Editing Celibacy (section)

==Hinduism==
[[File:A sadhu by the Ghats on the Ganges, Varanasi.jpg|thumb|A [[sadhu]] by the Ghats on the Ganges, Varanasi, 2008]]
In Hinduism, celibacy is usually associated with the ''[[sadhu]]s'' ("holy men"), ascetics who withdraw from society and renounce all worldly ties. Celibacy, termed ''[[brahmacharya]]'' in Vedic scripture, is the fourth of the ''[[yamas]]'' and the word literally translated means "dedicated to the Divinity of Life". The word is often used in yogic practice to refer to celibacy or denying pleasure, but this is only a small part of what ''brahmacharya'' represents. The purpose of practicing ''brahmacharya'' is to keep a person focused on the purpose in life, the things that instill a feeling of peace and contentment. It is also used to cultivate occult powers and many supernatural feats, called [[siddhi]].

In the religious movement of [[Brahma Kumaris]], celibacy is also promoted for peace and to defeat power of [[lust]].<ref>Babb, Lawrence A. (1987). Redemptive Encounters: Three Modern Styles in the Hindu Tradition (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society). Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-7069-2563-7}}. "Sexual intercourse is unnecessary for reproduction because the souls that enter the world during the first half of the Cycle are in possession of a special yogic power (yog bal) by which they conceive children"</ref><ref>Barrett, David V (2001). The New Believers. Cassell & Co. pp. 265. {{ISBN|0-304-35592-5}}.</ref>