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Do all sperms have soul?

 http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2012/01/do-all-sperms-have-soul/

To hear the answer, please click here
Answer Summary:

Yes.

See Srila Prabhupada conversation below:

Madhudvisha: Shrila Prabhupada, is there a jiva, is there a spirit soul in every sperm cell, or does that...? Does the spirit soul only come to a particular sperm cell, or is there one in every sperm cell, and the condition isn't right, so then it dies before, I mean, it leaves before it actually forms a body?
Prabhupada: Yes. The sperm, generally in every sperm there is spirit soul. But sometimes we put checks. The contraceptive method means putting check. Just like you pollute the milk. Then it loses his strength. So similarly, there are other circumstances which checks the sperm to inject soul.

Science - all sperms have the potential to form the embryo by uniting with the egg. Which sperm actually reaches the egg depends on which sperm has the soul with the consciousness that is compatible with the consciousness of the uniting couple.
Any activity that involves wastage of sperms - like masturbation or contraception - is considered wrong.



Masturbation

From Brahmacarya in Kåñëa Consciousness -
Bhakti Vikäs Swami (New-2003)

In our endeavor to become Kåñëa conscious, mäyä is always trying to knock us back. Even for a sincere devotee who has made considerable progress, mäyä doesn’t hesitate to use her lowest and grossest weapon: sex. Sometimes devotees—even responsible devotees who have no intentions of physically engaging in illicit sex—become weak. On lying down, they submit to the mad mind, and even against their own will (Bg. 3.36) indulge in mental fantasies and masturbation.

This is a difficult problem, especially if it becomes a habit. If this contemplation is not stopped at an early stage, then it will likely go from thinking, to feeling, to willingly engaging in sex. Such a person usually ends up getting married, or worse, falls into illicit sex and becomes a debaucher. A devotee with this habit will always feel guilty, and may literally go crazy.

Guilty feelings sometimes impel a devotee to hide this problem from those who care about his devotional advancement. However, to rectify this faulty mentality requires confidential counseling from one’s guru, local authority, or any other trusted devotee.

Admitting to this takes courage and can understandably be embarrassing. But if a devotee suffering from this malady is at all to overcome it, he must seek advice from a senior devotee who he can completely trust. Particularly, the spiritual master is the topmost well-wisher of the disciple, so no anarthas should be kept secret from him if the disciple really wants to weed them out for good.

However, even with the best of help, it may not be easy to overcome this painful predicament. The only real solution is to surrender to Kåñëa. “This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But one who has surrendered to Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Bg. 7.14) We have to take shelter of Madana-mohana (See lengthy quote from Prabhupäda lecture in “Overcoming Sex Desire”).

Take heart though, for “Impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary.” (Conversation, 27/06/75) With sincere endeavor and the help of others this degrading habit can be broken.

A practical tip to Kåñëa-ize the mind at night is to read the Kåñëa book with devotees before retiring, and thus go to sleep thinking of Kåñëa’s pastimes. Some devotees go to sleep listening to a cassette of Prabhupäda’s transcendental voice purifying their mind.

In the following letter, Çréla Prabhupäda seems to be addressing this problem: “You are finding some difficulty with sex desire and have asked guidance from me to instruct you how to handle this problem of the material body. First of all I think you should know that such problems are not very unnatural because in the body the conditioned soul is very prone to failure. But also we must remember that such failure will not discourage us from executing the most important mission of our life, to become fully Kåñëa conscious. So whatever fall down has been, you should be regretful about it, but it is not so serious nor is it a permanent disqualification. But you must try to check yourself from such artificial things and take full shelter of the lotus feet of Kåñëa. I think that for such checking, marriage is the only solution. It is understood that everyone has some nasty habits, but by sticking to Kåñëa consciousness, chanting our required rounds loudly, and tending the Deities, these items will surely save you. So always be seriously engaged in serving Kåñëa and pray to Kåñëa to help you with your frailties. But I think that marriage is the solution with no other alternative. If you are married you can continue to practice all the items of worship and with more peace of mind, so such solution, along with redoubled efforts to serve nicely and be very pleasing to Kåñëa, these things will help you. It is my open advice for everyone that one who is disturbed by sex must take the responsibility of married life.” (Letter, 09/12/68)


Masturbation according to Ayurveda
http://www.gautamnarang.com/index.php/tag/masturbation-according-to-ayurveda/

Our Innate ability to understand things with a pure intention are being replaced by the advertisers in many ways most of them are unkown to us. These pre mixed decisions sometimes have a bias towards result in more ways than one.

