Forced chastity and absence of attribute
by Athos A. Altomonte
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Q : Why is chastity recommended for the spiritual journey, so much so that in the Church it becomes the rule of celibacy?

A : We need to distinguish between ‘forced chastity' and ‘absence of attribute'.

Forced chastity is not a spiritual concept, but only a means to preserve the ecclesial patrimony that otherwise would be extinguished in the hereditary streams of a crowd of wives and a multitude of children.

Chastity imposed by a rule is not a vocation but an act of censorship, only partially alleviated by the practice of onanism and homosexuality, so common in religious communities. Sexual censorship represses natural drives of young men and women, perturbing their physical mind, exalting its aspects of vision and anxiety and feeding hysteria.

If it is not impotence, the absence of desire has other explanations.

One of them is that the thought has reached a plane of conscience that cannot be affected by passion and sensual drives. But this is not the case for a Master. A Master doesn't repress himself, because he doesn't perceive that kind of drive. Therefore it is not continence , but absence of the generating attribute. The mind of a Master might want to be transported via a physical mind, but this doesn't mean that he lets the animal nature of the physical ‘representation' absorb him.

After all, what is the purpose of comparing a distant past of a Master with our modest present? A research to justify the way we are now? Isn't it better to find points of contact for our present-future more qualifying than the ancient past of an Initiate?

After all a Master is a model to imitate rather than a topic to talk about. A model which every aspirant should pursue, abandoning himself, by leaving the model learnt during his ‘physical childhood' and assimilating what the Master represents.

I quote below a significant page of the Teaching on the subject:

"In creeds and laws intemperance is much condemned, but again without explanation. The practicality of temperateness in food and speech can be seen over a period of several months. Of course, as always, We are opposed to fanaticism and torments; the body knows it full needs.

About sexual temperance it is necessary to speak in more detail; too much space has been allotted this subject by contemporary thinking.    

Very ancient mysteries said: "The lingam is the vessel of wisdom," but in time this knowledge was converted into hideous phallic cults, and religion began to prohibit something without knowing exactly why.

Whereas, it should have been said simply that the fact of conception is so wondrous that it is impossible to deal with it by ordinary measures.

One may weigh, one may analyze up to the most minute particles, but still there remains an imperceptible and inscrutable substance, as irreplaceable as the vital force of a seed. In due time We shall direct attention to certain striking properties of this substance, which can be seen; but now it must be agreed that such an extraordinary substance must be very precious and must have some extremely important qualities—even a fool will comprehend this.

Experiment provides certainly the best proof. If we compare two individuals, of whom one dissipates the vital substance while the other consciously conserves it, we will be amazed at how much more sensitive the spiritual apparatus of the second becomes. The quality of his labors becomes entirely different, and the quantity of his projects and ideas multiplies. The centers of the solar plexus and brain are being heated, as it were, by an invisible fire. That is why temperance is not a pathological renunciation but a sensible action. To bestow life does not mean to cast away the entire supply of vital substance.
If at the first step people would at least remember the value of the vital substance, then by this alone the necessity of prohibitions would be notably reduced.

Forbiddance must be done away with; this is a law of striving.

But an irreplaceable treasure will be preserved, and this also is a law of striving.

Let us look at things more veraciously—everything irreplaceable will be in the prime places of conservation.
Can we actually cast the treasure away into space? Indeed, this energy will adhere to the elements from which it has been extracted with such difficulty; and instead of cooperation with evolution there results rubbish, which is subject to a reworking. Thus, let us picture temperance as wings!"