Spiritual Whenever you want to be weaker than yourself," was the reply of Pythagoras,when asked by one of his students,"When should we have sex?"
From a medical Viewpoint, Dr.Frederick McCann remarks,"The spermatic fluid does possess potentialities justifying the belief of ancient writers concerning its vital properties." The ancient medical science of Ayurveda states that one drop of semen is the condensed essence of sixty·four drops of blood.Its wastage from the body,accompanied by the loss of precious proteins,lipoids,cholesterin and minerals,decreases severely our vitality and immunity.
From an in tellectual viewpoint, geniuses I kethagoras,Plato,Aristotle, Beethoven,Sir Isaac Newton,Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo led celibate lives to convert their sexual energy into intellectual insights.The French philosopher Auguste Comte asserts,"To control the sexual impulse efficiently has always been and ever will be regarded as the highest test of human wisdom."
From a spiritual viewpoint,as souls,who have been transmigrating through various species,we have had the experience of sex in all our countless previous lives.But now in human bodies,we have access to spiritual happiness,a privilege that no other body offers us.
What's bad is that most people squander their intelligence for animalistic pursuits,especially sex.For example,students in top colleges like IITs use their broadband nternetonnectionsprov ided by the university to facilitate academic research -to download pornography.For what? To mitate in imagination what the animals do in reality? onkeys enjoy the same pleasures profusely in the jungles with their mateswithout internet connections.To ape apes- is this what scientific progress is meant for?
What's worse is that,when the minds of people become lled with demoniac images of exploiting and enjoying others,they lose all self.control and perpetrate unspeakably shocking actions.The youth who murdered his own grandmother for stopping him from watching porn is a jarring recent example Such a murder-whether hot-headed or cold-blooded- of a family member is unheard of even in the animal kingdom.Have we not become worse than animals? But isn't this expected when we let our bestial desires rule our lives?
What's worst of all is that our society considers aping apes as fashionable,as"cool".Aren't we fools? People ress,walk and talk in ways that arouse the animalistic lust in others.And then they voice concern about the increasing rape,incest,and all other sexual crimes. At an AIDS awareness program,a movie hero publicly kisses a heroine and shamelessly rationalizes,"This doesn't cause AIDS." Lust,once stimulated by sexual exhibitionism like this,goes out of all control and forces people eventually into AIDS-causing behavior.What's fashion to day leads to perversion tomorrow.
Still there's hope.All this maniac sexual energy is a istortion of our original spiritual longing for God,for rsna.A soothing white light can become a jarring red when covered by a red filrer.Similarly,the pure selfless love for Krsna becomes the impure selfish lust for matter when covered by the material body.Just as that pure energy has become perverted,it can also be reverted.
By associating with pureh earted devotees and chanting the holy names of God I ike the Hare Krsna maha-mantra we can all transform lust into love.That doesn't necessitate renouncing the world and becoming monks.We may marry and practice regulated sex life to procreate Krsna conscious children.But when we become free from the sex drive,we will "feel like we have become free from bondage to a madman"(Socrates).We will find the doors to material and spiritual peace and joy opening for us.
In that great inner transformation,which is the greatest human achievement,we will pass through four stages:
• Hopeless defeat : "How can anyone live without sex?impossible."
• Struggle and defeat :"I am trying,but my passions are overpowering me."
• Struggle and success: "By the grace of God,I can fight off these dark passions whenever they attack. It's difficult,it takes all the determination and devotion that I have,but it's possible."
• Effortless success: "For me, sexual pleasures are insignificant," as declared by great saints like Prahlada Maharaja in the Srimad Bhagavatam and Sripada Yamunacarya.
Reclaiming our spiritual purity and integrity is possible and practical,but the big question is: Are we done with aping apes?
Caitanya Carana Dasa holds a degree in electronics and telecommunications engineering and serves fulltime at ISKCON Pune.To subscribe to his free cyber magazine,visit the spiritualscientist.com.