Progress in devotional life is inversely correlated to amount of sex we have.

I get violent protests when I say this in my classes. How is this possible?

Here are the factors: based on my research on self and others over a 15 year period 2005 - 2020

Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad gita

Chapter 7: TEXT 11

balam balavatam caham

kama-raga-vivarjitam

dharmaviruddho bhutesu

kamo 'smi bharatarsabha

I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O Lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna].

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of ISKCON

The strong man's strength should be applied to protect the weak, not for personal aggression. Similarly, sex life, according to religious principles (dharma), should be for the propagation of children, not otherwise. The responsibility of parents is then to make their offspring Krsna conscious.

Actual civilization teaches its members to sublimate their sexual desires for higher, spiritual purposes. Modern civilization exploits people's sexual cravings, makes a business out of it, and sends people to hell by the millions. A householder who has rightly understood the magnitude of the sufferings of Samsara tries to get rid of the Samsaric life. Whereas, a bachelor full of passion imagines that he is very miserable on account of the absence of a wife and children and tries to get married. 

1.Sexual activities drain vital fluids – Shukra (female fluids) and Virya (male semen)

2.Act of contemplating sex, planning for it, finding a mate and finding time for it, finding a place without getting caught all require physical effort and $$$. 

Our sexual desire is simply a perverted reflection of our heart's deepest longings to love Krishna. If we just knew this, we could all be happy. But in the darkness of the modern age it is very difficult to convince anyone that there is anything wrong with sex at all. The members of the Krishna consciousness movement have a great responsibility to somehow or other give this real knowledge to the people of the world.

Practice of brahmacharya gives good health, inner strength, peace of mind, fortitude, and long life. It helps to conserve physical and mental energy. It augments memory, will-power, clear thinking, power of concentration, and ability to grasp philosophical subjects. It bestows physical strength, vigor, vitality, courage, boldness, and strength of character. To one who practices brahmacharya, divine knowledge comes as if naturally. His words convey meaning and authority, and leave an impression on the hearers.

According to Ayurveda, Sapta Dhatus or the seven Dhatus that support this life and body. Semen is the last Dhatu that is formed out of food. Mark here how precious is semen! It is the last essence. It is the Essence of essences. The Veerya comes out of the very marrow that lies concealed inside the bones.

?There are three divisions in each Dhatu.

?Semen nourishes the physical body, the heart and the intellect.

?An advanced Bhakta who dives deep in meditation will have full Brahmacharya even if he does not take physical exercise.

?One drop of semen in manufactured out of forty drops of blood according to modern medical science. According to Ayurveda, it is elaborated out of eighty drops of blood. The two testes or seeds that are located in the scrotal bag are called secretory glands. The cells of these testes have been endowed with the peculiar property of secreting semen from the blood. Just as bees collect honey in the honeycomb drop by drop, so also, the cells of the testes collect semen drop by drop from the blood. Then this fluid is taken by the two ducts or tubes to the vesiculae seminalis. Under excitement, it is thrown out by special ducts, called ejaculatory ducts, into the urethra where it is mixed with the prostatic juice.

Conversely, those who do not practice brahmacharya must always remain in illusion. Srila Prabhupada: "Brahmacharya is very, very essential. When one becomes detestful to sex life, that is the beginning of spiritual life." "Without becoming brahmachari, nobody can understand spiritual life." 

?Semen is found in a subtle state in all the cells of the body. Just as sugar is all-pervading in the sugar-cane, butter in milk, so also, semen is pervading the whole body. Just as the butter milk is thin after the butter is removed, so also, semen is thinned by its wastage. The more the wastage of semen the more is the weakness. In the Yoga Sastras it is said:

Maranam Bindu Patanat, Jivanam Bindu Rakshanat.

Falling of semen brings death; preservation of semen gives life. Semen is the real vitality in men. It is the hidden treasure in man. It imparts Brahma-Tejas to the face and strength to the intellect.

