Editing Sexual abstinence (section)

===Hinduism===
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2017}}
The [[India]]n tradition of [[Brahmacharya]] places great emphasis on [[abstinence]] as a way of harnessing the energy of body and mind towards the goal of [[spirituality|spiritual]] realization. In males, the semen ([[Vīrya]]) is considered sacred, and its preservation (except when used for procreation) and conversion into higher life-energy (Ojas) is considered essential for the development of enhanced intellectual and [[spirituality|spiritual]] capacities.

The blending of sexual and spiritual is portrayed in Hindu iconography, as seen in ubiquitous phallic and vaginal iconography in Hindu temples and for instance in the Kharjuraho and Konarak medieval temples, where thousands of couples having sex in endless positions, and with the gods, are carved in deep [[bas-relief]]. However, these depictions of sex are not generally understood to be a license for free sexual practices, but are instead meant to celebrate procreation as an integral part of existence in the universe. In actual practice, it is highly encouraged that both males and females abstain from pre-marital sex and exercise [[chastity]], which still exists today in Hindu cultures.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What does Hinduism say about sexual relationships? - Sexual relationships - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - WJEC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zmct92p/revision/4|access-date=2021-03-17|website=BBC Bitesize|language=en-GB}}</ref>