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[edit] 1. Necessity of Birth Control
There can be no two opinions about the necessity of birth control. But the only method handed down from ages past is self-control or Brahmacharya. It is an infallible sovereign remedy doing good to those who practise it. And medical men will earn the gratitude of mankind if, instead of devising artificial means of birth control, they will find out the means of self-control. The union is meant not for pleasure, but for bringing forth progeny. And union is a crime when the desire for progeny is absent.
Artificial method are like putting a premium upon vice. They make man and woman reckless. And respectability that is being given to the methods must hasten the dissolution of the restraints that public opinion puts upon one. Adoption of artificial methods must result in imbecility and nervous prostration. The remedy will be found to be worse than the disease. It is wrong and immoral to seek to escape the consequences of one's acts. It is good for a person who overeats to have an ache and a fast. It is bad for him to indulge his appetite and then escape the consequences by taking tonics or other medicine. It is still worse for a person to indulge in his animal passions and escape the consequences of his acts. Nature is relentless and will have full revenge for any such violation of her laws. Moral results can only be produced by moral restraints. All other restraints defeat the very purpose for which they are intended.
Is Indulgence a Necessity of Life?
The reasoning underlying the use of artificial methods is that indulgence is a necessity of life. Nothing can be more fallacious. Let those, who are eager to see the births regulated, explore the lawful means devised by the ancients and try to find out how they can be revived. An enormous amount of spade-work lies in front of them. Early marriages are a fruitful source of adding to the population. The present mode of life has also a great deal to do with the evil of unchecked procreation. If these causes are investigated and dealt with, society will be morally elevated. If they are ignored by impatient zealots and if artificial methods become the order of the day, nothing but moral degradation can be the result. A society that has already become enervated through a variety of causes, will become still further enervated by the adoption of artificial methods.
Those men, therefore, who are light-heartedly advocating artificial methods cannot do better than study the subject afresh, stay their injurious activity and popularize Brahmacharya both for the married and the unmarried. That is the only noble and straight method of birth control.
—Young India : March 12, 1925
[edit] 2. Self-Control
I venture to claim that by judicious treatment it is possible to observe self-control without much difficulty. Indeed, it is a claim put forth not merely by me, but German and other Nature cure practitioners. The latter teach that water treatment or earth compresses and a non-heating and chiefly fruitarian diet soothes the nervous system and brings animal passions under easy subjection, whilst it, at the same time, invigorates the system. The same result is claimed by Raja Yogis for scientifically regulated Pranayama without reference to the higher practices. Neither the Western nor the ancient Indian treatment is intended for the Sanyasi, but essentially for the householder. If it is contended that birth control is necessary for the nation because of over-population, I dispute the proposition. It has never been proved. In my opinion, by a proper land system, better agriculture and a supplementary industry this country is capable of supporting twice as many people as there are in it to-day.
Need of a Systematic Propaganda
I do suggest that men must cease to indulge their animal passions after the need for progeny has ceased. The remedy of self-control can be made popular and effective. It has never had a trial with the educated class. That class has not yet, thanks to the joint family system, felt the pressure. Those that have, have not given a thought to the moral issues involved in the question. Save for stray lectures on Brahmacharya, no systematic propaganda has been carried on for advocating self-control for the definite purpose of limiting progeny. On the contrary, the superstition of a large family being an auspicious thing and, therefore, desirable, still persists. Religious teachers do not generally teach that restriction of progeny, in given circumstances, is as much a religious obligation as procreation may be under certain other circumstances.
Insult to the Fair Sex
I am afraid that advocates of birth control take it for granted that indulgence in animal passion is a necessity of life and in itself a desirable thing. The solicitude shown for the fair sex is most pathetic. In my opinion, it is an insult to the fair sex to put up her case in support of birth control by artificial methods. As it is, man has sufficiently degraded her for his lust, and artificial methods, no matter how well-meaning the advocates may be, will still further degrade her. I know that there are modern women who advocate these methods. But I have little doubt that the vast majority of women will reject them as inconsistent with their dignity. If man means well by her, let him exercise control over himself. It is not she who tempts. In reality, man being the aggressor is the real culprit and the tempter.
