While traditionally this age is a prescription for study, discipline and strict celibacy, brahmacharya in a broader context, and well beyond youth, means self-control or self-restraint in our dealings with the many distractions of our daily lives, be they physical, emotional or mental. ❋ Esq. Suhag A. Shukla (2011)
This very long list of positive qualities that support dharma, and, in turn, a spiritual life and spiritual evolution, have been efficiently boiled down by Hindu seekers far wiser than I, to three foundational values: truth (satya), non-hurting (ahimsa), and self-control or self-restraint (brahmacharya). ❋ Esq. Suhag A. Shukla (2011)
And by "trivial", I mean, like, say, how many calories I ate that day (easy, because I never give into the "baser" urges, such as the urge to overindulge in food, given my yoga-dictated practice of "brahmacharya", loosely translated from Sanskrit as "self-restraint" and often associated with the restraint of sexual urges). ❋ Unknown (2008)
The yama that follows in the true path of yoga is brahmacharya. ❋ Unknown (2008)
Moreover, in asserting that the bhikshu sangha can confer brahmacharya ordination and even leave their summer retreat to do so, the texts do not state that the bhikshu sangha alone can confer full bhikshuni ordination. ❋ Unknown (2007)
Whether or not the ordaining bhikshus incur a minor infraction, after the new bhikshunis have kept their vows purely for ten years, they can participate in a dual sangha and also confer shikshamana and brahmacharya ordinations. ❋ Unknown (2007)
According to Vinaya sources, if the first bhikshuni ordination is conferred like this, even when not preceded by preliminary shikshamana and brahmacharya ordinations, the bhikshuni ordination is still valid. ❋ Unknown (2007)
Geshe Rinchen Ngudrup, however, cited other Vinaya sources that allow bhikshus, under certain circumstances, to confer brahmacharya ordination and without incurring a minor infraction. ❋ Unknown (2007)
In the bhikshuni ordination procedure, is it essential that the brahmacharya vow be given before the candidate becomes a bhikshuni? ❋ Unknown (2007)
Although the Vinaya texts state that the brahmacharya ordination is to be given by a bhikshuni sangha, other passages state that a bhikshu may give full ordination to a shikshamana if requested and that a bhikshu may give brahmacharya ordination. ❋ Unknown (2007)
Since brahmacharya ordination must be followed in the same day by bhikshuni ordination, the further implication is that bhikshuni ordination by a single bhikshu sangha is also allowed. ❋ Unknown (2007)
From that, he inferred that if such a bhikshu sangha then proceeded to confer bhikshuni ordination, which must follow on the same day as the brahmacharya one, doing so would also not bring upon the bhikshus a minor infraction. ❋ Unknown (2007)
The usual course of human spiritual development, however, passes through four life stages: leading the celibate life of a student (Skt. brahmacharya), becoming a married householder (Skt. grhastha) and raising a family, retiring to the forests (Skt. vanaprastha) and living as a hermit, renouncing everything (Skt. sannyasa) and, while still living alone in the forests, ❋ Unknown (2007)
After all, the brahmacharya vow is not an actual vow; it is the part of the ordination ceremony in which the bhikshuni sangha questions the candidate regarding the major and minor obstacles to receiving ordination. ❋ Unknown (2007)
The implication is that if a bhikshuni sangha is not available, bhikshus may give brahmacharya ordination as a single sangha. ❋ Unknown (2007)
The Mulasarvastivada bhikshuni ordination requires first brahmacharya ordination by twelve bhikshunis, and then, on the same day, full ordination by a dual sangha of ten bhikshus and twelve bhikshunis. ❋ Unknown (2006)
Also, it makes no textual sense that there were bhikshunis before Mahaprajapti who gave her the brahmacharya ordination first. ❋ Unknown (2006)
First, the brahmacharya bhikshuni requests the full bhikshuni ordination before the dual sangha assembly, announcing her name and the name of her bhikshuni preceptor. ❋ Unknown (2006)
