What is celibacy?

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Question: Tell us, why does Jesus talk of celibacy to his followers?

Acharya Prashant (AP): What is meant by celibacy? When Jesus or any other teacher talks of celibacy, what is meant by celibacy? What is the meaning of celibacy?

Listener (L): To only belong to God.

AP: That is the only meaning of celibacy.

One point commitment; only one lover — that is celibacy.

To be committed only to God.

To be determined in one’s loyalty towards the Truth.

For celibacy, India has a beautiful word — Brahmacharya, to operate in Brahma, to operate in Truth; to live in Truth. Do whatever you want to do; go here, go there, wander, roam, eat-drink, rise-fall, left-right, do whatever you want to do, but within Truth — that is Brahmacharya — celibacy.

Celibacy has nothing to do with one’s physical activities,

or sexual orientation.

L: We can understand also that when you are in a couple, you are also very busy with body-mind. It’s not so easy to open yourself to God when you are so busy with the body-mind.