www.swamij.com Remembering comes first: Celibacy is sometimes considered to be the practice of brahmacharya. However, celibacy is not the cause, but the effect. The practice, or cause, is of constant remembering of the highest reality, absolute truth, the divine, or the presence of God. This remembrance is the cause, and the celibacy is the effect. Since the effect might be so visible when watching a spiritual person, we can accidentally reverse cause and effect, and try to practice mere restraint of sensual urges. Once again, the practice of brahmacharya is walking in the awareness of the highest reality, absolute reality, remembering the divine, or practicing the presence of God.
-------------- Well, that's actually of course based on a literal translation of 'brahma-carya'...
