Last Updated on June 20, 2024 by The Unbounded Thinker
In his book, A Bull of a Man: Images of Masculinity, Sex, and the Body in Indian Buddhism, John Powers shows how the Buddha and his followers were perfect examples of masculinity. He, therefore, presents a rare viewpoint of the Buddha, that many Buddhist scholars ignore.
Powers reveals how the Buddha’s disciples treated their bodies and how their ascetic lifestyle attracted admiration from both men and women. Mainly, he exposes the interaction between gender and the Buddhist religion.
While reading A Bull of a Man, I gathered the following quotes about semen retention/Nofap.
- “The Buddha declared that seminal emissions while asleep do not constitute an offense. Only conscious and deliberate violations of the rule of chastity merit censure.”
- “Stupid man’ said the Buddha – it would be better for you if your penis had entered the mouth of a poisonous, terrifying snake, than a woman.”
- “Any monk who indulges in sexual intercourse is one who is defeated; he is no longer in communion.”
- “Celibate men were portrayed by Indian Buddhist literature as physically attractive, virile, athletic men, often young and in their sexual prime, whose comportment and dignity stimulate women to thoughts of lust.”
- “In classical India, women embody lust and men are inclined toward the higher and nobler pursuits of celibacy and religious practice.”
- “The Buddha advised his followers to be constantly on guard against the blandishments of women.”
- “In ancient India, semen was associated with the energy of life, and men who recklessly shed their seed were said to be physically diminished.”
- “The heroic ascetic who retains his seed is the most manly and virile of men, and enjoys robust health, tremendous physical energy, and mental alertness.”
- “Sages who remain chaste for long periods and who combine this with advanced levels of meditation can even challenge the gods in terms of power and wisdom.”
- “One portion of semen requires sixty portions of blood to produce., and so it is considered precious.”
- “Because of its association with life and energy, semen is linked to longevity and sages who successfully resist the urge to copulate can live for centuries.”
- Soranus agreed that “men who remain chaste are stronger and better than others, and pass their lives in better health.”
- One paradox of the process is that a man who refrains from seminal emissions becomes more and more attractive to women, who use their wiles to seduce him, but as soon as he succumbs he loses all his hard-won energy and descends to the level of other men.” Thus, The Truth of Yoga cautions, “the yogi becomes as strong and beautiful as a god, and women desire him, but he must persevere in chastity.”
- “On account of the retention of semen an agreeable smell will be generated in the body of the yogi.”
- “Celibate men are said to be even better lovers than their more passionate counterparts because those who are not overly lustful can sustain lovemaking for long periods of time and are not subject to premature ejaculation.”
- “Alter also notes that the Buddha is revered by contemporary wrestlers as an outstanding example of chastity and its beneficial effects on health, strength, and longevity, and he quotes one wrestler who points to the serene expressions on Buddha statues as evidence of the positive effects of his renunciation of sex.
I believe you found the semen retention quotes from A Bull of a Man interesting. For this reason, I will share more semen retention/Nofap quotes from other books in the future.
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