Gandhiji on Sex and Brahmacharya

Reviewer of the book “Gandhi: A Great Soul” called him bisexual

A  book “Gandhi : The Great Soul” authored by Joseph Lelyveld and published a few years back generated a needless and unheard controversy about sexual preference and orientation of Mahatma Gandhi. For the first time it tends to suggest that Gandhi while in South Africa started getting  physically   attracted towards his close associate from Germany, Mr. Kalenbach, boardering on homo erotic involvement. The reviewer of the book unambiguously wrote that Gandhi was bisexual. The whole world caught up with the mischievous and motivated interpretation of the reviewer and admirers of Gandhi voiced their protest against such gross distortion of his life acclaimed for his passionate approach to restrain his senses.

It may be mentioned that Kalenbach was a flourishing German architect and donated land in South Africa for setting up Tolstoy Farm which became the nucleus of the  landmark first Satyagraha spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi in that country for restoring the inalienable  and legitimate human rights of Indians who suffered racial discrimination at the hands of white settlers. Deeply influenced by Gandhiji’s worldview and his ardent desire to lead a simple and spiritually rich life he joined hands with him to further the cause of simplification of his own life. It was typical of Mahatma Gandhi to nourish   his relationship with his close colleagues by a lively sense of wit and humour.  The correspondence between Gandhi and Kalenbach teaches us the warm relationship between them and the light hearted manner in which Gandhi described himself as Upper House and dubbed Kalenbach as Lower House. Even towards the closing phase of our struggle for independence Gandhi in one of his letters to Kalenbach said in so many words the way in which he missed him and expressed his desire to hug him. All these  were selectively picked up by the reviewer to drive home his own loaded interpretation that relationship shared by the two was more than higher forms of love and conveyed the fact that Gandhi had sexual orientation for males which is now legally  accepted by the western world and India. Such notions about Gandhi does violence to his life which represented a relentless strive to control his libido and other sensual drives and experience a state of consciousness which is far above the body based consciousness. Therefore it is important to appreciate the way in which the issue of sex figured in Mahatma Gandhi’s worldview determined by non-violence as a principle and practical method of action.

Gandhi Succumbed to Many Temptations as Young Man:  

During his youthful days Gandhi was  as vulnerable to many allurements of life as  any ordinary mortal. It is well known that he was married at the age thirteen. He very frankly admitted that when his father was in his death bed due to some ailment he remained confined with his wife in his bed room and had sexual activities. He was terribly guilty about it and wrote very frankly on that issue in his book My Experiments with Truth. He  explained that his son Hiralal’s way ward behaviour could be attributed to the manner in which he violated moral principles and gave in to many indulgences of life. As he grew up and grasped the pit falls of a life style driven by  enjoyment and pleasures, he delved deep into the moral and spiritual values of our civilisation and accordingly refashioned his   way of living.      

Sex urge is Noble and Disciplining it is vital:

He did not decry sex urge. Rather he admired it. Reflecting  on   it in the Harijan on 28 March 2011 he wrote, “Sex urge is a fine and noble thing. There is nothing to be ashamed of it. But it is meant only for creation. Any other use of it is a sin against God and humanity”. Such understanding about sex flowed from his deeper comprehension of Yoga which enables human beings to attain a consciousness which is far superior to the consciousness determined by five senses. He firmly got convinced that the finite capacity of senses necessarily bred a finite consciousness.  

He was a critique of modern civilisation based on multiplication of wants and desires and incessant pursuit of sensual pleasures.  Deeply influenced by Patanjali’s eightfold yoga which prescribed in its first fold Satya (Truth), Ahimsa (Non-violence), Brahmacharya (Sexual continence), Aparigraha (Non-possession) and Atreya (Non-stealing), he added to these six more points which are Aswada (Control of palate), Sparsh Bhawana (Touchability), Sarvatra Bhaya Varjan (Removal of fear), Sarva Dharma Sambhava (Respect for all religions), Sharira Shram (Bread labour) and Swadeshi (Use of locally made goods).  All the aforementioned points formed part of his Eleven Vows essentially designed to discipline one’s senses and lead a simple and spiritually charged life.  Its aim was to usher in rule on one’s self so that self rule would be achieved from British colonialism.

Idea of Brahmacharya, celibacy,  is of contemporary significance

It may be noted that he gave primacy to Brahmacharya when he was in his thirties and located it in the broader context of disciplining all the senses for the pursuit of truth which he called the God. It was in tune with the ancient spiritual wisdom best expressed by Swami Vivekananda who preceded Gandhi and wrote that Mahatmans, great souls, always hailed Truth as God.   He took the vow of celibacy and in the initial attempts he failed twice or thrice to live up to that vow by retaining sexual contact with his wife.  However, in his subsequent pursuit of celibacy he completely controlled himself and desisted from any physical contact with his spouse.  In seriously accepting the notion that abstinence is a virtue and, therefore, necessary for ruling one’s own self to experience joy beyond material and physical plane, he made it part of the struggle for independence to infuse moral values in public life and generate a countrywide movement for the cause of restraint and discipline.  In this sense, Mahatma Gandhi’s understanding of sex took him to a higher pedestal equal in importance to yogic way of life.  At a time when so much violence is inflicted on women and they are subjected to harassment of all kinds including sexual harassment, the lessons from the Mahatma Gandhi’s life involving control of passions which include a restrained way of life on matters pertaining to sex assume contemporary significance.

