Brahmacharya is somewhat different from the English term "celibacy," which merely means non-indulgence in sexual activity. Brahmacharya is when a person COMPLETELY controls his body and mind CITTA through ascetic means.In one context, brahmacharya is the first of four ashrama (age-based stages) of a HUMAN life, with grihastha (householder), vanaprastha (forest dweller), and sannyasa (RENUNCIATION) being the other three asramas. The brahmacharya (bachelor student) stage of life – from childhood up to twenty-five years of age – was focused on education and included the practice of celibacy.[2] In this context, it connotes chastity during the student stage of life for the purposes of learning from a guru (teacher), and during later stages of life for the purposes of attaining spiritual liberation (Sanskrit: moksha).[3][4]In the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist MONASTIC traditions, brahmacharya implies, among other things, the mandatory renunciation of sex and marriage.[5] It is considered necessary for a monk's spiritual practice.[6] Western notions of the religious life as practiced in monastic settings mirror these characteristics.