Brahma is the Hindu deity credited with the creation of the physically manifested Universe. Acharya is a highly skilled teacher, an adept of a given principle and knowledge base. Brining the two together – Brahmacharya – presents the subtle link between attaining mastery of the creative principle.
You might have come across the Yoga concept of Brahmacharya in different guises around the world. Within some of the main world religions the idea of celibacy has been widely applied to some groups, I.e. monks and nuns in Christianity; Catholic priest and Sufi orders, the Hindu sadhus – “holy men” - all practice celibacy as a declaration of their dedication and devotion to a “higher purpose”. The West’s relationship with celibacy and sexual promiscuity is, let’s say, complicated. But let me stop myself here, before I stray too far away. The notion of celibacy has been associated with Brahmacharya in popular culture, but that association is not entirely adequate. It’s like saying that Shakespeare’s greatest contribution to British literary history were his sonnets. It’s the sort of thing that’s half-true/half-false. When we simply think of Brahmacharya in terms of celibacy we are missing a far bigger picture.
The reason why a link was put in place between sex and spiritual experiences in the first place is quite simple. There is no other more immediate and powerful conduit of our own energy than the act of sexual congress. Please note I bring no judgement to my writing; I am simply stating the reality of energy transmission. Giving ourselves to others, without so much as a thought of how much we share, can sometimes result in giving away our own power. But this is not limited to sexual relations. In any dealing with others, if we too freely give our energy, attention, time and power, we are simply left without enough of those for ourselves. I can recall a very intense friendship, several years ago, which often left me drained and devoid of creative impulses and inspiration. And don’t limit yourselves to thinking of creativity only as the pursuit of artists. Creativity is in each of us and is the purest expression of our intimate relationship with the Universal/Cosmic/Source energy in us all. We need to express this part of us in order to feel at peace, in order to feel connected and content. All sorts of issues arise when we no longer have the energy or motivation to channel the creative principle which resides in us all. So, you see, even if you were celibate but were still recklessly spending and spreading your energy, that doesn’t make you “holy” it makes you incomplete.
In actuality it’s quite easy to stay connected to the creative principle, but it takes persistency and perseverance. You simply need to keep creating – be it gardening, re-arranging your home, cooking and baking, painting, writing. Writing is a massive creative outlet for me; and even though it sometimes feels like I am talking into the proverbial “void”, I keep doing it. Writing gives me a clear sense of myself, and that’s a small blessing, each day. In the long run, becoming a master of our own creativity requires discipline. You will need to observe, if you feel your creativity slipping away, where it’s slipping through. Is it an intimate relationship, friendship, working or home environment? Don’t be afraid to make the changes necessary for you to regain control of your own creative self. That is one of the big gifts we can give to ourselves, in the long run.