Evil Consequences
I urge the advocates of artificial methods to consider the consequences. Any large use of the methods is likely to result in the dissolution of the marriage bond and in free love. If a man may indulge in animal passion for sake of it, what is he to do whilst he is,
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[edit] 40.
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could be. There was one thing, though, that I possessed and that carried me through. It was the armour of Truth. That protected me and saved me. Truth has been the very foundation of my life. Brahmacharya and Ahimsa were born later out of Truth. Whatever, therefore, you do, be true to yourself and to the world. Hide not your thoughts. If it is shameful to reveal them, it is more shameful to think them.
— Harijan : April 24, 1937
[edit] 41. Faith vs. Reason
REASON is a poor thing in the midst of temptations. Faith alone can save us. Reason appears to be on the side of those who indulge in drink and free love. The fact is that reason is blurred on such occasions. It follows the instinct. Do not lawyers ranged on opposite make reason appear to be on their side? And yet one of them must be wrong, or it may be that both are. Hence, faith in the rightness of one's moral position is the only bulwark against the attack of reason.
Our Only Rock of Ages
There is no such thing as absolute morality for all times. But there is a relative morality which is absolute enough for imperfect mortals that we are. Thus, it is absolutely immoral to drink spirituous liquors except as medicine, in medicinal dozes and under medical advice. Similarly, it is absolutely wrong to see lustfully any woman other than one's wife. Both these positions have been proved by cold reason. Counter-arguments have always been advanced. They have been advanced against the very existence of God — the Sum of all that Is. Faith that transcends reason is our only Rock of Ages. My faith has seved me and is still saving me from pitfalls. It has never betrayed me. It has never been known to betray anyone.
— Harijan : Dec. 23, 1939.
[edit] 42. Test-Tube Babies
Q. You say that motherhood is sublime but sex is bad. From the spiritual and eugenic point of view, don't you agree that the test-tube technique of begetting babies is ideal since it altogether eliminates lust and carnality from proreation?
A. I would reconcile myself to your method, if carnality itself can be eradicated thereby. So long as I hold to the view that carnality prevents man or woman from rising to the fullest height possible, so long must I rebel against these artificial methods of procreation. Your method, as far as I can see, can only result in multiplying idiots or monsters, not human beings, thrown into sea of passions which it should be their pride to subjugate. But I own I belong to an age that is perhaps dying. The new age to come, when men and women will walk, if they at all do, only for pleasure but go to their work on wheels or fly to it, and when the institution of marriage and all it implies will be abolished, does not enthuse me.
— Harijan : June 22, 1940.
[edit] 43. The Married Estate
A sister, who is a good worker and was anxious to remain celibate in order better to serve the country's cause, has recently married having met the mate of her dreams. But she imagines that in doing so, she has done wrong and fallen from the high ideal which she had set before herself. I have tried to rid her mind of this delusion. It is no doubt an excellent thing for girls to remain unmarried for the sake of service, but the fact is that only one in a million is able to do so. Marriage is a natural thing in life, and to consider it derogatory in any sense is wholly wrong. When one imagines any act a fall, it is difficult, however hard one tries, to raise oneself. The ideal is to look upon marriage as a sacrament and, therefore, to lead a life of self-restraint in the married estate. Marriage in Hinduism is one of the four Ashramas. In fact, the other three are based on it. But, in modern times, marriage has unfortunately come to be regarded purely as a physical union. The other three Ashramas are all but non-existent.
Marriage — a Sacrament
The duty of the above-mentioned and other sisters who think like her is, therefore, not to look down upon marriage, but to give it its due place and make of it the sacrament it is. If they exercise the necessary self-restraint, they will find growing within themselves a greater strength for service. She who wishes to serve, will naturally choose a partner in life who is of the same mind, and their joint service will be the country's gain.
