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Brahmacarya

Brahmacarya - chaste living

Chaste living is important to Jains because sexual indulgence gets in the way of the road to liberation.

Sexual passion is so powerful that it can overcome rational thinking and ethically right behaviour - thus producing bad karma in two ways.

Chastity for lay Jains

Lay Jains may have sexual relationships and have children; the lay version of chaste living simply means remaining true and faithful to one's chosen partner.

Some Jain writers suggest that even married people should not over-indulge in sexual activities, and have argued that the principle of chaste living will help in population control.

Chaste living also requires Jains to avoid sex before marriage, and to avoid sexual thoughts.

They should not look at pornography or sexually stimulating material, so that they can retain a clear mind, unclouded by desire.

Chastity in monks and nuns

The highest ideals of classical or traditional Jainism are represented by the ascetics - the members of the faith who devote their whole lives to living the Jain code of ethics in its strictest forms. They renounce possessions, relationships, emotions and desire.

Although Jain ascetics are monks and nuns, they don't live in monastic communities like the monks and nuns of many other religions. They live among the community and act as teachers and living examples of Jain truth.

The teaching role is particularly important as the religion has no priests or other professionally religious people.

Monks and nuns Jain monks and nuns are expected to remain completely celibate in body and mind.

They do not think about sex and avoid remembering sexual incidents before they became monks.

Find out more

• Lay Jain code