The Myth of Celibacy and Spiritual Life

If you are on the planet to become more loving and to evolve spiritually, how does sexuality fit into the scheme of things? In most spiritual traditions, sex has been held as an obstacle to enlightenment. Vows of celibacy have been praised as seekers try to conquer the "burdens" and "illusions" of earthly desires. The underlying and usually unquestioned assumption is that sexual denial eventually leads to enlightenment.

Yet, if enlightenment is the realization that all the Universe is contained within the infinite doesn't the Universe also include sexuality and lust? Are we supposed to somehow cast out an integral part of our own humanity in order to become fully realized? Dropping sexual lust may occur in a natural, organic way as we embrace all aspects of our sexuality and go through to the other side. But to try to force it upon ourselves is destructive. It may be a by-product of our evolution, but it is surely not the goal.

Celibacy, the spiritual vow to give up sex creates repression. Sexuality can be a vehicle into spirituality rather than an obstacle to it.

One way to express our desire to be reunited with Divinity is by merging with another person through sharing our sexuality. The more deeply we feel the longing to return Home, the more deeply we want to free our sexual nature. This very expression, when realized as such, adds fuel to the most significant fire there is: the burning up of the human ego and the subsequent dissolving of the illusion of separation.

The gift of sexuality is that it is a profound modal for the ecstatic affirmation of human Love. Why not include sex and God in the same breath? Why would you ever want to see them as opposing forces rather than as partners?

Sexual expression can be frightening to some. It is a movement from everyday limited levels of consciousness into an expansion of your energetic aliveness. Two activities that challenge the ego structure down to its very core are meditation and sexual expression.

Both require letting go of the mind's usual control over us. The mind has power over us whenever we make negative thoughts real by focusing on them. In meditation and in sex, in order to become the master of one's mind, one must escape from the trap that keeps one absorbed at the level of thought. We achieve ultimate freedom if we can access a place inside ourselves that lives only in the present tense, not trying to go anywhere or to accomplish anything. In this receptive state, Love happens. Fulfillment happens. Happiness happens. Union (yoga) happens.

The mind however is very cunning. It becomes threatened if you surrender into the flow of sexual energy. Therefore, it tells you that sex is wrong, or a waste of time, or an addiction, or not spiritual enough. Or it starts a fight with your lover when the possibility for a new level of sexual intimacy is available. Listening to your mind's negativity has you miss the bliss that you could be experiencing if you were to truly let go into the formless. Dive in underneath the superficial motivations of your sexual desires to the deepest stirrings within your Soul.

Approach lovemaking with an attitude of reverence and awe because untainted sex is the sharing of Divine nectar. With the safety created by this underlying context, all avenues of pure sexual expression open to mutual exploration.

What, then, is "spiritual sex"? Take a moment to envision your ideal of two people engaged in "spiritual sex." Do you picture candles and incense burning? Do the lovers bow to each other, kiss one another's feet, and then sit in the yab-yum position (cross-legged, one on the lap of the other)? Do they see the whole Universe in each other's eyes? Do they gently breathe together, barely moving? Have they transcended the trappings of hot, animal lust? Are they beyond the need for genital orgasms?

Whether your pictures are similar to these or not, notice your ideas of what spiritual sex is supposed to be. What experiences are spiritual lovers supposed to have? Just notice what your beliefs are. Then, see if the following questions challenge those ideas.

What if spiritual sex has little to do with how spiritual it appears to be?

What if spiritual sex is much more encompassing than you have envisioned?

What if holding on to your pictures of spiritual sex limits the possibilities of other profound experiences?

What if spiritual sex has more to do with the intention of the lovers than with the activity itself? Can hot rock music in the playing in the background, and uninhibited sexual experimentation, in whatever form, be a part of spiritual sex?

Spiritual sex arises out of both partners' desire for union through uninhibited self expression. What if you are here on earth not to transcend your humanness, but to revere yourself exactly as you are right now?

You are a fascinating combination of a heavenly angel/god/goddess and an earthly animal/beast. As you let go into the formless with the intention to become one with your lover, what can emerge is a dance back and forth between your god/goddess and your animal urges. As your animal nature releases into an uninhibited expression of lust, perhaps the absolutely perfect spiritual union becomes available to you in that moment. Then, in another moment, when you are softly touching and looking into one another's eyes, you have included your human, animal lust rather than trying to bypass it.

As you surrender to your lover's feet in devotion, you can worship each other's Divinity and each other's humanness. In fact, as you let out your lust, you create the foundation upon which to build your temple.

Are lust and Love enemies waging war against one another or friends complementing each other? When sexual energy begins to flow, you can be overpowered by your genitals if you let them sweep you into actions that you regret later. You need not do anything about your sexual arousal unless your heart is in agreement with your genitals.

Sexuality can be a doorway into bliss instead of a stumbling block to be overcome. Embracing both soft, cool sex, and hot, lusty sex creates more colors with which to paint a richer self-portrait. "Spiritual sex" includes the entire spectrum from Life's rainbow.

More magic happens if you allow yourself to be seen as an archetype. You can be the most beautiful or handsome person in the history of humankind, or the sexiest, lustiest human on the planet, or a Greek God or Goddess, or more in Love than any couple has ever been. As you surrender into the unknown, new possibilities arise from the innocence of your creativity. The reward for your risks is a surprise that delights you and reignites your Love.

If you let go of your thoughts about how sex should be, new experiences become available to you. Pure, raw sexuality arises out of a more fundamental core within your Being than your mind. You can enhance your arousal by using energy from thoughts.

For instance, you may turn yourself on with phrases like "I love you!" or "This is really hot!" or "This feels great!" or "Jesus!" With an enticing mental image, "Shazam!" - an orgasm is triggered. As you further explore the dance of sexuality, you may be blessed with orgasms that arise from a place beyond thoughts. There, you touch the source of all Life.

Do you know the Tantric secret about orgasms? While releasing into orgasm, you can perform "white magic" by visualizing ways you would like life to be, You can picture anything, such as being deeply in love forever; or money flowing abundantly in your life; or the healing of a friend or relative; or finding relief for the hungry or homeless; or the whole world living in harmony.

What you envision at the moment of orgasm plants a seed within that level of consciousness. Because you are so open, your picture filters down through all the other layers of consciousness. It eventually shows up in your outer world, if you do not let doubt get in your way. You can actually change your everyday Reality through this "white magic."

With this additional incentive, what are some ways that can you take yourself deeper into Love and into sex?

By embracing all sexual acts. By integrating the lust-filled, sex-hungry animal and the soft, gentle angel. By being sexually creative and not settling for a sexual routine. By being sexually curious and discovering what you want to explore next. By being willing to ask for 100% of what you want without expectations. By allowing the energy to freely dance between talking, emotional vulnerability, soft, cool sex, and yes, hot, lusty sex.

As you fully embrace your animal nature, a profound integration of Heaven and Earth emerges. As you celebrate the gift of your sexuality's unique expression, you discover that you do not have to wait until you die in order to be liberated. As our hearts and our sex soar together, we free ourselves to celebrate in Heavenly bliss while still in our bodies.

Death is freedom from time and space. Sex is freedom from time. Love is freedom.

With love, there is nothing to free yourself from. There is no place to try to get to nor anything to accomplish. Love includes and embraces the entire Universe. Nothing is an obstacle to overcome because you have already arrived.

copyright 2000, Swami Nostradamus Virato