Templars and the Vow of Chastity

From: kynara54leddon (Original Message)
Sent: 1/19/2006 1:40 PM

NOTE: This topic was first posted on TemplarHistory.com by the author (C. Leddon) on 11-20-05. It has been transferred here with the permission of the author..
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IMHO - Chastity, as defined in the Templar Rule, represents not so much a constraining of energy (and spedific behaviors), but a channeling of them. Since men *are* rather "hard-wired" for certain biological responses (and imperatives), mastering this particular discipline implies an absolute focus of Will, a focus that once learned can be applied to other uses... So, is it possible that the Discipline of Chastity is more than it appears? (Certainly, as monks, celibacy would have been sufficient to maintain order and discipline....)

For example, the term often applied to Templar troops in battle is "implacable". Certainly, some of the leaders *did* indulge in rash campaigns (and arrogant decisions), but they seem to be relatively rare. Also, despite their reputation for martial prowess, you seldom ever hear of Templars indulging in "berserker rages" (a tactic that *might* otherwise account for some of their formidable reputation.)

So, I have to admit that I wonder about this. While it would be easy to discount this entirely (and chock it up to the time period's opinion that "women are icky, stay away from them!") it feels like some other factor is at work here as well. I probably wouldn't have even thought of this...but as a fledgling fighter, I'm often told by my more experienced colleagues that I need to "focus" ...even in mock combat, a lot can go wrong at the last second if you are not completely engaged and focused on your opponent. In a melee situation, this is even more true...especially when you're trying to save your own hide, protect your own banner bearer *and* listen to the commands of the marshals and/or heralds.

As a monk, this kind of "focus" also has it's applications. As a young person, I used to spend literally hours sweeping (and resweeping) the walkways at the California Mission nearby. This particular Spanish Colonial Era structure still had a monastic community attached to it, so once in a while I would see the monks at their labors...and given some of the mindless, repetitive tasks they were doing...being able to focus on one thing would have made that process much easier.

So, I guess (if one were to consider the "chicken and egg question", I would say that the discipline first had monastic applications ...and then (once mastered) might have been developed for military ones. This is, certainly, all speculation on my part...but as a student of history, I've found that many human endeavors are actually quite consistent (even over cultural boundaries)...and when compared side to side (as we did with the Chivalry for Children program), the various warrior codes have some amazing parallels ...

So, Ladies & Gentlemen, what do you think? Was the Discipline of Chastity more than just adhering to the Rule's Cistercian origins? Or could this adherence to "Chastity" represent the underpinnings of training that could benefit the Knight on (and off) the battlefield?

(And don't worry about calling me "nuts" on this...you won't be the first one to do so over one of my strange (and no doubt heretical) theories... )