To make it more clear lets understand the case of doctors suggesting that Masturbation is harmless. Every Man or Woman who has excercised their right to celebrate temperory and momentary pleasure by masturbating is bound by guilt at first. This is the first fence that is created around us in subtle terms. Slowly the habit becomes another fence, making the loneliness of the soul from the mind more profound. Then comes signals from the body of weaknesses like failing immunity and weaknesses.

The conflict between what one actually feels after masturbation and what one is suppossed to feel as per the doctors view creates another fence between the mind and the soul making the mind-body appartus unable to see the same view, thus creating a conflict between the soul-mind-body.

Dr. Edward Bach the founder of Bach Flower Remedies , thought of Disease as a contradiction between the purpose of the soul and the personalitys point of view. Such  inner conflicts are designed to make us weak and loose precious vitality.

Ayurveda Explains the formation of Semen, a product formed after undergoing purification 6 times as follows.
The seven bodily tissues are called Dahtus which are responsible for the functioning of systems and organs and provide firmness to the body and their work on the development and nourishment of the body and starts with the digested food that we eat..

First tissue to form from food eaten  is Rasa or Plasma meaning sap or juice. Its function is prinana or nourishment, they include lymph and blood plasma , breast milk and menstural blood are accesory tissues also formed from food. The waste product is mucous.

The purification of Rasa brings Rakta ( Blood ) to formation. Its function is invigoration. The main tissue is red blood cells and secondary tissues are blood vessels and tendons. The waste product is bile or pitta. If Rasa is not well digested, blood is not sufficiently produced the waste product is over produced, though pitta has a hot and intense influence it cannot perform the functions of blood.

The Purified Rakta ( Blood ) now takes the form of skeletal muscle (Mansa ) the accessories are ligaments and skin, the waste product at this stage is snot, navel lint and ear wax. Healthy blood nourishes the flesh and makes the skin glow.

Another purification of this highly purified Mansa takes place and Meda ( Fat ) is formed . Its function is to provide warmth and lubrication to the body and the waste product is sweat which controls the bodies tempreture.

The fifth purification of the original food ingested now makes Ashti ( Bones ). The accesory tissues are teeth and the waste at this stage is body hair, facial hair and nails. The bones give the body support or dharana.
The finer essence of Ashti is bone marrow or Majja . It is what is inside our brains and spinal cord. These red and yellow semi solid is the tissue formed to fill in the bones and contains stem cells thought to be now as multipotent. This protein is a major source for strength in an individual.

The waste is lachrymal secretions.which are saline fluids used in lubrication of eyeballs and tears.

Finally the food after getting purified 6 times now condenses to Sexual Fluids or ( Shukra ). Accessory product is the ojas the fluid that controls immunity and the aura. There is no  waste generation at this point. Shukra means clear or pure in sanskrit.

Excerpt end........



Sex in Ayurveda

February 15, 2011

http://www.naturalhealthcure.org/ayurveda/sex-in-ayurveda.html

Ayurveda stresses maintaining the health and vitality of the reproductive system. This is not simply to allow for a better sex life. It is also to afford greater vitality for the body as a whole and for the nervous system specifically. Sexual energy can become cre­ative energy and facilitate mental or spiritual work. Many yogis use herbs for the reproductive system for this general energizing effect. Such herbs enhance Ojas, our underlying vital essence; they do not irritate the sexual nerves or promote unwanted sexual activity.

Most diseases involve some wrong use of sexual energy because sexual energy is the primary energy of both body and mind. Most psychological disorders are based upon an inability to form right relationships and are largely sexual in origin. Therefore, the right use of sexual energy is a key to physical and mental health.

Our highly sexually oriented culture is suspicious of any weakening of the sexual drive. Lack of interest in sex, however, is not always a sign of disease. It can be a sign of the development of higher consciousness, with the awakening of detachment. It may be a sign of good health. Toxins in the system irritate the nerves, creating a sexual drive not easy to satisfy. In a body free of toxins the sexual drive is mild and easy to satisfy.

It is natural for interest in sex to decline with age. Constant preoccupation with sex is not necessary; nor is it the highest human good. This does not mean there is anything wrong about sex; it has its place in nature. Guilt and shame about sex causes more problems than it solves.

