About the True Monasticism

To achieve considerable progress on the spiritual Path, one needs to revise one’s entire lifestyle. That is, it is necessary to enter the state of the true monasticism.

What does this mean?

It is widely believed that monks are those who have passed through the rites of “initiation” in one or another form, began to wear a special “monastic” uniform, and even received new names. They also normally live in monasteries and have taken vows, which are not always reasonable. The last thing concerns food, sex, and the submission of one’s will to the will of a mentor, who sometimes is not very intelligent. They also frequently follow such unhygienic advice as to completely reject to wash one’s body or to wash it once a week, which does not contribute at all to the spiritual progress but only impedes it.

Let me say a few words about sex. I expressed myself on this subject many times in other books [4-5,8-9,29], so now I will only mention the most important points.

Sex, in general, is not “sinful”. It is as natural as to eat or to sleep, although the ethical principles in the sphere of sexual relations should be observed with even more attention. The main one of them is to refuse egocentrism, a quality that often leads to harming another person.

One also should not forget about the existence of sexually transmitted diseases, which one can not only contract by oneself but also infect others with them.

Against the background of harmonious sexual relations, we can very successfully master such a valuable on the spiritual Path quality as emotional tenderness. We can also learn to feel the reactions of a partner to our acts and correct these acts accordingly, as well as learning to care for him or her in a way that exceeds the care for ourselves.

God programmed sexual aspiration for each other in all people who are healthy and mature enough. This is an area of life in which we should learn a lot! So, what is the point to reject such a possibility given to us by God?

That is why it will be correct to remove a dominant focus on sex through the harmony of sexual interactions instead of fighting against sexuality in oneself.

... I remembered the saying of a young woman from one of the TV programs. She said that when you live for a long time without a man, it begins to seem to you that your cat is actually the guy intended for you, who was enchanted and turned into the cat!

Unsatisfied sexuality creates powerful dominant focuses, which can turn into a serious obstacle on the Path to God.

A long absence of sexual intercourse can be even more unfavorable for men at a mature age due to specific physiology of the male body. The fact is that the male sex glands have to be emptied through ejaculations. During the younger years, this may happen thanks to the so-called nocturnal emissions — involuntary ejaculations during night dreams about sexual themes. However, in later decades of life, pollutions no longer happen and thickening products of the activity of glands cause the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (benign enlargement of the prostate). (More information on this topic can be found in relevant literature, including [4]).

Celibacy (a doctrine of the abstinence from sex because of “religious” motives) is, in fact, a rejection of the opportunity to learn emotional love, the opportunity that God offers us. And I believe that it is hardly achievable to learn to love God without mastering such emotions!

The emotions of love that have been developed in the world of Creation are what we should direct then to the Creator. In this case, we will succeed! This is His Plan.

... As for the true monasticism, it is a complete dedication of one’s life to God. This implies to do only that which He is interested in. More details about this can be found in all our books.

• Previous
• Next