Celibacy and the Spiritual Life - Jack Patterson

Celibacy in the Theosophical Society

At the end of the nineteenth century and early in the twentieth century it seems that many Theosophists accepted the idea that celibacy was necessary for those attempting to live the spiritual life. It certainly is true that at that time many married couples in the Society were childless, although one cannot be sure of the reasons for this. Today, members seem to adopt a less austere approach to the Spiritual Life. In attempting to evaluate all points of view the writer has taken most of this material from the excellent but short-lived Adyar publication Phoenix Rising in which two well-researched articles were published under the headings In Praise of Worldly Life and In Praise of Brahmacharya.

Brahmacharya – A Hindu Tradition

I should explain that Brahmacharya (which will be dealt with more fully later) is the path of Setting Aside Worldly Pursuits in order to seek knowledge of the One Reality or God. In the Hindu tradition, the Brahmachari is the student who, as a preparation for the responsibilities of the married life to come, leads a celibate life, is moderate in all things and has subdued or overcome his desires. A very high ideal! But the occult tradition teaches that for most true aspirants there comes a point where brahmacharya must be practiced before further progress can be made.

Family Life

But most of us, especially those in the Western world, must proceed by learning from experience – the worldly life in which the family plays an important part. This was acknowledged by the Masters who inspired the theosophical movement towards the end of the nineteenth century. One of them wrote to AP Sinnett:

© "Theosophy in New Zealand (June 2002 issue) published by The Theosophical Society in New Zealand Inc., 18 Belvedere St, Epsom, Auckland 1003, NZ. Website: www.theosophy.org. Reprinted with permission.

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