retain

 
All of them were unwilling to adopt materialistic activities because they were highly elevated due to their semen's flowing upwards.
In the beginning, Brahma created four great sages named Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanat-kumara. All of them were unwilling to adopt materialistic activities because they were highly elevated due to their semina's flowing upwards.    (More...)
Discharging semen is the cause of death. Therefore, yogīs and transcendentalists who want to live for greater spans of life voluntarily restrain themselves from discharging semen.
It is understood herewith that the faculty to discharge semina is the cause of death. Therefore, yogis and transcendentalists who want to live for greater spans of life voluntarily restrain themselves from discharging semina. The more one can restrain the discharge of semina, the more one can be aloof from the problem of death. There are many yogis living up to 300 or 700 years by this process, and in the Bhagavatam it is clearly stated that discharging semina is the cause of horrible death. The more one is addicted to sexual enjoyment the more susceptible he is to a quick death.    (More...)
Imported quote 13089
An important word in this verse is ūrdhva-retasaḥ, which means brahmacaris who have never discharged semina. Celibacy is so important that even though one does not undergo any austerities, penances or ritualistic ceremonies prescribed in the Vedas, if one simply keeps himself a pure brahmacari, not discharging his semina, the result is that after death he goes to the Satyaloka. Generally, sex life is the cause of all miseries in the material world. In the Vedic civilization sex life is restricted in various ways. Out of the whole population of the social structure, only the grhasthas are allowed restricted sex life. All others refrain from sex. The people of this age especially do not know the value of not discharging semina. As such, they are variously entangled with material qualities and suffer an existence of struggle only. The word ūrdhva-retasaḥ especially indicates the Mayavadi sannyasis, who undergo strict principles of austerity. But in the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that even if one goes up to Brahmaloka, he again comes back. (Abrahma-bhuvanal lokaḥ punar avartino 'rjuna. Bg. 8.16) Therefore, actual mukti or liberation can be attained only by devotional service, because by devotional service one can go above Brahmaloka, or to the spiritual world, wherefrom he never comes back. Mayavadi sannyasis are very proud of becoming liberated, but actual liberation is not possible unless one is in touch with the Supreme Lord in devotional service. It is said, harim vina na srtim taranti: without Krsna's mercy, no one can have liberation.    (More...)
Imported quote 14865
The word ūrdhva-retasaḥ in this verse is very significant. urdhva-retaḥ refers to one who can control sex life and who instead of wasting semina by discharging it, can use this most important substance accumulated in the body to enrich the brain. One who can completely control sex life is able to work wonderfully with his brain, especially in remembering. Thus students who simply hear Vedic instructions once from their teacher could remember them verbatim without needing to read books, which therefore did not exist in former times.    (More...)
Imported quote 15978
There are many such instances in the scripture about the Personality of Godhead's action as the instructor spiritual master from within. He was the instructor spiritual master of Brahma the original living being of the cosmic creation. When Brahma was first created within this universe he was overwhelmed with and as to how he could apply his creative energy to decorate the whole cosmic situation. At first there was only sound and it resounded with the word 'Tapa' or to take trouble for spiritual realisation. One should voluntarily accept all sorts of troubles for spiritual realisation refraining from sense enjoyment. That is called 'Tapa.' The sense enjoyer can never realise God and His science. When Brahma thus initiated by Shri Krishna engaged himself in 'Tapasya' or in the acts of transcendental realisation, he was by the pleasure of Vishnu able to visualize the transcendental world in spiritual sky known as Vaikuntha. Modern science can affirm this statement by its several discoveries like radio electrons, television, automation, transmission of radio messages etc. But the science which was applied in the painstaking of Brahma the original father of mankind was still more subtler than modern science and in time the material scientist may be able also how we can communicate with the Vaikuntha world which is far beyond the material sky. When Brahma was able to enter into the Vaikuntha world, he enquired about the potencies of the Supreme Lord and the enquiry was met by the Personality of Godhead in six consecutive statements. They are as follows and they are exactly the instructions from the Personality of Godhead as the Supreme spiritual master (Bhagwat 2.19.30-35).    (More...)
The thirteenth and fourteenth verses prescribe further instructions for the yogi. He must sit in a certain way to restrain all movement, his eyes must be fixed on the tip of the nose. "Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life." Therefore it is perfectly clear that without seeing Krsna, one is not successful in meditation. Unless one makes Krsna the ultimate goal of life, one is not following the yoga system. Nor is it possible to follow this yoga system with an agitated or roving mind; nor is it possible while engaging in sex life. One has to practice controlling the mind and avoiding all kinds of sense gratification, of which sex is the chief. In the Yajnavalkya rules of celibacy, it is said: "The vow of brahmacari is meant to help one completely abstain from sex indulgence in work, words, and mind-at all times, under all circumstances, and in all places." No one can perform correct yoga practice while participating in sex life, not even in married life. Therefore in the varnasrama institution when a boy is five years old he goes to live with the spiritual master, and there he is taught the material and the spiritual sciences, and he is taught to be a brahmacari, to be strictly controlled. Without such practice one cannot make advancement in any yoga, whether it be dhyana-yoga, jnana-yoga, karma-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. However, as prescribed by the authorities, in the school of bhakti-yoga one can become a householder, or live in married life according to regulation, and that will also allow one to advance. But in jnana-yoga or dhyana-yoga not even that is possible-householder life is never allowed. Complete abstinence without compromise is required. This is because a person who is actually practicing bhakti, while engaged in regulated sex life, dedicates his sex life to Krsna. His household life means that he is raising a family for Krsna, and thus it is superior to the mundane duality of celibate and married. A devotee of the Lord automatically refrains from sense gratificatory life because of superior taste. This means that he is actually drinking at Krsna's reservoir of pleasure.    (More...)