Motherhood — a Religious Duty
It is a tragedy that, generally speaking, our girls are not taught the duties of motherhood. But if married life is a religious duty, motherhood, must be so, too. To be an ideal mother is no easy task. The procreation of children has to be undertaken with a full sense of responsibility. The mother should know what is her duty from the moment she conceives right up to the time the child is born. And she, who gives intelligent, healthy and well-brought-up children to the country, is surely rendering a service. When the latter grow up, they too will be ready to serve. The truth of the matter is that those who are filled with a living spirit of service will always serve, whatever their position in life. They will never adopt a way of life which will interfere with service.
— Harijan : March 22, 1942.
[edit] 44. True Purpose of Marriage
RIGHTLY speaking, the true purpose of marriage should be, and is, intimate friendship and companionship between man and woman. There is in it no room for sexual satisfaction. That marriage is no marriage which takes place for the satisfaction of the sex desire. That satisfaction is a denial of true friendship. I Know of marriages undertaken for the sake of companionship and mutual service. If a reference to my own married life is not considered irrelevant, I may say that my wife and I tasted the real bliss of married life when we renounced sexual contact, and that in the heyday of youth. It was then that our companionship blossomed, and both of us were enabled to render real service to India and humanity in general. I have written about this in my 'Experiments with Truth.' Indeed, this self-denial was born out of our great desire for service.
Sanctity of Marriage Tie
Of course, innumerable marriages take place in the natural course of events, and such will continue. The physical side of married life is given pre-eminence in these. Innumerable persons eat in order to satisfy the palate, but such indulgence does not, therefore, become one's duty. Very few eat to live, but they are the ones who really know the law of eating. Similarly, those only really marry who marry in order to experience the purity and sanctity of the marriage tie and thereby realize the Divinity within.
— Harijan : July 7, 1946.
World — the Playground of God
The couple who realize these things will never have sexual union for the fulfilment of their lust, but only when they desire issue. I think it is the height of ignorance to believe that the sexual act is an independent function necessary like sleeping or eating. The world depends for its existence on the act of generation, and as the world is the playground of God and a reflection of His glory, the act of generation should be controlled for the ordered growth of the world. He who realizes this, will control his lust at any cost, equip himself with the knowledge necessary for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of his progeny, and give the benefit of that knowledge to posterity.
— My Experiments with Truth : Part III ; Chap. VI.
[edit] 45. Rules for Self-Control
1. Remember, if you are married, that your wife is your friend, companion and coworker, not an instrument of sexual enjoyment.
2. Self-control is the Law of your Being. Therefore, the sexual act can be performed only when both desire it, and that, too, subject to rules which in their lucidity both may have agreed upon.
3. If you are unmarried, you owe it to yourself, to society and to future partner to keep yourself pure. If you cultivate this sense of loyalty, you will find it as an infallible protection against all temptation.
4. Think always of that Unseen Power which, though we may never see, we all feel within us as watching and nothing every impure thought among you will find that Power ever helping you.
5. Laws governing a life of self-restraint must be necessarily different from a life of self-indulgence. Therefore, you will regulate your society, your reading, your haunts of recreation and your food.
6. When your passions threaten to get the better of you, go down on your knees and cry out to God for help. As an extraneous aid, take a hipbath, i.e. sit in a tub full of cold water with your legs out of it, and you will find your passions have immediately cooled. Sit in it for a few minutes, unless you are weak and there is danger of a chill.
7. Take brisk walking exercise in the open air early in the morning, and at night before going to bed.
8. 'Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,' is a sound proverb. 9 o'clock to bed and 4 o'clock to rise is a good rule. Go to bed on an empty stomach. Therefore, your last meal must not be after 6 p.m . 9. Remember that man is a representative of God to serve all that lives, and thus to express God's dignity and love. Let service be your sole joy and you will need no other enjoyment in life.
— Self-Restraint v. Self-Indulgence : P. VIII.
