Chastity

Many people mistake chastity for abstention or sexual repression, both of which are abnormal and lead to grave problems (to be celibate is possible if one knows how to transform the sexual energy). True, scientific chastity does not require abstention from sex. Chastity means "virtuous, pure from unlawful sexual intercourse." In fact, to be chaste is to be sexually active in a healthy way. Chastity is the flower of healthy sexuality.

Augustine: Chastity

By What Judgment of God the Enemy Was Permitted to Indulge His Lust on the Bodies of Continent Christians. Let not your life, then, be a burden to you, ye faithful servants of Christ, though your chastity was made the sport of your enemies. You have a grand and true consolation, if you maintain a good conscience, and know that you did not consent to the sins of those who were permitted to commit sinful outrage upon you. And if you should ask why this permission was granted, indeed it is a deep providence of the Creator and Governor of the world; and “unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out.” Nevertheless, faithfully interrogate your own souls, whether ye have not been unduly puffed up by your integrity, and continence, and

Augustine: Marriage and Concupiscence

BOOK I, CHAP. 3 --CONJUGAL CHASTITY THE GIFT OF GOD. That chastity in the married state is God’s gift, is shown by the most blessed Paul, when, speaking on this very subject, he says: "But I would that all men were even as I myself: but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that." Observe, he tells us that this gift is from God; and although he classes it below that continence in which he would have all men to be like himself, he still describes it as a gift of God. Whence we understand that, when these precepts are given to us in order that we should do them, nothing else is stated than that there ought to be within us our own will also for receiving and having them. When, therefore, these are shown to be gifts of God, it i...

Chastity

Chastity: "virtuous, pure from unlawful sexual intercourse," from O.Fr. chaste "morally pure," from L. castus "pure, chaste." Although modern usage has rendered this term virtually meaningless to most people, it's original meaning and usage clearly indicate "moral purity" upon the basis of "sexual purity." Contemporary usage implies "repression" or "abstinence," which have nothing to do with real chastity. True chastity is a rejection of impure sexuality. True chastity is pure sexuality, or the activity of sex in harmony with our true nature, as explained in the secret doctrine. Properly used, the word chastity refers to sexual fidelity or honor. The generative energy, which, when we are loose, dissipates and makes us unclean, when we are continent invigorates and inspires us. Chastity is the flowering of man; and what are called Genius, Heroism, Holiness, and the...

Also labeled: Introductory

Cyprian: Chastity

[...] I exhort you always, as you are aware, to many things, and to the precepts of the Lord's admonition-for what else can be desirable or more important to me, than that in all things you should stand perfect in the Lord?-yet I admonish you, that you should before all things maintain the barriers of chastity, as also you do: knowing that you are the temple of the Lord, the members of Christ, the habitation of the Holy Spirit, elected to hope, consecrated to faith, destined to salvation, sons of God, brethren of Christ, associates of the Holy Spirit, owing nothing any longer to the flesh, as born again of water, that the chastity, over and above the will, which we should always desire to be ours, may be afforded to us also, on account of the redemption, that that which has been consecrated by Christ might not be corrupted. For if the apostle declares the Church to be the spouse of Christ, I...

Dionysus

...this god is a prophet; the Bacchic ecstasy and frenzy hold a strong prophetic element. When he fills irresistibly a human body he gives those so possessed power to foretell the future. [...] Dionysus will not compel women to be chaste, since in all matters self-control resides in our own natures. You should consider this; for in the Bacchic ritual, as elsewhere, a woman will be safe from corruption if her mind is chaste. - Teiresias speaking to Pentheus in "The Bacchae" by Euripedes

Also labeled: Sexual energy

Freemasons: Chastity

How austere the discipline was may be seen from a summary of its rules: Confessing faith in God, an Apprentice vowed to honor the Church, the State, and the Master under whom he served, agreeing not to absent himself from the service of the order, by day or night, save with the license of the Master. He must be honest, truthful, upright, faithful in keeping the secrets of the craft, or the confidence of the Master, or of any Free-mason, when communicated to him as such. Above all he must be chaste, never committing adultery or fornication, and he must not marry, or contract himself to any woman, during his apprenticeship. - Quoted from "The Builders" by Joseph Fort Newton [1914].

Mahabharata: Restrain the Vital Energy

Bhishma said, 'I shall now tell thee what the means are (for conquering the senses) as seen with the eye of the scriptures. A person, O king, will attain to the highest end by the help of such knowledge and by framing his conduct accordingly. Amongst all living creatures man is said to be the foremost. Among men, those that are regenerate have been called the foremost; and amongst the regenerate, they that are conversant with the Vedas [scriptures]. These last are regarded as the souls of all living creatures. Indeed, those Brahmanas that are conversant with the Vedas are...

