy Krsna. Try to please Krsna. Then your life is successful. Otherwise, you are pramatta, mad