Semen Retention Quotes from A Bull of a Man By John Powers

Last Updated on September 26, 2026 by Wechuli.B

In his book, A Bull of a Man: Images of Masculinity, Sex, and the Body in Indian Buddhism, John Powers shows how the Buddha and his followers were perfect examples of masculinity. He, therefore, presents a rare viewpoint of the Buddha, that many Buddhist scholars ignore. Powers reveals how the Buddha’s disciples treated their bodies and how their ascetic lifestyle attracted admiration from both men and women.

Besides this, he discusses the importance and power of semen retention and makes readers understand that the ancients were aware of the effects of retaining one’s seed.

While reading the book, I gathered the following quotes about semen retention.

“The Buddha declared that seminal emissions while asleep do not constitute an offense. Only conscious and deliberate violations of the rule of chastity merit censure.”

“Stupid man’ said the Buddha – it would be better for you if your penis had entered the mouth of a poisonous, terrifying snake, than a woman.”

“Any monk who indulges in sexual intercourse is one who is defeated; he is no longer in communion.”

“Celibate men were portrayed by Indian Buddhist literature as physically attractive, virile, athletic men, often young and in their sexual prime, whose comportment and dignity stimulate women to thoughts of lust.”

“In ancient India, semen was associated with the energy of life, and men who recklessly shed their seed were said to be physically diminished.”

“The heroic ascetic who retains his seed is the most manly and virile of men, and enjoys robust health, tremendous physical energy, and mental alertness.”

“Sages who remain chaste for long periods and who combine this with advanced levels of meditation can even challenge the gods in terms of power and wisdom.”

“One portion of semen requires sixty portions of blood to produce., and so it is considered precious.”

“Because of its association with life and energy, semen is linked to longevity and sages who successfully resist the urge to copulate can live for centuries.”

“Soranus agreed that “men who remain chaste are stronger and better than others, and pass their lives in better health.”

“One paradox of the process is that a man who refrains from seminal emissions becomes more and more attractive to women, who use their wiles to seduce him, but as soon as he succumbs he loses all his hard-won energy and descends to the level of other men.” Thus, The Truth of Yoga cautions, “the yogi becomes as strong and beautiful as a god, and women desire him, but he must persevere in chastity.”

“On account of the retention of semen an agreeable smell will be generated in the body of the yogi.”

“Celibate men are said to be even better lovers than their more passionate counterparts because those who are not overly lustful can sustain lovemaking for long periods of time and are not subject to premature ejaculation.”

“Alter also notes that the Buddha is revered by contemporary wrestlers as an outstanding example of chastity and its beneficial effects on health, strength, and longevity, and he quotes one wrestler who points to the serene expressions on Buddha statues as evidence of the positive effects of his renunciation of sex.”

“Caraka cautions men: If due to excessive mental excitement a man indulges in sexual intercourse in excess, his semen will soon diminish and he will become emaciated. He will succumb to various diseases, and even death. Therefore, a man who wishes to have good health should definitely preserve his semen.”

“According to some Christian monastic theorists, “the most virile man was the man who kept most of his vital spirit—the one, that is, who lost little or no seed.”

“One of the key reasons monks retain their seed is the belief that loss of semen results in weakness and premature death.”

“In the Desire Realm, the predominant mental affliction is desire, and in Indian Buddhist texts, sexual lust is the essence of the afflictive emotions that motivate beings to wallow in actions that lead to negative karma and repeated rebirths.”

“In some stories, young, attractive women travel great distances into the wilderness and face dangers from wild animals and bandits in order to seduce unwilling ascetics. Many of these men are old and have been celibate for decades. All initially resist the temptresses’ advances, and there is no indication that the intercourse is particularly pleasurable for the women. Their satisfaction appears to derive mainly from seducing a celibate man with no interest in sex.”

“Excessive ejaculation leads to various morbidities and premature death.”

“In the “Discourse on All the Defilements,” the Buddha admonishes his followers: “a monk should not tolerate an arisen thought of sensual desire. He should abandon it, remove it, do away with it, annihilate it.”

“The code of monastic conduct forbade not only sexual intercourse but any sort of sensual pleasures, which are described by the Buddha as “low, vulgar, worldly, ignoble, and leading to no good.” Acts of auto-eroticism were viewed as less serious than actions performed with another person but were prohibited because masturbation still involves lust and sexual stimulation.”

“The Flower Array Discourse states that the Buddha’s “testicles are well-hidden within a sheath, sunk deeply and fully covered, just like those of a thorough bred elephant or a thoroughbred stallion.”Even though this is presented as the perfection of a man’s private parts, the text claims that no one—woman, man, boy, girl, elderly person, middle-aged person, or even the lustful or po tentially lustful—could possibly conceive thoughts of sexual desire when viewing the Buddha’s genitalia because his past practice of celibacy has produced a body so transcendent that people cannot imagine having sexual inter course with him (the “out of my league” syndrome).”