A Question on Celibacy – 03.24.11

Student Question: We often hear here that for thousands of years the celibacy has been undertaken in certain societies. And I’m assuming that that’s referring to the yogic tradition. I’m more familiar with Judaism and Islam, and in cultures built around those traditions—which have lasted for thousands of  years—celibacy has not been practiced, to my knowledge, or if it has then it has been in a very different form. So I get a little confused when I hear that “for thousands of years, this has been done” or “that has been done,” and, at the same time, it’s been practiced for thousands of years in a totally different way. Could you please provide a little clarity on this matter?

Excerpt: “If you study the Jewish tradition, as well as the Islamic tradition, you will find that they actually do encourage celibacy, up to a certain point in one’s life. And one is really not intended to marry until one has gone through the Talmud, for example, and reached a state of having put sexuality in the correct perspective, which is as a way of serving God. It is a mitzvah; it is a commandment. It is not the unbridled urge of the ego. And once one has gained the ego under control, then sexuality operates,” explains Shunyamurti, the founder of the Sat Yoga Institute in Costa Rica. “So if you look at those traditions, they are practicing a near-celibacy, particularly for rabbis or mullahs or people who have chosen a path that is spiritual in nature and they, and they aren’t simply giving lip service to their tradition.” Recorded on the evening of Thursday, March 24, 2011.