Abstinence

This article is about the practice of abstinence in general. For sexual abstinence, see Sexual abstinence.

Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from following a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical considerations.

In India, Buddhists, Jains, and some Hindus abstain from eating meat on the grounds both of health and of reverence for all sentient forms of life. Total abstinence from feeding on the flesh of cows is a hallmark of Hinduism.

Related pages

Types of abstinence

• Fasting
• Sexual abstinence
• Smoking cessation
• Sobriety
• Straight edge
• Teetotalism
• Veganism
• Vegetarianism

Organizations

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• GreySheeters Anonymous
• Pagans In Recovery
• LifeRing Secular Recovery

Other related topics

• Asceticism
• Chastity
• Chastity ring[[Catego