Question: What does 'chastity' mean exactly and why is it necessary?

Sri Chinmoy: Chastity means inner purity, inner beauty. If we enter into our heart-garden, there we see the heart as a flower and we see that this flower has tremendous fragrance. If we see a flower, first we appreciate the beauty of the flower. Then if we see that that flower has fragrance, we appreciate that flower more.

Here, inner beauty is chastity. If we are pure, then we feel that our inner beauty expands and our inner fragrance increases. In the spiritual life, we try to please God as much as possible. If there is a way to please God more, then we try to adopt that particular way. The necessity of chastity is not only my philosophy. Other Indian spiritual Masters as well as the Saviour Christ have given so much importance to chastity because they know that if we have chastity, then we can make very fast progress. Chastity, inner beauty and inner purity expand our divine reality.