Celibacy

In traditional Indian culture, celibacy
was widely seen not only as a sign of
sanctity but also as a source of power.
On one hand, since sexual desire is often
the symbol for all types of desire, renunciation of sexual activity is thus a sign for
the renunciation of the world in general.
On a more literal level, retention of
semen through celibacy is believed to
prevent the loss of a man’s vital energy.
In traditional Indian physiology, semen
is believed to be distilled from blood
and is therefore the concentrated
essence of a man’s vitality. Although
semen can and must be expended for
procreation, all other losses should be
carefully weighed. Thus there are strong
taboos on masturbation. This vital energy,
stored and conserved through celibacy,
can then be used for spiritual advancement. The paradigm for the celibate
ascetic is the god Shiva, one of whose
symbols is the linga, a pillar-shaped
image with clear phallic associations.
Shiva is the model husband and the
consummate ascetic. The linga represents his stored celibate energy, as the
product of his tapas (ascetic practices).
In the same way, celibacy is a way for
human men to conserve their vital energies, whether one is a lifetime celibate
(naisthika), a student (brahmacharin),
or—as in many cases—a married man
who has already had children.