Transparency and Truthful Attitude to Life

One of the defining features of his life was total transparency and truthful attitude.  He never kept anything secret.  Even when he remotely harboured the thought of a woman in his mind he used to feel guilty and made public announcements that he had failed to live up to the vow of Brahmacharya.  In doing so, he used to indulge in self-criticism and elevate his own standards of scrutiny to reach higher levels of perfection in eschewing sexual thoughts in word and deed.  

Gandhi as a Saint

Such exacting standards in controlling his passion was taken note of by some of the celebrated saints of our time who stressed on celibacy and transformation of sexual energy to a transcendental level for realisation of universal consciousness.  For instance, Swami Sivananda, who founded the Divine Life Society, the headquarters of which is located in Rishikesh, used to send a special emissary to Mahatma Gandhi in recognition of his pursuit of Brahmacharya as part of his struggle for independence.  He extended his support and the support of his organisation to Gandhiji and hailed him as a saint.  Till today, the Divine Life Society celebrates in a special manner Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October every year by respectfully invoking his ideas on Brahmacharya and inviting the Dalits to the sanctum of the Society.  

In 1936 Gandhi wrote that Environment is changed with Sex Urge

Such a man who undertook the arduous journey of controlling his senses was painfully aware of the artificial methods of multiplying sexual gratification and even exhortation on the part of organised interest  groups to youth to embrace such methods.  In the twenty first century world, day in and day out, the electronic and print media is replete with news content and advertisements all the time alluding to sexual urges.  On 21 November 1936, Mahatma Gandhi almost anticipated the heightening desire of the so-called civilised people to constantly emphasise on sex and make it every aspect of their collective life.  He wrote “Today our entire environment - our reading, our thinking, our social behaviour is generally calculated to subserve and cater for the sex urge.  To break through its coils is no easy task.  But it is a task worthy of our highest endeavour…”

Gandhi was Ready to wait till eternity to attain freedom from sexual desire

He did engage himself in the laborious task of ‘breaking through its coils’ till the very end of his life.  Such a man can never be said to have any attitude which the bisexuals have.  In fact, he was willing to wait till eternity to reach that level of restraint which would free him from sexual desires.  He once wrote “When sexual indulgence is regarded a virtue, it will be the undoing of man… Even if millions of years pass before the ideal of self-control is realised, I would wait.  I have great patience.  I am in no hurry to transform the world.  But the advertisement of vice as virtue is intolerable…”  These words are of immense significance for our time which is witnessing the dangerous spread of HIV infection due to promiscuous nature of our society where unfortunately every attempt is made to cater to sexual urges in an unrestrained manner and even justify and legitimize the new sexual more involving sexual contact between man and man.  

Mutual Faithful Relationship and Delayed Sex

Few years back, there was an interesting write up about a feeble trend developing in the United States of America which was initiated by some youth groups.  They started small clubs such as the club for mutual faithful relationship and another club for delayed sex.  The objective of these clubs was to persuade youth to cultivate values of mutual faithful relationship among men and women and delay as much as possible the sexual union between males and females.  Such examples emanating from the land which was responsible for breaking the barriers which often prohibited men and women to freely pursue physical contact sound quite strange.  Eventually, the promiscuous culture has taken its toll and people getting swayed away by such culture have realised its futility and experiencing dissolution of marriages and families.  It has been best encapsulated in the book “Generation Unbound: Drifting to sex and parenthood without marriage” authored by by an American academic Isabel V. Sawhill who explained growing poverty and economic misery among American teens because of unrestrained sexual behavior. It is against such grim developments that Gandhiji’s cautionary words about unhindered sexual freedom bear importance to restore the moral momentum of our society.      

Brahamacharya means Achar, conduct,  to attain Brahma, divinity

A life immersed in variety of activities will explore the infinite dimensions and celebrate its wholesome beauty.  This will take one beyond the drudgery of mechanical life and keep one tuned to the unfolding and expanding avenues which are quite often soothing and fulfilling.  Such a life will help us to control our passions.  Mahatma Gandhi in his remarkable book ‘Key to Health’ written while he was in South Africa, observed “This much I can say from my personal experience that one who keeps his hands and feet, eyes and ears, healthily occupied, does not have much difficulty in controlling the animal appetite.  Everyone can test this for himself…”  

He himself kept occupied in the mainstream of our freedom struggle and observed Brahmacharya, celebacy  scrupulously.  In its conventional and spiritual sense Brahmacharya means Achar (Condcut) which will enable a person to attain Brahma (God).  In spite of Mahatma Gandhi strictly following that kind of conduct to attain God, he used to be assailed by constant sex urges which he found very hard to control.  When he was seventy nine years of age, he very candidly admitted that of all the passions, he found it extremely difficult to control the passion governing the lust.  However, he was determined not to waver from his commitment to Brhamacharya which is narrowly understood as sexual abstinence and preservation of semen.  

