Is celibacy necessary to reach enlightenment? The Dalai Lama says...

[running]

Originally Posted by psychoslice

Lower and higher are only words, all they do is point to what is true and what is false, that is your true SELF and your false self, but they are only separate as long as you believe yourself to be separate, its like the moon that reflects on the water of the lake, the moon in the reflection isn't the moon. The self that you believe yourself to be, that is the mind body organism, isn't truly you. So this is what is meant by lower and higher, in truth there is no lower and higher, there is just what IS, that is Oneness.

Thanks for further explaining your thoughts on it. A lot of that makes some sense to me. I see false and truth more as in a level of acceptance of what is. Not so much about what the activitys are. But I feel there's importance of following good intentions. So I attempt to. And attempt to accept what is. In acceptance I raise my vibration. Sex without acceptance can lower my vibration and it has. Sex in acceptance raises it. Guilt is the real killer not the act of sex I feel. Reason I don't like guilt trips about sex or other things like that. I'm just further explaining my thoughts is all.

[tone0728]

My views are simple. Celibacy helps to clear your mind. Sex drive is probably the biggest distraction to logical thinking there is. Many people refer to it as thinking with the "little head". To make a commitment to remove thoughts of sex frees you from this distraction. Allowing you to have some greater insights, but I also don't believe it is necessary. The necessary thing is the honest seeking for truth, not celibacy.

[CSEe]

Originally Posted by running

Im happy enough and hope to always have plenty of sex. To go so far as being desireless isnt on my agenda. But my feeling is if its possible its something that would happen simply because life expired. I feel we travel in a circle. There are many theorys on the subject. I tend to lean towards inner intoxication over physical action. But the two mergeing is a possibility. All anyone i feel has to go on to come up with theorys is from there personal experience. Or something somebody said. I feel some inner intoxication. So this is my basis on coming up with an idea on the subject. And for me its taken me out of a lot of life. Simply because im content and already feel good. Thus the motive is less.

Perhaps whether how you choose your path , is still in a PROCESS towards self realization and freedom whether you choose to be or not . Buddhism to my current understanding is not by choice but is natural . Everything , everyone , all living or non-living is travelling into emptiness .....so you may choose what you wish to do as all your action will be part of your learning process into your self realization / acceptance / freedom .
Thks
CSEe

I lived several celibate years, and I always felt that I was denying a part of myself. After that I have completely accepted all of my sexual habits and desires. I feel like with that acceptance of that part of myself, the distraction of desire/etc is minimized. Further more, the state of feeling completely one with another person and completely trusting them with the most intimate parts of yourself feels transcendent in itself.

Of course that is just my experience, and I think each individual must do what is best for them.

[the_crow]

No. Celibacy is not essential to attainment of the enlightened state.
I speak from experience on this.

However, celibacy would probably make the process somewhat easier.
I do not speak from experience on this.

[CSEe]

Perhaps if one have intention / desire to acheive anything he will just traveling in longer / more suffering path to understand himself . Buddhism to me is all about discovering / understanding own emotions not to creates more emotion .......to me , enlighternment is perhaps a condition closer to freedom from all emotion , freedom from ownselves NOT a result of a desire or any practices .......thats my current understanding
Thks
CSEe

[the_crow]

Originally Posted by CSEe

Perhaps if one have intention / desire to acheive anything he will just traveling in longer / more suffering path to understand himself . Buddhism to me is all about discovering / understanding own emotions not to creates more emotion .......to me , enlighternment is perhaps a condition closer to freedom from all emotion , freedom from ownselves NOT a result of a desire or any practices .......thats my current understanding
Thks
CSEe

You are right. And curiosity may lead one to enlightenment, not desire.

[Smiler]

Celibacy does it assist in Enlightenment ..Yes it can .

This depends on a number of factors .For example: A low sex drive ..A high Sex drive ..No Sex Drive.
It also Depends on what is viewed as Celibacy..No sexual Intimacy ..full stop!
Or No sexual Intimacy with another. Then It breaks down to whats in ones mind. Are thoughts stimulated from an outside stimuli..are thoughts from conditioning and are basically a recorded pattern of behavior.

Then If one does have a high sex drive ...and is on this path they can meet many of the mind fears Of self .
If one wishes to release that energy as pure energy with no external visualization ..with no pattern thoughts nor fantasy then it takes a lot of discipline ..( choices always come into play)

..One can arrive at the state of "IS" and come back with a new perspective and choose to be sexual again with the added insight ~Thus creating an exchange with an equal that is very powerful in light.
IMO

:)

[Arcturus]

not ejaculating/orgasming can increase energy as the sexuial energy is inverted up the spine and into the body, nstead of down and out of the body. most folk drain all the love juice out of themself and this is harmfull imo. better to skim some cream off the top of the barrel than scrape it's base. so for me celibacy is not about sex but orgasming, sex is fine, orgasming too often is bad, generally speaking.

in advanced tai ghi one rule is twice in summer, once in winter...ejaculating that is, sex, you can have as much as you feel is healthy.

there's a fine line between repression and over stimulation, with most folk coming in at the latter. depleted sexual energy leads to craving sexual activity which will be protected as "free expression". an empty base chakra also fixates on money and survival. experiment i suppose, if abstention helps then you need it, or maybe just abstaining from orgasm and not sexual activity. apparently only those with no spinal blocks cannot ever deplete sexual energy as their spine is tapped directly into universal energy. sexual energy is the motor that drives the universe. you should have it in abundance. but feeling highly sexed more than likely indicates fixation caused by depletion and not sexual energy abundance, which does not ruminate on sexual activity.

[passnthru2]

you simply start where you are....

celibacy isn't required if you are not a monk. what is being referred to not creating more bad Karma thru sexual activity. like lying to, or using someone just for sex without full disclosure of you intentions..

creating a life you wont or cant care for causing suffering for both the mother and child. creating more cycles of poverty and suffering.