Aspirants Guide

Author(s): Atmanandji Maharaj
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Sadhna Kendra Koba

Page 35

ASPIRANT'S GUIDE through learning.
With this spiritual discipline, contentment grows to a great extent so that even a brief contact with his own wife is repented. He confirms his respect regarding complete celibacy again and again through listening to religious discourse, acquaintance with noble people, pilgrimage to holy places (Tirtha-Yatra) and study of philosophy.
The Sadhaka also imbibes inspiration by reading the life and work of great celebate souls like Hanuman, Bhishma, Lord Neminath (Arish tanemi), Lord Parashwanath, Sudershan Sheth etc. In recent times, Mahatma Gandhi and Ramkrishna Paramhansa retained married status and still practiced celibacy to a great extent, thus presenting before us inspiring examples of the Sadhana of celibacy. In this stage, observance of celibacy for twelve to twenty eight days per month or even more is achieved. This leads to great success in steadiness of Sadhana. 3. COMPLETE CELIBACY
From the viewpoint of Ultimate Reality, this is the highest stage of a superme sadhana. Its attainment is possible only to genuinely detached persons endowed with self-realization. The vow of celibacy here, means a complete observance of this great vow by body, speech and mind. The persons who have reached the highest stage, are genuinely merged in Atma (own Soul) as a reward of their supreme Sadhana of knowledge and self-control (Jnana-samyama).
Mostly, such persons prefer to live in a monastery at the feet of a preceptor or in an Ashram or a service organization for the safe and pure observance and maintenance of their vow. This is because here they have the benefit of cor
uaintance with noble sages and religious discourses delivered by them. Mostly, they are full-time Sadhakas.
in the case of some persons who may have a small responsibility as householder, they might pay a casual visit to their houses, but once that worldly responsibility is fulfilled, they should get fully engrossed in the constant pursuit of purity. It is then that their complete celibacy shines out in its true color and brightness.
It need hardly be stressed that when such a Sadhaka has
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SADHAK-SATHI