Best 90 quotes in «celibacy quotes» category

It is often said, inside the Church and out of it, that there is something grotesque about lectures on the sexual life when delivered by those who have shunned it. Given the way that the Church forbids women to preach, this point is usually made about men. But given how much this Church allows the fanatical Mother Teresa to preach, it might be added that the call to go forth and multiply, and to take no thought for the morrow, sounds grotesque when uttered by an elderly virgin whose chief claim to reverence is that she ministers to the inevitable losers in this very lottery.

it may be worth while to note again how often finely developed skulls are discovered in the graveyards of old monasteries, and how likely seems Galtons conjecture, that progress was arrested in the Middle Ages, because the celibacy of the clergy brought about the extinction of the best strains of blood.

It's cooler to be strong.

I've been following the noble profession of hermiting here for nigh on fifty-seven years, practising piety, sobriety, celibacy and the pursuit of true wisdom in the tradition of my father and grandfather and great-grandfather before me.

Living in low-income neighborhoods, I've seen sexual health campaigns aimed at slut-shaming us into celibacy. They talk about things like self-esteem and value and all the usual abstinence arguments. They assume that our bodies are a gift that we should bestow selectively on others, rather than the one thing that can never be anything but our own. Even if we do share it, it is ours irrevocably. These are the bodies that hold the brains we're supposed to shut off all day at work, the same bodies that aren't important enough to heal. These are the bodies that come with the genitalia that we should be so protective of? I really don't understand the logic. You can't tell us that our brains and labor and emotions are worth next to nothing and then expect us to get all full of intrinsic worth when it comes to our genitals. Either we're cheap or we're not. Make up your fucking mind.

Masturbation is not the happiest form of sexuality, but the most advisable for him who wants to be alone and think. I detect the aroma of this pleasant vice in most philosophers, and a happily married logicians is almost a contradiction in terms. So many sages have regarded Woman as temptress because fornication often leads to marriage, which usually leads to children, which always leads to a respectable job and pretending to believe the idiocies your neighbors believe. The hypocrisy of the sages has been to conceal their timid onanism and call it celibacy.

Listening to Beethoven also is sensuality, but when you have said 'sex' you have said all. A man who can give up sex can give up Beethoven.

Meeting a woman is not harmful, but it is harmful for the eyes to be attracted to her. So do pratikraman (do apology) at that time and resolve this case.

Merit Karma (punya) has made one wander in the worldly life. Merit Karma brings together sensual pleasures (of 5 senses), from which arises deceit. Temptation to indulge in pleasure is the reason that gives rise to deceit. And deceit gives rise to the worldly life. Deceit and revengeful enmity is the reason this worldly life remains in existence.

One cannot do without a husband. As much need does one have to relieve herself, that much need one has for a husband. One can bear her husband going out of town for couple of days, but one cannot bear not going to relieve herself. One would look for whatever the need is. One will even search for a kitchen. How meaningless beliefs one has had in such a world?

One is God himself, [but] for how long does that authority of God last? As long as he speaks the truth, practices non-violence, does not steal, practices celibacy and remains non-acquisitive – till then power of God will remain.

One, who feels like dying only while asking for sex, can conquer this world.

Opinions about sexuality, is the main evidence of the presence of wrong knowledge about sexuality.

Sex has been domesticated, stripped of the promised mystery, added to the category of the merely expected. It's just what is done, mundane as hockey. It's celibacy these days that would raise eyebrows.

One begins to be free of the disease (of the sex), from the moment he or she opposes sex.

One who does not allow discord [with the wife] to happen even for a minute is considered a [true] husband. Look after this relationship in the same way that you would not allow the relationship with a friend to spoil. If you do not look after your relationship with your friend, then the friendship will break.

Relation with another man or a woman, other than one’s own husband or a wife, is a direct cause for a life in hell.

Self is nirvishayi (without any sense pleasure); penance-renouncing are vishayas (sense pleasure). No vishaya has the Self (Soul) in it; Self is only in the Self.

Sex swims in marriage, while sex sinks in sin of being single.

Sex is of [karmic] 'discharge nature’, [but] the tendencies in it, create great responsibility (grave danger), they create interference. There is no need for tendencies in sex, at all. Naturalness (sahajik) means no interference.

Sexuality is not the poison; fearlessness in sexuality is the poison. Therefore be afraid of sexuality.

Sheel (the highest state of conduct in worldly interaction) is where not even an iota of a wrong intent arises within.

The Pope would have an easier job than the President of the United States in adopting a change of course. He has no Congress alongside him as a legislative body nor a Supreme Court as a judiciary. He is absolute head of government, legislator and supreme judge in the church. If he wanted to, he could authorize contraception over night, permit the marriage of priests, make possible the ordination of women and allow eucharistic fellowship with this Protestant churches. What would a Pope do who acted in the spirit of Obama?

Sex is an illusion of an illusion.

