Swami Vivekananda on Chastity (Brahmacharya):

• Chastity in thought, word and deed always and in all conditions is what is called Brahmacharya. Unchaste imagination is as bad as unchaste action. The Brahmacharin must be pure in thought, word and deed.

• Do you see, simply by the observance of strict continence all learning can be mastered in a very short time – one has an unfailing memory of what one hears or knows but once. It is owing to this want of continence that everything is on the brink of ruin in our country.

• Our goal of life is moksha; how can that be ever attained without Brahmacharya or absolute continence? Hence it is imposed upon our boys and youth as an indispensable condition during their studentship.

• Complete continence gives great intellectual and spiritual power. The Brahmacharin must be sexually pure in thought, word and deed. Unchaste imagination is as bad as unchaste action.

• Power comes to him who observes unbroken Brahmacharya for a period of twelve (12) years.

• One man may speak beautiful language and beautiful thought, but they do not impress people; another man speaks neither beautiful language nor beautiful thoughts, yet his words charm. Every moment of his is powerful. That is the power of OJAS.

• It is only the chaste man or woman who can make the OJAS rise and store it in the brain; that is why chastity has always been considered the highest virtue. A man feels that if he is unchaste, spirituality goes away; he loses mental vigour and moral stamina.

• That is why in all the religious orders in the world, which have produced spiritual giants, you will always find absolute chastity insisted upon.

• The chaste brain has tremendous energy and gigantic will power. Without chastity there can be no spiritual strength. Continence gives wonderful control over mankind.

• What we want is Western science coupled with Vedanta. Brahmacharya as the guiding motto and also Shraddha and faith in one’s own self.

• Save the spiritual store in your body by observing continence.

• Is there a greater strength than that of Brahmacharya — purity, my boy?

• Brahmacharya should be like a burning fire within the veins!

• Our motherland requires for her well-being some of her children to become such pure-souled Brahmacharins and Brahmacharinis.

• You have now to make the character of Mahavira (Lord Hanuman) your ideal. He was a perfect master of his senses and wonderfully sagacious.

• Obedience to the Guru without questioning and strict observance of Brahmacharya – this is the secret of success.

• His childhood friend: Whatever you may say, I cannot bring myself to believe in these words. Who can come by that oratorical power of expounding philosophy which you have?

Swamiji: You don’t know! That power may come to all. That power comes to him who observes unbroken Brahmacharya for a period of twelve years, with the sole object of realising God I have practiced that kind of Brahmacharya myself, and so a screen has been removed, as it were, from my brain. For that reason, I need not any more think over or prepare myself for any lectures on such a subtle subject as philosophy. Suppose I have to lecture tomorrow; all that I shall speak about will pass tonight before my eyes like so many pictures; and the next day I put into words during my lecture all those things that I saw. So you will understand now that it is not any power which is exclusively my own. Whoever will practice unbroken Brahmacharya for twelve years will surely have it. If you do so, you too will get it. Our Shâstras do not say that only such and such a person will get it and not others!