M A S T U R B A T I O N
P A R T   2

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The secretion of sperm decreases with aging. It is also influenced by stress, anxiety, tiredness, and too much fasting, frequent ejaculation , either in lovemaking or masturbation. By losing the semen, fear, suspicion, egoism, lack of love, greed, tendency to see other people's flaws, through the absence of a woman's adequate erotic response to lovemaking, or through too much sexual abstinence, the man becomes unable to have intercourse.

CHARAKA SAMHITA

The desire to masturbate may be brought about by several factors. When the energy on his sexual centre is awakened, the young man is usually tempted to explore his sexuality, playing with his LINGAM , but without ejaculating.

Thus, he may get to know the inner mechanisms of his body without losing his semen. This form of exploration of one's own sexuality (meaning without ejaculation) is harmless for the body; moreover, it may help the control over the impulse generating the process of ejaculation.

Self-pleasuring, but always without ejaculating may prove an important help for the young man who wishes to gain perfect control over his sexual energy (keep in mind that sexual continence - a desiderate for all yogis - implies perfect control over the sexual energy).

Moreover, this practice develops the awareness over the relationship between breath, thought and emission of the semen.

All these, if not followed by ejaculation, contribute to the consolidation of one's confidence in his sexual abilities, an important aspect of a healthy, and happy love life.

The careful observation of the stages in excitement preceding ejaculation may indicate the ways to practice the sexual continence further on.

The fundamental key in obtaining the control over ejaculation is breath retention and visualization of the sexual energy circulating through and nourishing his body.

The Oriental teachings are totally against the ejaculation while masturbating. They suggest that the men who live separately from their wives should practice Hatha - Yoga positions, meditation, and respiratory exercises in order to transform the sexual energy into more refined forms of energy, and to sublimate it.

If engaged in the practice of sexual continence, both man and woman should have as their goal the harmonious sublimation of the sexual energy.

If the subtle channels of the body are 'blocked', the energies awakened through lovemaking will remain at the inferior levels, with immediate consequences such as: absent-mindedness, confusion, and lethargy.

Moreover, the Taoist and Tantric teachings say that only the healthy semen should be transmuted and the resulted energy sublimated. A man following a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet (without meat, tobacco, coffee, and alcohol) produces this sperm.

A man full of vitality, whose sexual impulses are healthy and strong, and who does not make love, may reach the point in which the sexual tension is so intense, that he has to pay a great deal of effort in order to sublimate his sexual energy.

However, it is known that it is difficult for a young man to completely sublimate his sexual energy, through the practice of continence.

In ancient times, men would marry at an early age, and they knew the art of lovemaking with sexual continence and transfiguration even from puberty.

The physiological symptoms usually associated with puberty (such as furuncles, acne, etc.) are indications of a huge sexual potential energy.

The alchemic view on sexuality presents the vital 'mercurial' energy (semen) as manifesting in the case of young abstinent men as a 'sulphurous' substance eliminated through the skin.

For those persons prepared to practice Hatha Yoga techniques, the lovemaking with transfiguration and continence is highly recommended so that they may reach a state of profound happiness and inner freedom.

A man who practices Hatha Yoga techniques, even if he does not make love to a woman, will not feel the need to masturbate and ejaculate.

The healthy semen contains nutritious vital principles, final elements, amino acids, and vitamins, which are in a structural purified form. Therefore, the semen must not be eliminated, as it is the very essence of life, and it contains the spiritual and physiological elements of that particular man.