Celibacy - A Hindu Perspective - Swami Tyagananda

Whenever I am invited to present a Hindu view on anything, I often find it convenient to begin by explaining what my own name means. It is an unusual name in the West, difficult to pronounce and unintelligible to most people. ‘Swami’ is the epithet used for Hindu monks and the word means ‘master’. It points to the ideal of being a master of oneself or being in control of oneself.

The second part of my name is my actual name, given to me when I received my final vows of sannyasa, or monastic life. Tyagananda is a combination of two words, tyaga and ananda: tyaga means detachment or letting go; ananda means joy. Taken together, the word means ‘the joy of detachment’. Again, it points to the ideal of letting go of all the non-essentials in order to focus on and hold on to the essentials.

My name thus serves me as a reminder of two ideals : Self-mastery and letting go. Both these are involved in the practice of celibacy as understood in the Hindu way of life.

© "Prabuddha Bharata" (September, 2003) published by Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati Post, Via Lohaghat, Champawat 262 524. Website: www.advaitaonline.com. Reprinted with permission.

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