Withdrawal symptoms

Hello Srikanth,

Hope you are keeping fine. Coming to the answers,

The withdrawal symptoms that you refer to are a 'reaction' put forth by the body and the mind that occur in varying degrees in some people during the initial stages of Brahmacharya. It is in the nature of both the body and the mind to post a reaction further to any notable change in its routine either externally and internally.

An example to demonstrate this point would be the 'fever' which briefly occurs in a person further to inoculation. The very purpose of inoculation is to develop resistance within the body against a particular disease. Now when a person is administered with say an anti-typhoid injection, the body 'reacts' to this foreign matter in the blood stream by producing anti-bodies that result in a brief fever for say a day or two. This 'fever' is the reaction of the body whilst it is fighting the foreign matter and developing anti-bodies that in turn give resistance and build immunity against the particular disease.

Another example of reaction would be the advent of muscular pain when a person first starts an exercise or a sport. If a person were to start the practice of sprinting afresh today, he would find it practically very hard to run the next day due to immense pain in the leg muscles. Now exercise is basically a healthy and life vitalizing activity and sprinting strengthens the muscles of the legs, yet the body gets subjected to leg pain from the very activity that is supposed to strengthen it... why is this?  This is again due to the 'reaction' posted by the body against the sudden and abrupt change in its normal routine. Since the person has not subjected his leg muscles to this kind of a stress and strain earlier, the muscles react to their new found state of stress through pain. Again this is not something serious or worrisome, for continuing the act of sprinting day after day acclimatizes these muscles to 'settle down' and become fit for the new routine and they don't show signs of pain after a few days of regular sprinting activity.

The practice of Brahmacharya is no different. However in this case the reactions occur at multiple planes viz. the physical, mental, karmic planes and these reactions are most often based on years of past activities and tendencies, sometimes even dating back to many past lives in the human and animal forms. So it really isn't surprising to find people taking quite a bit of time to come to terms with the drastic change in thinking and attitude that Brahmacharya requires. Some people find an increase in sexual urge, anger, irritability, depression and mood swings at the start of Brahmacharya while others find themselves having more frequent wet dreams, increased hunger, lack of hunger or thirst etc.. to name a few. These are only indications that the body, mind and psyche is trying to adjust to the new lifestyle and settle into harmony. The magnitude of these reactions varies from person to person and depends on the mental, physical and karmic levels of evolution in the person. A person who was less sexed, less aggressive and more spiritual even before the start of Brahmacharya might show lesser reactions than a person who is the opposite. The honest and gradual increase in the period of Brahmacharya from a few days to a fortnight, then to a month followed by a few months and finally to years of the practice helps the body settle into its new lifestyle without any backlash.

The most important thing to note here is to carry out Brahmacharya in thought, word and deed and never to merely physically abstain with the mind rife with sexual thoughts. The energy conserved needs a proper channel to manifest and this channel is to be presented in the form of regular physical exercise, mental/intellectual work and most importantly spiritual activity in the form of God-meditation. Also necessary is staying clear of people, circumstances, sights, sounds and talks that are contrary to the tenets of Brahmacharya and that may agitate and unsettle the mental calmness and harmony the aspirant is working towards. This automatically makes a person more cheerful and at peace with himself and his surroundings making it easier to settle into the newfound mode of lifestyle and helps cope more efficiently with withdrawal symptoms.

The right attitude to one's occupation and work is to view it as a part of one's Dharma (duty) and engage in it cheerfully, light heartedly, honestly and with a positive perspective without bothering about the fruits. Immaterial of whether we want it or don't, destiny and our past karma offers us a particular path to be tread for overall evolution. It is through this path alone that the person evolves and grows and this path ultimately serves as the medium for one's progress in the journey called life.

One's attitude to work should be - " I will give my best at the work God has provided me with to sustain myself and silently watch as a witness without bothering about the fruits of my actions, all the time being immersed and engrossed in God thought and contemplation. I will not be attached to the fruits that my work may or may not bring but will wholeheartedly engage in work with sincerity. Let God handle the fruits of my work, I will accept what comes to me as forwarded by him, for he is the most impartial and loving well wisher that has existed and will ever exist".

Such an attitude helps one take the routine of life with a light hearted perspective and will prevent states of anger, excitement, boredom or depression, gradually transferring one into the realm of bliss. When do these negative traits bother us? They can bother and torment us only when we are dependent on a particular action and its result as the source of our happiness and well being. If we were to instead transfer God contemplation and God thought as our mainstream activity and main source of happiness, what we would do or not do in the mundane plane of life or at the workplace would have no effect on our mental state and well being. This is what the Bhagavad-Gita professes and preaches. The root cause of man's sorrow is his dependence on objects other than God as a source of his well being. If he were to gradually give up this dependence and increase his dependence on God thought as his chief activity through meditation, his pains and sorrows would soon find no place to rest and vacate.

Wishing you all the best for a life of Brahmacharya,