Strenuous Labor / Sexual Indulgence Considered
Originally the people doing yoga were the brahmin caste primarily. These persons were exempt from strenuous labor. For that matter there is a scriptural restriction such that in an emergency, when the social structure deteriorates as in warfare or natural disaster, the brahmin could assume any of the other four castes except for the last one which is for laborers.
To protect themselves from being enslaved or conscripted for any service by a politician, there was a social rule that no one could engage a brahmin in service. This meant that under no circumstance would a brahmin be drafted to labor for any other caste. That was quite a neat arrangement for the brahmin families.
Some brahmins avoided the parental responsibilities by declaring themselves as having no interest in family life and by stating that they would dedicate themselves to yoga austerities and/or priestly services. There are two features to this and both are pinned down as having the potential to divert the brahmin from his primary interest which is research into brahman, the abstract but very definite background of this physical and psychic material manifestation.
The first and obvious feature which involves parental responsibilities is sexual indulgence. It does not matter if the brahmin was sexually naïve where he felt that sexual indulgence was an experience in its own right. That opinion does not count because in fact sexual indulgence is a range of activities of which the sexual act itself is the least of the problems.
The second and not so obvious feature which involves parental responsibility is the resulting pregnancy or the lack of it. In either case, the aftermath of the indulgence carries with it tremendous trauma, which might be imposed here and hereafter. As a seed barely resembles the plant which it produces, the sexual act is nothing like its aftermath.
To protect themselves from this range of sexual repercussions, brahmins or people who wanted to have the research into brahman spiritual reality as the priority, avoided sexual encounters just as they did strenuous labor. The key way of doing this was isolation from social intercourse. The trick was to have a simply lifestyle and to live away from the hustle and bustle of human society.
To help with this effort, the ruling caste, the ksatriyas, afforded the brahmins free land in forest reserves and full protection from incursions by bandits and others.
Question is:
How to maintain the brahmin way of life today?
Prasanna Seshadri Michael Beloved, Sir, Reality is beyond human comprehension. Hinduism or Brahminism is a way of life. We must never even get the thought that we can protect Hinduism or Brahminism as the way of life was specific for a particular period of time. If that way of life is not supported in the present day modern world, Brahminism will alter itself so that it does not disturb the present day ways of the world. To force the older way of life in a totally unsupportive environment will be a blunder. We ignorantly believe that we can protect Brahminism or Hinduism as if we know them very well, but the truth is Hinduism and Brahminism can alone protect us, not the other way around.
Binoy Pulickal Brahmin=brahma-jnani...someone who has known or experienced the bliss absolute. Brahmin is someone who is profoundly sattvic. One becomes a brahmin by putting into practice the yamas and niyamas of yoga.In short, those who practiced yoga became brahmins (brwhma-jnanis. Brahminism...is the result of the filthy caste system that came into Indian culture at some point of history..has nothing to with yoga.
olga Jimenez The Trappist Monks in Belgium make beer and cheese. One of my favorites Chimay. They still manage to keep there time for prayer
MANISH MANKAD Being a Brahmin is not a pre-qualification for practicing Yoga! Secondly one does not need alms just to retain those social and cultural lifestyles you mentioned. Staying away or getting detached after performing your duties was a way of living rest of your life.
There were bhramins who fought for the cause like Parshuram or who were shrewd strategists like Chanakya or was a great devotee like Ravana.
Hence, in the modern context, we are free to adapt to any socially relevant role irrespective of caste or creed.
Yoga is just a way to enhance our wellbeing.
Joshua J. Excellent points and great questions. You can go live in various temples or ashrams in various countries or you could get a house in the middle of nowhere in several countries and you could live this way if you so desire. It would probably be better if you saved a bunch of money first, however. Unless you're part of a temple or ashram, likely nobody's going to pay to keep you alive...