Also labeled: Introductory, Sex Yoga

Quran: Fornication and Chastity

Fornication "And those who invoke not any other God along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide there in disgrace. Except those who repent and believe and do righteous deeds." (Quran: Al-Furqan 25:68) "And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a transgression of Allah’s limits, and an evil way." (Quran: Al-Israa 17:32) "The adulterer marries not but an adulteress or a Mushrikah (polytheist woman) and the adulteress none marries her except an adulterer or a Mushrik (

Also labeled: Fornication

Shakespeare: Love and Lust

The path is smooth that leadeth on to danger:I hate not love, but your device in love,That lends embracements unto every stranger.You do it for increase: O strange excuse,When reason is the bawd to lust's abuse!'Call it not love, for Love to heaven is fled,Since sweating Lust on earth usurp'd his name;Under whose simple semblance he hath fedUpon fresh beauty, blotting it with blame;Which the hot tyrant stains and soon bereaves,As caterpillars do the tender leaves.'Love comforteth like sunshine after rain,But Lust's effect is tempest after sun;Love's gentle spring doth always fresh remain,Lust's winter comes ere summer half be done;Love surfeits not, Lust like a glutton dies;Love is all truth, Lust full of forged lies.'More I could tell, but more I dare not say;The text is old, the orator too green.Therefore, in sadness, now I will away;My face is full of shame, my...

Also labeled: Love

Shakespeare: Sonnet 129

The expense of spirit in a waste of shame Is lust in action; and till action, lust Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame, Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust, Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight, Past reason hunted, and no sooner had Past reason hated, as a swallow'd bait On purpose laid to make the taker mad; Mad in pursuit and in possession so; Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme; A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe; Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream. All this the world well knows; yet none knows well To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.

Also labeled: Fornication

Templar Knights: Chastity

XX. . . . . . . To all the professed knights, both in winter and summer, we give, if they can be procured, white garments, that those who have cast behind them a dark life may know that they are to commend themselves to their Creator by a pure and white life. For what is whiteness but perfect chastity, and chastity is the security of the soul and the health of the body. And unless every knight shall continue chaste, he shall not come to perpetual rest, nor see God, as the apostle Paul witnesseth: Follow after peace with all men, and chastity, without which no man shall see God. . . . . . . Quoted from The History of the Knights Templar by Charles G. Addison [1842].

Thoreau: Generative Energy

We are conscious of an animal in us, which awakens in proportion as our higher nature slumbers. It is reptile and sensual, and perhaps cannot be wholly expelled; like the worms which, even in life and health, occupy our bodies. Possibly we may withdraw from it, but never change its nature. I fear that it may enjoy a certain health of its own; that we may be well, yet not pure. The other day I picked up the lower jaw of a hog, with white and sound teeth and tusks, which suggested that there was an animal health and vigor distinct from the spiritual. This creature succeeded by other means than temperance and purity. "That in which men differ from brute beasts," says Mencius, "is a thing very inconsiderable; the common herd lose it very soon; superior men preserve it carefully." Who knows what sort of life would result if we had attained to purity? If I knew so wise a man as could teach me purity I would go to seek him forthwith. "A command over our passions, and over the external senses of the body, and...

Vivekananda: Chastity and Ojas

All energy has to be taken up from its seat in the Muladhara [energy center related to the sexual organs] and brought to the Sahasrara [at the top of the head]. The Yogis claim that of all the energies that are in the human body the highest is what they call "Ojas". Now this Ojas is stored up in the brain, and the more Ojas is in a man's head, the more powerful he is, the more intellectual, the more spiritually strong. One man may speak beautiful language and beautiful thoughts, but they, do not impress people; another man speaks neither beautiful language nor beautiful thoughts, yet his words charm. Every movement of his is powerful. That is the power of Ojas. Now in every man there is more or less of this Ojas stored up. All the forces that are working in the body in their highest become Ojas. You must remember that it is only a question of transformation. The same force which is working outside as electricity or magnetism will become changed into inner force; the same forces that are working...

What about celibacy or continence?

It is an ancient and vital stage of spiritual development to observe celibacy or sexual abstenance. However, it is only a stage of the path to complete development. Just as a single person cannot create a child, they also cannot create the soul. They can purify their mind and heart, but cannot be "born again." Because the highest teachings of spirituality related to sexual cooperation were always kept in utmost secrecy in order to preserve their integrity, it is now a common misconception to believe that the complete renunciation of sex is the path to spiritual liberation. In reality, the sexual act can only be totally renounced after one has formed the "soul," also called "the Solar Bodies" or the three kayas. These are symbolized by the chariot of Ezekiel or Arjuna, and by the Merkabah of the Kabbalah. Two important aspects of Christianity are the Second...

Also labeled: Celibacy