On many occasions, he publicly announced his failure to retain semen and whenever he lost it through involuntary ejaculation he felt guilty and categorically declared that he had not been living up to the highest ideal of Brahamacharya. He did so once in Odisah during 1938 when he visited the province  and addressed the public to mobilise their opinion and resources for the cause of our independence.

He always attempted to rise above the conventional understanding of sexual union between man and woman which rests on titillation of senses.  He agreed that the notion of Brahmacharya is in harmony with the purpose of procreation. He wrote about it in the Harijan on 5 June 1937.  His words are illuminating and need to be underlined to put a check on the rising tide of promiscuous behaviour.  He observed, “Sexual act, performed solely for the purpose of begetting offspring, is not inconsistent with the highest ideal of Brhmacharya.  Sexual intercourse, for the purpose of carnal satisfaction is reversion to animality, and it should, therefore, be man’s endeavour to rise above it…” He also said that celibacy did not mean keeping women away or understanding them as a source of sexual temptation. Such an elevated understanding of celibacy needs to be invoked in the context of Sabarimala temple where women are barred to enter the shrine of Sabarimala on the ground that the deity is an eternal celibate and women’s presence would violate the sanctity of the deity. Such a notion is reflective of patriarchy which is being perpetuated in spite of the Supreme Court judgement.  

Gandhi stressed on Sex Education

In fact, in his attempt to rise above sex, he stressed on sex education to teach the children about the role of regenerative organs of human anatomy and make them learn about the conquest and sublimation of the sex passion.  He wrote the following which is noteworthy in the context of the nation wide debate to include sex education in our school curricula.  He observed, “Boys and girls cannot remain innocent for all time, no matter how hard we try. Therefore, it is advisable to tell them the facts of life at a certain age.  If this knowledge leads any of them to misbehave themselves, we must not mind.  As a matter of fact, such knowledge ought to strengthen one’s will to chastity.  That is my own experience, at any rate…”  

Prayanam, breathing exercises, enable to control desire and cultivate  Brahmacharya

Mahatma Gandhi did not follow any yogic method to control his passion.  However, he threw light on Pranayam and considered  it as a method to cleanse the body and mind  of accumulated worldly desires and thoughts.  It is stated by Swami Vivekananda in his book ‘Raja Yoga” that sexual thoughts entertained by a practitioner of Raja Yoga might  make him/her  insane.  Therefore, practices concerning sex are prohibited in Yoga Shastra.  However, those who progress in Pranayama they, at some stage, will experience withdrawal of mind from sexual thoughts.  No wonder, therefore, that Mahatma Gandhi prescribed Pranayam to progress on the path of Brahmacharya.  

Gandhi’s experiment to test his Brahmacharya

Gandhi has often been criticized for his experiments to test his capacity to withstand temptations for  sex.  He did so by sleeping with young girls. I think few will approve of it. However it is important to understand it from his perspective. It is mentioned above that he wanted to be Brahamchari which meant that he wanted to control all his senses including sex drive. In the tradition of Yoga it is said that somebody who has established mastery over his senses would not find any difference in touching a woman and stone. The ideal type Brahmachari would be unaffected by desire for lust and other desires. It has been explained in greater detail in several scriptures of Hinduism. Gandhi wanted to be such a Brahamchari and in fact wrote in greater detail that a  person after having controlled his senses will not be influenced by sexual thoughts and even if he gets penile erections  that would not be caused by any desire to have inter course with a woman. After having  tried for several decades to curb his sex urge he wanted to find out if he was entirely free from it in a situation where he had the opportunity to share bed with a woman. It was a kind of examination which he conducted for himself to find out his ability to withstand sexual urge and attractions. The fact that he made it open and let every body know about it testified to his transparent approach to life. Yet again he proved beyond doubt that he never kept anything secret in his life.

Gandhi considered himself closer to women

In many places Gandhi wrote that he considered himself closer to women than men. Wife of Jayaprakash Narayan, Shrimati Prabhavati, even discussed her menstrual problems with him in a very frank manner. She used to write in greater detail about the tribulations she faced due to irregular periods and prolonged bleeding. Such incidents in the life of Mahatma Gandhi might prompt some body to dub him as a man who interfered too much in the private lives of women. He never thought that the idea of celibacy meant exclusion of women who he described as the equal and  gifted companion of men. The author of the book Great Soul pleaded guilty for having focussed attention on the select lines from Gandhi-Kalenbach correspondence which from the perspective of changed sexual preference may prompt people to understand Gandhi as bisexual.  Such understanding is wrong and prejudiced.  

Mahatma Gandhi famously said that  “My life is my message”. The author has missed the message and has done violence to the great soul referring to whom Einstein said that he was the greatest political genius of twentieth century and “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a man as this ever walked on this earth”.  

The author served as Officer on Special Duty and Press Secretary to President of India late Shri K R Narayanan and had a tenure as Director in Prime Minister's Office and Joint Secretary in Rajya Sabha Secretariat.