Seeing all this, the Vaisnavas are sorry. If only people could understand this simple fact: We are all eternal servants of Krishna. "By the practice of brahmacharya, longevity, luster, strength, vigor, knowledge, beauty, fame, piety, and devotion to truth increase." 

Srila Prabhupada said: "The Krishna consciousness movement (which is resurfacing this lost knowledge) will go down in history as having saved mankind in its darkest hour."

Conduct your own studies – observe atheists who are very fond of sex and you will see them in bars hunting for people to have sex with. I went to University of Alabama which is a party school and went to the “party strip” on the Avenue many times. And observed people making absolute fools of themselves getting drunk and riding with other students to their apartments.. to do you know what?   

Catholic monks of the yore, Hare Krishna monks of today, Many Hindu Brahmacaris and Buddhists totally refrain from sex for higher goals.

It is important to regulate the type of food we eat. Mode of passion foods will put us in quick distress.

Dr. Nicole says: “It is a medical and physiological fact that the best blood in the body goes to form the elements of reproduction in both the sexes. In a pure and orderly life, this matter is reabsorbed. It goes back into circulation ready to form the finest brain, nerve and muscular tissues. This vital fluid of man carried back and diffused through his system makes him manly, strong, brave and heroic. If wasted, it leaves him effeminate, weak and physically debilitated and prone to sexual irritation and disordered function, a wretched nervous system, epilepsy, and various other diseases and death. The suspension of the use of the generative organs is attended with a notable increase of bodily and mental and spiritual vigour.”

So both medically and spiritually food has an impact on the lifelong impressions of our mind and discharge of semen.

Conserve your semen - it is very expensive.

According to ?B 10.33.39

Qualitatively, the Lord’s spiritual, loving pastimes are the diametric opposite of material, lusty affairs, so much so that simply by hearing about the Lord’s pastimes a devotee conquers sex desire. By reading pornographic literature or hearing about material romance, we certainly do not conquer sex desire but rather increase our lust. But hearing or reading about the Lord’s conjugal affairs has exactly the opposite effect because they are of the opposite nature, being purely spiritual. Therefore it is by the causeless mercy of Lord K???a that He exhibits His rāsa-līlā within this world. If we become attached to this narration, we will experience the bliss of spiritual love and thus reject the perverted reflection of that love, which is called lust. As nicely put by Lord K???a in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.59), para? d???vā nivartate: “Once having directly experienced the Supreme, one will not return to material pleasures.”

(March 7, 1975, New York)

Solution: We can learn how to overcome sex desire from this conversation...

Devotee: How can one rid oneself of sex desire if one continues to

chant, continuously chant Hare Krsna, and is still being plagued by desire

for sex?

Prabhupada: If you chant Hare Krsna seriously... The examples are there.

Therefore Haridasa Thakura, he was chanting Hare Krsna, and some envious

person engaged some very beautiful prostitute to drag him. But she failed.

Chanting of Hare Krsna is so strong. At mid of night beautiful prostitute,

young, she went to entice him. But Haridasa Thakura said, "That's all right.

Your proposal is very nice. Please sit down. Let me finish my rounds."

[laughter] So she sat down, and morning..., there was morning. So Haridasa

Thakura said, "My dear girl, I am very sorry. I could not finish. So this

night we shall finish." In this way, after three nights, the prostitute fell

down on his feet, "Sir, I came with this purpose. I was induced by

such-and-such person. So I am offender. Please excuse me and give me your

favor." So Haridasa said, "Yes, I knew that. But because you came to me, I

wanted to do something good for you. And therefore I stayed here for three

nights just to convert you. Now you are so lucky. So whatever you have got,

you distribute it to the brahmanas, and you take one cloth and sit down here

before the tulasi tree and chant Hare Krsna, that's all."

Bibliography:

Bhakti Vikasa Swami, Brahmacarya in Krishna Consciousness, https://krishnastore.com/brahmacarya-in-krishna-consciousness-h-krishna-1496.html

Swami, Sivananda. “PRACTICE OF BRAHMACHARYA.” Practice of Brahmacharya, www.dlshq.org/download/brahmacharya.htm.