Sex is an open dependency.

The one whose every kind of beggary is gone is given all the rules in his hands. But beggary does not go away, does it? How many kinds of beggary must there be? Beggary for the pride, for the wealth, for the fame, for the sex, for the disciples, for building temples, there is nothing but beggary. How can we be liberated from all our pains (and problems) there?

This worldly life is very difficult. Mother-in-law comes, mother of the mother-in-law comes, sister of mother-in-law comes, aunt of mother-in-law comes. How many mother-in-laws come? One husband and how many mother-in-laws will come with him? Hey, crazy one, why do you have to be here? Just for one husband, you have to be haunted by all these ‘ghosts’?!

There are three kinds of ‘alcohols’ [intoxications]. 1. (Intoxication due to) sexual desires. 2. Drinking alcohol, 3. The alcohol of egoistical intoxication; the one that claims ‘I am…I am…

There is nothing in this world that will bind you. Only where one enjoys the women other than his own wife, that will bind one.

There is sheel (the highest state of conduct in worldly interaction) when not a single living being is ever hurt even to the slightest extent through the mind, through the ego, through the antahkaran (the mind-intellect-chit-ego complex). Sheel arises for the one who maintains such an intent.

The Soul is indeed such that the mahavrats (five great vows of truth, non-possessiveness, non-violence, non-stealing, and celibacy as expounded by Lord Mahavir) prevail, but these mahavrats should prevail in conduct externally, only then the Soul is considered as complete. It is known as a mahavrat when not a single worldly intent arises at all. It is a very elevated state!

The sense pleasure of the sex (vishaya) is like nature of the mud. If you can remember only the Self, then it is not a vishaya. Otherwise, everything that you remember, are all vishayas.

Vishay (sensual pleasure) is just vishay alone. However when indulging in sensual pleasure, if one has ignorance of the Self, then kashay (anger-pride-deceit-greed) arises, and if One has Knowledge of the Self, then kashay will not arise.

Until that day at the dress department Lucie had been many things to me: a child, a source of comfort, a balm, an escape from myself; she was literally everything for me – but a woman. Our love in the physical sense of the word had proceeded no further than the kissing stage. And even the way she kissed was childish (I'd fallen in love with those kisses, long but chaste, with dry closed lips counting each other's fine striations as they touched in emotion).In short, until then I had felt tenderness for Lucie, but no sensual desire; I'd grown so accustomed to its absence that I wasn't even conscious of it; my relationship with Lucie seemed so beautiful that I could never have dreamed anything was missing. Everything fit so harmoniously together: Lucie, her monastically gray clothes, and my monastically chaste relation with her.

To see as, ‘this is a woman’, is a man’s disease, and to see as, ‘this is a man’, is a woman’s disease. There is moksha (liberation) for the one who becomes free of such a disease.

Venom didn't answer until they'd crossed teh street, his body moving with liquid grace. Holly couldn't help it; she watched him. There was something deadly about Venom. Not just power, but him. She wondered if he'd been like this as a human, too, dangerous and beautiful. She blinked, shook her head. Obviously, if she was starting to think Venom beautiful, it was time to break her self-imposed celibacy and go get laid.

What is considered Sheel? It is when one does not respond to anger with anger, does not respond to pride with pride, does not respond with attachment (raag) towards people with attachment. That is considered Sheel (the highest state of conduct in worldly interaction).

What is called a vishaya (involvement in worldly subjects and sense pleasures)? It is that in which the mind, speech and body become one with. If one does not become engrossed with mind-speech-body, it is called nirvishaya (without any sense pleasure).

What is attraction in this world? It is open fire; one should stay cautious there. Attraction is indeed the root of moha (illusory attachment).

When one becomes ‘above normal’ or ‘below normal’ in circumstances; it is called a vishaya (involvement in worldly subjects and sense pleasures).

What kinda vows?" Celibacy? I thought, though I didn't say it. Nobody keeps a celibacy vow anyway.

Wherever there is attraction, there is delusionary attachment (moha). Maintain pure awakened awareness of the Soul (shuddha upyoga) where there is attraction. Then that place will not bother you.

Without sheelvan (the highest state of conduct in worldly interactions, free of the intent to hurt, free of sexuality and charaterized by sincerity, morality, straightforwardness, humility, naturalness amongst other attributes), the power of speech that gives results (vachanbud) will not arise.

A celibate, like the fly in the heart of an apple, dwells in a perpetual sweetness, but sits alone, and is confined and dies in singularity.

Asceticism and celibacy can conceal many incapacities.

Celibacy is a great help, inasmuch as it enables one to lead a life of full surrender to God.

When is one considered to have learnt to become a husband? It is when the wife continuously experiences veneration (respect) for him.

As to marriage or celibacy, let a man take which course he will, he will be sure to repent

Celibacy is exhausting.

I consider my greatest accomplishment to be lifelong celibacy.