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Celibacy: A Scientific Analysis
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possible to observe perfect celibacy physically, vocally or mentally ? Most of the people will answer this question in the negative. But in my opinion, the observance of celibacy is very simple and natural if the nine rules of celibacy, which in Jain terminology, are called nine guptis ( restrictions related to activities of body, speech and mind) of celibacy are rightly and strictly observed. The nine rules of celibacy are as under : 3
1. One should live in a place devoid of woman (man), a beast or a eunuch.
2. A lonely man/woman should not tell religious stories or give sermon to a lonely woman/man. A man should refrain from talks about a woman and a woman should refrain from talks about a man.
3. A woman should not sit by a man on a comon seat. As long as 48 minutes, a man should not sit on a seat left by a woman and as long as three hours a woman should not sit on a seat left by a man.
4. A woman should not look steadily at eyes, face and other organs of man's body nor should a man look steadily at eyes, face and other organs of a woman's body.
5. One should leave the place, where words of amorous plays of a woman and a man from the other side of the wall are heard.
6. One should abstain from recollections of amorous plays indulged in previously.
7. One should abstain from very oily, nutritive and infatuating food. 8. One should not take in excess even the dry, unoiled or arid food.
9. One should not attractively and artistically cut or decorate hairs on the head, hairs on the body, finger-nails or toe-nails. One should refrain from cosmetic treatment and bodily decoration.
Celibacy has a great importance in the Svāminārāyana religion also. Śri Nişkulānandaji of that religion has made a poem on the nine rules of celibacy. This shows the importance of celibacy.
The nine rules of celibacy are perfectly scientific and their scientific analysis can be given as under:
The first rule of celibacy says that a monk or nun should stay in a place,
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