Brahmacharya

This word sounds, to the average native English speaker, like it might be the name of a dinosaur. Or maybe a cough medicine. Or maybe a cutting-edge medical technique.

But, it's actually means something that's even more terrifying than a coughing fit, a laser-aided procedure, or a fearsome Jurassic Park attraction. Its basic meaning is celibacy. Yup: not having sex.

This is the point at which 99 percent of humanity throws up their hands and says, "Yeah, no. Not for me. Kthxbai."

But, as we all know, Gandhi is not like the rest of us. He's one of the most self-disciplined people ever to self-discipline. He defines brahmacharya as:

[…] literally conduct that leads one to God. Its technical meaning is self-restraint, particularly mastery over the sexual organ. (1.7.12)

Translation: no sex. No sex with his wife. No masturbation. No sexy times of any kind.

In order to achieve this self-restraint, Gandhi says someone also has to learn to restrain all their senses, fast, and purify themselves. If you're constantly eating chocolate cake, in other words, you probably a) have dangerously high blood sugar and b) don't have the self-control to prevent yourself from engaging in sexual behavior.

For more on brahmacharya, see the "Steaminess Rating" section.