Talk:Brahmacharya
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[edit] Keeping the links clean
Organized the links and brushed up the descriptions, removed links to sites that should be linked from under celibacy if they are linked to at all. No need for many links to a single site if there's an external page where they are all listed! —Raga 00:35, 26 June 2006 (UTC)
Any particular reason why the following link was removed?
Aside that, there are hardly any references to the scriptural roots of brahmacarya. Putting it back. --Raga (talk) 11:31, 15 February 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Lets have some broader discussion on the meaning of Brahmacharya
The word "Brahmacharya" stems literally from two components
1. "Acarya" composed of 'car' - "to go" and 'a' - "toward". Together this makes the word 'carya', which is often translated as activity, mode of behaviour, a 'virtuous' way of life. Acarya has meant in practice a teacher, spiritual guide, master etc and
2. "Brahma", the word for the absolute, eternal, never-born god-head.
So in a literal sense, the word brahmacharya (Brahma + Acarya) seems to indicate a life lived in conformance with the deeper principles of realisation of Brahma-nature.
The word Brahamacharya is also understood broadly in yoga as "sexual continence," which can be understood contextually (e.g. faith in marriage, celibacy for spiritual aspirants etc), in more extreme terms (complete celibacy full stop) or in more specific terms in relation to preserving and sublimating male sexual energy rather than losing it through ejaculation.
Brahmacharya can also be understood more generically in terms of generally striving for excellence in all domains of activity and relationship, of pursuing 'virtue' however defined (like the classical Greek concept of Arete) and in terms of clearing underlying personality conflicts and centering oneself and ones spiritual journey in clear, well conceived and sustainable values.
== Diet and ahimsa == (rewrite) To commit violence, one must cease to covet all material possessions. To terminate egotism and possessiveness, as a part of curbing one's aggressiveness and tendency Brahmacharya is also observed to contain one's sensual desires for food and taste, as well as materialism. Most brahmacharis prescribe to avoiding the consumption of meat, spices and cooked foods, said to cultivate the taste buds and pleasure senses of the mind. As such, besides being a frontrunner for Simple_living and Nonresistance, Mohandas also devoted himself trying to create a (in his vision) perfect diet. The diet, later named the "Gandhi-diet" meant a diet which was environmentally acceptable, based on economical (low-cost) products and healthy (allowing the body to perform at its best capabilities; thus keeping digestion in mind). [1] The diet, on which he worked for 35 years, constantly re-evaluating and improving it, consisted of a litre of goat's milk, 150 gm cereals, 75 gm leafy vegetables, 125 gm other vegetables, 25 gm salad, 40 gm ghee or butter, and 40-50 gm jaggery or sugar. [2] As such, despite being inspired by vegetarianism and environmentology, the diet (containing the [[animal-products of ghee/butter and goat milk) cannot be called truly "environmental" (see Vegan#Animal_products). Certain diets (as the Biosphere 2-diet) do not include these downsides [3]. Today, the Gandhi diet is again becoming more popular [4], and is said to be very healthy and fit perfectly with the food-pyramid. [5]
Include this rewrite in article + add links to the articles: how to become a fruitarian 2/3 (add-ons to the guidebook linked earlierin fruitarian article) See this site
KVDP (talk) 08:31, 20 May 2008 (UTC)
