THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
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From: nagasiva@luckymojo.com (nagasiva yronwode)
Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.philosophy.taoism,alt.consciousness.mysticism,alt.religion.sexuality,alt.magick.tantra
Subject: Purpose of Sexual Mysticism (was purpose of tantra?)
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50000414 IVom 

amtquerent :
>Let's not confuse ends and means!  

oh why not?! :> what would happen if we DID confuse them? let's see...

	* we might think that we were doing the goal.
	some Buddhists who suggest that there is absolutely no 
	difference between sadhana/practice and nirvana. no problem.

	* we might think that we'd achieved success.
	the only problem with this is if we then stopped the practice, 
	but then we'd automatically stop the success too. no problem.

	* we might emulate rather than achieve.
	such emulation may be problematic depending upon the
	individual or character which we choose to mimic. if
	such an individual exemplified the virtues of the
	practice, then we might become a False Prophet, a
	Charlatan, a Black Brother (by Crowley's assessment).

only this last seems to me the great quagmire, and it is stumbled
into even by the most conservative of traditionals, prevented in
many cases by the securing of a competent guide (internal/external).

>The purpose of spiritual sex practices is to obtain a higher 
>level of spirituality.    

too strong an assertion. in some cultures the objective is to
obtain power, wealth, longevity, and renown (whether or not these
accompany spiritual maturation). sexual alchemy in Taoism is
sometimes said to result in a complete transformation of the
flesh of the aspirant to an adamantine substance incapable of
decay -- sometimes this leaves the original body of the person
'behind' as they make the transit to the Blessed Isles or some
other residence of the Immortals.

>The means
>vary profoundly, even among formalized Hindu or Buddhist tantric
>cults, ranging from celibacy to group sex, but it might be a
>safe bet that spiritual sex is most often practiced by
>a man and a woman in private.       And in this context,
>it is often helpful for the man, especially if young, to learn
>to control his ejaculatory response so that he can wait until
>the woman is ready.    

spiritual sex begins at first contact (as via the internet or
some other long-distance medium). intercourse is of only limited 
and particular interaction. even in this extended medium, control 
is of as much importance as spontaneity. as with verbal
dialogue, only certain movements will include simultaneous
expression. variety is the spice of life and spiritual sex too.
style is the measure of expertise, subtlety and humility the
mark of refinement.
 
>Because "being ready"
>will vary among women and even with the same woman over time,
>the amount of male control required varies.   Sometimes repeated
>orgasms are desired, sometimes none.    So there are various
>skillful means by which men can learn to control their
>ejaculation if they need to, which are perhaps over-discussed
>in books.    

are they? I've only seen a few and not often discussed in any
real depth. rarely do I see preparatory condition addressed,
or a treatment of a spectrum of differing biological responses
providing strategies for each along with recommendations for
partnership participation. 

>Some men find value in avoiding ejaculation
>entirely; others develop discomfort or disease so attempting;
>likewise authors offer varying recommendations to women as
>to whether to seek, accept, or avoid orgasms.    I think
>in western circles women most commonly like the man to
>ejaculate as part of their final orgasm, for any number
>of possible reasons.     Because male control is facilitated
>by a greater awareness of the woman's state and desires,
>the subtitle "The Cult of the Feminine" is appropriate for
>von Lysebeth's book.    For some men this cultish devotion
>is a means to an end, to others the end itself.

how does commitment to physical intercourse enhance
spiritual condition, as you see it? does God want us to fuck,
and if so, why not provide more obvious churches dedicated
to this kind of service?

there is no reason that this kind of sexo-yogicry need be a
part of tantra. in fact, there is no 'ideal tantric sexual
encounter', regardless of how pleasurable some combinations
and events may become. the reason I say this is that the role
of each changes, the arena of interaction may or may not
include the bed, and the participants need not be committed
partners (the tantra of phoning up strangers in the middle
of the night is a too oft-unexplored discipline).

the problem with considering sex and tantra to be identical
or coincident is that a goal may arise at all. settling for
the strictly temporal, we lose sight of the transcendental.
holding tightly to the transcendental, we ignore and let
the temporal and immanent die. 

without knowing it the dance becomes a contest, or an
exercise, or a ceremony, a recipe. that invisible event
horizon of interaction betwixt or amongst the dancers
is lost in the dazzling lights of achievement and obscured
by the hazy smoke of our ignorance.

namaste

nagasiva
-- 
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