On the other hand, increased sex drive is not necessarily a sign of poor health or lack of spiritual development the awakening of the subtle energies of the mind, stimulating the lower chakras, can increase both the sexual drive and mental creativity.

This, however, can cause health disorders if not managed properly; or if not transmuted it can be difficult to deal with.

Moreover, abstinence from sex can be a causative factor in disease. If the energy is merely repressed, vitality can stagnate and weaken. For this reason, sexual abstinence usually requires some use of asana, pranayama and meditation to turn it into a positive force. Sex is a creative force that must be used, and that if turned inwardly can transform our consciousness.

Excessive sexual activity causes Vata and Pitta disorders because it depletes the essence of water from the body. It weakens the immune system and makes us susceptible to infectious diseases. Toxins transmitted through sexual secretions can circum­vent our defenses and directly lodge in our deepest tissues. Sex without love depletes the vitality and deranges the emotions, causing many human problems.

According to Ayurveda, masturbation can cause diseases because it does not provide the emotional and energy exchange to maintain balance in the system. Disrupting balance, it aggravates Vata. Overstimulating the imagination, it can make us vulnerable to negative psychic or astral forces. Ayurveda also sees homosexual activity as more likely to cause disease than heterosexual activity. It does not create a natural balancing of the system because the two physical and emotional bodies are of the same polarity.

Vata constitutions have the greatest interest in sex but the lowest vitality for it. They are most easily fatigued by sex. They are also more likely to have different or deviant sexual patterns. Kapha types have the best sexual vitality with continuous but moderate interest. For them the family life as a whole is important and sexual activity is seldom exhausting. Pitta falls between with the drama and passion of sex the main things for them.

Vatas need partners who are calming and nourishing to them and help ground them. Love makes them flower and feel secure. Generally Vata people need a Kapha influence in the people around them to keep them in balance. Pittas require partners whom they can work together with to achieve a common cause. They benefit from some Kapha around them to cool them down and counter their anger Kaphas need partners who help stimulate them and get them going. For this they need Pitta or Vata energy to balance their heaviness and inertia. However, relationship as a whole is a way of increasing Kapha which is love, caring and attachment.

Seasonally, sexual activity is best in the winter and spring when Kapha predominates. At this time reproductive secretions are higher. Sexual activity is more depleting in the summer and foil, in Pitta and Vata seasons, when reproductive secretions are low. It is better done at night than during the day when the body’s energies are internalized Sexual energy is also higher when the moon is waxing than when it is waning. Sex is not advisable during a woman’s menstrual period, in which Apana Vayu is active and pushes the life-force downward.

Sexual Abstinence (Brahmacharya Chikitsa)

Abstinence from sex is an important therapy for treating many diseases. It is helpful whenever there is debility, emaciation or underweight, or in convalescence. It is a major part of tonification therapy. Abstinence is valuable in treating mental and nervous system disorders because the extra sexual fluid can lubricate and nourish the nerve tissue.

Abstinence from sex naturally occurs in acute disease conditions like fevers. Disease lowers our interest in sex and causes us to preserve our vitality. Increased sexual activity, on the other hand, is used to treat Kapha diseases such as obesity and has its therapeutic value as well. However, one must discriminate between abstinence as a temporary treatment measure and forced abstinence that can lead to emotional unhappiness. As a therapeutic measure it is only necessary for the term of treatment.

Sexual activity easily increases rajas and tamas, disturbance and dullness in the mind, and reduces sattva, the mental clarity. Therefore, the system of Yoga emphasizes ‘brahmacharya’, control of one’s creative energy through transmutation of the sexual force, as one of the main factors for spiritual development. Such a long-term abstinence is not necessary for ordinary health. It is a special practice for those who want to transcend the ordinary human condition.



Related Articles of Interest:

http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/ayurveda-health-wellbeing/261811-masturbation.html

http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=JlTm_7v9Y1UC&pg=PA240&lpg=PA240&dq=ayurveda+masturbation&source=bl&ots=I3u5Pc1-uq&sig=0VZpX46djlrcwxjyGwuUrSAVoNw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=h4IFT5WyLa-wiQfAr7SeAQ&ved=0CGMQ6AEwCTge#v=onepage&q=ayurveda%20masturbation&f=false