Q: What does Brahmacharya mean?
In earlier days, the education system was Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa. Now, Brahmacharya means what? Brahmacharya in today’s context means celibacy or not getting married. That’s not the real meaning of Brahmacharya.
A boy at the age of 8 is sent to Gurukul. And he studies till the age of 16 or so, in Gurukul. In that Gurukul, what does he study? He studies Brahmacharya. Charya means behaviour. Brahmacharya means to behave like Brahman. What is Brahman? Brahman is the Supreme Reality. Brahman is Consciousness. Unattached and not getting attracted or repulsed by anything, living with the bliss of the Self is called Brahmacharya.
Brahmacharya is taught. This is the characteristic of Brahman and this is what you are. That is taught there. That is called Gurukul. Now, in that Gurukul, he starts learning about Brahman and he learns about Self. He is already realized by that time, by the age of 16. Because of past samskara, because of something, he is realized. Then, Brahmacharya becomes, not a practice. He becomes Brahman himself. Then he lives like a Brahman. That is called Brahmacharya.
Brahmacharya also means ‘brahmani charita manasa’. This means constantly thinks of Brahman and tries to become like Brahman or Brahmacharya. The way Brahman behaves, you also behave. Not by illusion, but reality. You start living your life as Brahman. Such a person is called Brahmana. One who is a knower of Brahman.
Now, these people who have passed out of Gurukul are of two categories. One is an already realized person and the other one is not a realized person. But still, the knowledge is there already. The knowledge of Brahman, what is the spiritual practice required, everything is there. Then, both of them have a choice to take Grihasthashram, get married, contribute something productive to society, earn something, which is required for life. Or, if the person is already realized, Brahman becomes Brahmana. He has an option to take sannyasa, without taking Grihastha. He can straight away go to sannyasa. Actually, sannyasa is taken by the people who are already realized. It is not that immature people don’t take up sannyasa. The person who is already realized as Brahman, or at least as, deepest understanding of Brahman, will take up sannyasa, after Gurukul.
Sannyasa is taken in knowledge. Sannyasa is taken in realization. Not in ignorance. So, now, the gruhastha who is not realized starts practising dharma and purifies himself. He is not realized because some of the vasanas are still pending. Those vasanas get dissolved as he lives his life in a dharmic way.
Then, gradually, he moves into vanaprastha. He can move into vanaprastha with the realization of Brahman or in the vanaprastha, he can start contemplating on the spiritual truth. Because, while in grihastha ashrama, he may be too busy. So, he may start contemplating on spiritual truth and realize. Then, he becomes a sanyasi. This is the process.
So, now, people think that all this spirituality is after retirement. It is not so. The person who has to learn the spiritual truths should be at a young age. Because, their mind will be fresh and free from all biases, free from all concepts. So, that mind can learn spiritual truth very quickly and very sharply. They may not realize it. But, as they start living their life, as they start finding difficulties, and they overcome the difficulties, they start realizing the spiritual truths.
Whereas the person who has become old, carries a lot of baggage, a lot of experience in life. Unlearning becomes more difficult. So, I would say that the good age for spirituality is as early as possible. Realization may happen in the mid of life or later part of life. But learning has to happen early.
Pranams
Prabhuji
References:
Self-Knowledge Talks_T32_Meaning of Brahmacharya_03August2016
https://youtu.be/VeNYECx89nE