Today I step into treacherous waters. Challenge 4 is about ‘sexual abstinence’ for 41 days during the Ayyappa Challenge.

No motivational / leadership training talks about it, so why is this a part of the 18 step Challenge?

Let’s recap a story that we all know – Lord Shiva (metaphor for inner-world) was in deep penance. Meanwhile the heavens were being disturbed by Tarakasura (metaphor for outer world). Lord Indra, the God of the heavens entrusted Kama (the God of love / lust / enticement) to bring Lord Shiva out of his meditation so that he could kill the asura.

Kama denotes the plethora of emotions that feed on us. Man is controlled by two masters – hunger & sexual urge. They are autonomic decision makers. Fueled by the constant stimulus, i.e food industry & media entertainment, Kama has a free ride. They build illusions; man continues to feed this stimulus. It gains momentum & he succumbs to the urges.

Hence, man is Pavlov’s dog, constantly being fed by this urge. Those who fulfill this urge are termed as SUCCESSFUL.

Please note: Covid 19 is putting a break to these urges, thus upsetting the masters.

Kama tries to enter Lord Shiva’s mind. To his dismay, it is impregnable. Just then Parvati (metaphor for sensuality) enters. Her essence & perfume wafts through the air. Just when there is the tiniest of flutter in Lord Shiva’s mind, Kama shoots the Harshana (stimulus) arrow.

Lord Shiva succumbs to his impulse and fails the marshmallow test.

What, this story states is that SEX is ENERGY. You have a CHOICE. Either fall prey to Freud’s id (unrestrained urge) or sublimate (reach higher levels) to the Super ego. Your ego is the referee. It decides which gate to open & that is the FREE WILL.

Napoleon Hill devotes an entire chapter to this topic – The power of Sex Transmutation in the all-time best seller, Think & Grow Rich.

This entire topic cannot be understood intellectually. It needs a visceral understanding.

It needs you to challenge yourself.

The 4^th Challenge, of the 18 steps, helps facilitate this process and opens up frontiers of the mind. This is what the society, economists, politicians, media & consumerists have been trying to distance from us.

Still, don’t accept my statement; let me cite two more examples. Man needs stories to anchor on.

1. Lady Gaga claims to be celibate. She believes that all her creativity would be lost if she lets it slip through the lower parts.
2. The second example would be more convincing – Nicolas Tesla, the brightest mind ever was celibate. He stated that he was able to sublimate his energies from the abyss to the pineal gland.

5 million men, adopt this practice on their 41 day Journey.

Shouldn’t all training & leadership programs adopt this practice?

Would any strong man like to step in and make a comment?

Shiv from S & S Family First signing off.

Build family….Build Nation.