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

Here is an excerpt from the Dalai Lama in The Power Of Compassion (personal translation from the French edition)

CELIBACY
Question. Is celibacy necessary to reach enlightenment?

Answer. I do not think so. Therefore one might ask why the Buddha ended up wearing the monastic garment. From the point of view of the Viniya Sutra, the main goal of celibacy is the reduction of desire or attachment.
The Tantrayana, especially the higher form of Tantrayana believes that the flow of energy - the energy drops or state of bliss generated by their particular fusion - helps to dissolve the grosser levels of the mind and of related energies to achieve Bliss, or the most subtle of experiences. The drops of life, or more precisely the fusion of these in the energy channels, provoke the State of Bliss: they are the key.

When one is interested in the iconography of the deities and their consorts, we see many very explicit sex symbols that can give a false impression. In fact, the sexual organ is used, but the energetic movement it generates is ultimately controlled completely. One must never let out the energy, that is to say the seed. It is controlled and redistributed to other parts of the body. In order to practice Tantrism correctly, one should cultivate the ability to use Bliss and the experiences that lead to it; these arise from the flow of regenerative fluids within the energy channels of the individual. It is essential to protect oneself from emission, which would be a mistake in that moment. This is not the ordinary sexual act. This is where is found the connection with celibacy.

The practice of Kalachakra Tantra particular insists on this absence of emission of the energy, considered essential. These writings also refer to three kinds of experiences of bliss: the first is induced by the flow of energy, the second by the immutable experience and the third by the mutable experience. Buddha, by taking the vow of celibacy, did not give all the explanations of this commitment. To understanding its meaning requires perfect knowledge of the Tantrayana, which can answer your question. Hence my answer a little “ambiguous,” no, celibacy is not really necessary to achieve enlightenment, but yes it is still a bit.

WOMEN AND CELIBACY
Question. Your Holiness, the answer you just gave concerned the male perspective. Why do we never mention the feminine aspect in these practices? How should a woman use her energy to achieve enlightenment through Bliss?

Answer. The principle and technique are the same. If I believe some of my Indian friends, practitioners of the hindu Tantrayana also use the practice of Kundalini and Chandralini. The woman has the same kind of energy, life drops and seed; so the method is the same.

[psychoslice]

Repression of any kind is destructive to the body, to the mind, to the soul. Energies have to be transformed, not repressed. Energies are your potential wealth, raw; you have to polish them, then they can become great diamonds. These same energies, sexual energies, can become your spiritual liberation. Repressed you will be in a bondage.

Real awareness always leads you beyond sex, and celibacy happens on its own accord. Because to be in sex you have either to be identified with the male or identified with the female. A real celibate is one who has gone beyond, who is neither.

Repression can never bring freedom. Repression makes you a slave. Repress anything, and that will become your master. Osho

[Riboflavin]

Repressed you will be in a bondage.

Real awareness always leads you beyond sex, and celibacy happens on its own accord. Because to be in sex you have either to be identified with the male or identified with the female. A real celibate is one who has gone beyond, who is neither.

If something exists that bends you to it's will and forces you to do something how is that anything but slavery? If you HAVE to do it, then your a slave to it. If you don't have to do it then your free.

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by Riboflavin

If something exists that bends you to it's will and forces you to do something how is that anything but slavery? If you HAVE to do it, then your a slave to it. If you don't have to do it then your free.

But this is what the statement means, read it again.

Real awareness always leads you beyond sex, and celibacy happens on its own accord. Because to be in sex you have either to be identified with the male or identified with the female. A real celibate is one who has gone beyond, who is neither.

[Riboflavin]

Originally Posted by psychoslice

But this is what the statement means, read it again.

Real awareness always leads you beyond sex, and celibacy happens on its own accord. Because to be in sex you have either to be identified with the male or identified with the female. A real celibate is one who has gone beyond, who is neither.

Yeah ok your right. I have no idea how to verify this though. As long as I have male members I don't think ill ever see myself as being other than male. Also I've never heard of anyone becoming celibate just because they thought differently about themselves.

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by Riboflavin

Yeah ok your right. I have no idea how to verify this though. As long as I have male members I don't think ill ever see myself as being other than male. Also I've never heard of anyone becoming celibate just because they thought differently about themselves.

Yes your are a male as the mind body organism, but your true inner Being is neither male or female, its pure Essence, pure Consciousness. The real celibate is not giving up sex, its realizing that you are more than sex, or the pleasure of sex, its simply not been controlled by it, but being the master of it.

[running]

I think the ideas of being male or female or then both has nothing to do with it. I think that if someone is in so much bliss that sex is no longer fun anymor. They may not then have sex. But if they did so what. It just wouldnt be as enjoyable. But now were talking about everything not mattering on a physical level. Desires would be over run entirely already. So i think the real question is if its possible to be so high nothing matters on a physical level. If so i imagine they would of then left the body because it would no longer serve its function anymore. Who knows?

[psychoslice]

I think its when we realize the truth that we are more than just the body, we then can come back to the body and enjoy all its pleasures, but in an Awaken state, not in the illusion that we are only the body. What we call bliss, is the realization that we are pure Essence, the feeling that we get is secondary to what IS, bliss isn't walking around all day feeling like you have won the lottery lol, its simply a realization of who you truly are, and who you are not.

[running]

Originally Posted by psychoslice

I think its when we realize the truth that we are more than just the body, we then can come back to the body and enjoy all its pleasures, but in an Awaken state, not in the illusion that we are only the body. What we call bliss, is the realization that we are pure Essence, the feeling that we get is secondary to what IS, bliss isn't walking around all day feeling like you have won the lottery lol, its simply a realization of who you truly are, and who you are not.

Thats an interesting concept. Could be! Im leaning towards the pleasure being disolved in intoxication. But who knows? Perhaps one day we all will. Actually i could agree with that idea. I have wondered on both sides of the fence.

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by running

Thats an interesting concept. Could be! Im leaning towards the pleasure being disolved in intoxication. But who knows? Perhaps one day we all will. Actually i could agree with that idea. I have wondered on both sides of the fence.

Just knock the fence down and you will be right lol.