One should make his life successful by tapasya, austerity, penance. So brahmācārya is one of the items. Tapasya means beginning with brahmācārya, celibacy. Here we have given the meaning of tapasya: "by austerity or voluntary rejection of material enjoyment." Tapasā bramacaryeṇa. So tapasya. I do not like something to do because it is pleasing to me, but for the sake of my advancement of spiritual life I must have it. This is called tapasya. We prescribe four kinds of regulative principle: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. In the Western countries these four things are very ordinary means of life. In the Western countries practically cent percent population, they are addicted to these sinful activities. So in our Society, anyone who joins, he has to accept these four principles of regulative life.
So brahmācārya, celibacy, sex, prohibition of sex life, especially illicit sex life . . . Unless one is married, no sex life is allowed. That is called brahmācārya. Tapasya begins with brahmācārya, life of celibacy, or accepting one wife only. That's all. Then śamena. Śamena, controlling the senses, controlling the mind. Śamena damena ca, these two things required. We should not become the servant of the mind; we should become master of the mind. And tyāgena. Tyāgena. Therefore in the śāstra the process of charity is recommended. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also recommended that yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriya na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat (BG 18.5). Because I have renounced this world, it does not mean I shall give up the process of performing yajña, dāna and tapasya. It is further stressed, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriya pāvanāni manīṣiṇāḥ. Even if you think that you are very advanced, still, you should not give up these three processes, means performing yajña, giving in charity and performing tapasya. "One must then control the mind and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean and nonviolent, follow the regulative principle and regularly chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus a sober and faithful person who knows the religious principle is temporarily purified of all sins performed with his body, words and mind." In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also recommended,
- yuktāhāra-vihārasya
- yukta-ceṣṭasya karmaṇā
- yukta-svapnā . . . yukta
- yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā
- (BG 6.17)
In this way, if we practice yoga, bhakti-yoga, then gradually we are elevated to the perfectional stage.