Imported quote 16004
India has always been known as a holy land long before the advent of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who originated the Hare Krsna movement 500 years ago. Lord Ramacandra, who was the incarnation of the Supreme Lord in the role of the perfect king, actually walked on this land millions of years ago when it extended as the kingdom of the whole world. His activities are recounted in the Ramayana, which is accepted by all transcendental authorities as authentic scripture. The most pious and learned devotees of the Lord have resided in India and taught there. The appearance of the incarnation of Lord Buddha was foretold in the First Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Chapter Three, verse 24, written 2,000 years before Buddha's birth: "In the beginning of the Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Anjana, in the province of Gaya, for the purpose of deluding persons envious of the faithful theist." India is therefore the land where the religion of Buddhism sprang forth. For his special mission, Lord Buddha rejected the Vedas, and therefore the authority of the scriptures had to be reaffirmed. This was done by the great spiritual master Sahkaracarya, who drove Buddhism from the land of India by his brilliant explanations based on the Vedic literature. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam Lord Krsna is Himself the source of all the incarnations. The self-same Lord Krsna appeared in His original form, also on Indian soil, 5,000 years ago when He exhibited full-fledged activities as the Personality of Godhead in the provinces of Vrndavana and Mathura. As it is said, God is great. The true vision of His pastimes and His greatness was then displayed to all living entities on this planet, and it is all recorded in the book Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It is even stated in a recent book called the Aquarian Gospel that Lord Jesus Christ declared by the New Testament of the Holy Bible to be the son of God, also spent some time in India and worshiped in Jagannatha Puri. India is naturally pious, and throughout the villages of India the people still remain God conscious. But this present age is an impious age. It can be checked only by dependence on the Lord and His devotees and by following the benediction of this age. The leaders of India have in recent history rejected the transcendental culture of the Vedas, which points out that everything is actually spiritual. This material world is simply temporary and is inherently miserable, due to birth, death, disease and old age. The human form of life is therefore meant for realizing God, even by working at one's occupation; the whole society has to aim at realization of God through its activities. Instead of following this path, called varnasrama-dharma, the Indians, influenced by the attraction of foreign city life, have rejected their original culture and tried to be happy by following the materialistic ways of the great countries of the West such as the United States. The danger in their rejecting this Krsna consciousness while in the human form of life is expressed in the Bhagavad-gita. One may slip down to the lower forms of life in the future births. We are all spiritual by nature, but we have become covered, like a mirror becomes covered by dust. Especially for this age, Lord Caitanya, the incarnation of Krsna who is appearing as a devotee in order to teach, has given a very simple method. Everyone should chant the holy name of God, and everyone can do it in any position of life. He has especially stated that anyone born in India has the responsibility to take up this chanting and spread it, and He has quoted scripture to state that there is no alternative for spiritual realization in this age than chanting the holy name of God. It is therefore concluded that spiritual life is urgently needed, and this method should be taken. It is very easy and is being taught by Krsna Himself, yet it has been rejected in India. By the line of disciplic succession, the Brahma-sampradaya has passed down this information; despite the corruption of the present age, it remains pure and intact. Since the incarnation of Lord Caitanya, the spiritual masters in this line are Rūpa Gosvami, Raghunatha, Jiva, Krsnadasa, Narottama, Visvanatha, Jagannatha, Bhaktivinode, Gaura Kisora, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and now His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Although the teachings are intact, unfortunately the philosophers of the impersonal school have misinterpreted the Vedic philosophy to deny the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They have given all attention to the impersonal aspect and thus have wreaked havoc. This is not a theoretical disagreement on theology, but it concerns all humanity. If there is no understanding that God is the Supreme Person, then people in general are led to believe that there is no God, or they are told that if there is any spiritual existence at all, then this implies that every man is God, and that he can do as he likes, without worshiping the supreme authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the impersonal philosophy of the Absolute Truth there is no ultimate love. There is no reason to stay on the spiritual platform; therefore intoxication and sex life enter and take over, and both the impersonalist teachers and their students glide to the hellish path. There are real spiritual individualities and spiritual activities according to the Bhagavad-gita, but if one does not take to them then one must take to material individuality, which is temporary and leads to lower births. Seeking to become one with the Supreme in nirvana is not a substitute for the permanent positive happiness which the spirit soul is seeking. One has to engage in spiritual life in service of the Supreme Lord under the direction of a spiritual master, or else he must return to the material platform. Thus it is stated that in order to wipe out impersonalism and to present an easy to perform process of devotional service to the people in this age, Lord Caitanya appeared. In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna states, "Just surrender to Me," but Lord Caitanya was even more merciful. His movement is simply joyful. His program is listening to Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, chanting Hare Krsna and feasting on prasadam (spiritual food). The Krsna consciousness movement is not a Hindu or national culture, but it is the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the father of all living entities. The attainment of the eternal, peaceful, happy state of loving service taught by Lord Caitanya can bring the solution to all the problems of life that has not been attained by technology, politics or modern science. Srila Prabhupada, on the order of his spiritual master, and due to the solid teachings of the order of his spiritual master, came to the United States in 1966 to teach this message. Due to Srila Prabhupada's all-attractive transcendental nature as spiritual master and due to the solid teachings of scriptures and the cleansing experience of chanting the mahamantra, and eating prasadam, spiritual foodstuffs, this message quickly gained support. Temples began opening here in the United States in 1966, and now, in 1970, with 50 temples open, when Srila Prabhupada returned to India his reception was overwhelmingly favorable.    (More...)

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/?qg=916