Sex and Spirituality

Personal preference. Everyone has their quirks...

 

which has me to question why its all a symbol if its only a preference?

 

Who cares if Krishna had sex with the Gopis or not??? What does that prove? Sex can be looked at in a number of ways, as can the scriptures and Krishnas pastimes. Lets not endulge in extremes here...

 

Krishna's mother Yashoda is among the Gopis. So it seems it might have some implications.

I think personally that looking at these Lila in terms of sex is simply a waste of time, as it only serves to obscure the true inner meaning.

 

Was that your own translation? Even with my limited knowledge of sanskrit I can see several inaccuracies there.

 

::nods:: I very much agree. It is quite similar with Jesus and Mary Magdaline...because people see just that she was once a prostitute they miss the sheer fact that she gave up that life to follow Jesus...she is, imho, the Christian version of Radhe...and also similarly Jesus's mother was among the "Marys" and other women who followed Jesus (including Veronica)....Though Jesus's and Krishna's stories are not totally the same they are very similar...though Krishna's interaction with women was more playful...women still reacted with similar devotion to both...more willing devotion...more faith to believe (like the woman who asked Jesus to heal her son...even though they were not Jewish...saying even the dogs need to be cared for (or something similar) ) .....

...this is not just because I'm a woman (and its no offence to men)...just an observance.

 

Why are you talking about Jesus in a Hindu thread...

In any case, this is why the offshoot ISKON movement has high dropout rates at 90% since people can't cope with the celibacy and strict rules. There is a reason why India has over a billion Hindus and the famous kamasutra.

Spiritualism and sex can work just fine, there are other ways to find god.
In short, practice spiritualism, have great sex and multiply.

 

Why not? ::shrug::

 

true but she her lila is one of motherly affection and is never considered a participant in madhurya lila rasa

the point is krishna and the gopis didn't sit on the banks of the jamuna and cross their legs and meditate but danced in the moon laden nights that could be considered even by the most conservative standars, risquey behavior... inner meaning aside

 

i actually cyberly know the translator... its been a few lifetimes since i've spoken sanskrit and so i've forgotten most of it

curious, what are some "inaccuracies" that you've found?

btw, translating is very subjective as there are quite a few words and directions one can go with every phrase... i'm reading a book now by christopher isherwood who comments on this in brushing up swami prabhavananda's translations

 

it actually took mary magdalene sixth centuries to become a prostitute under pope gregory

i not a fig fan of the term "giving up"... and the sacrifice consciousness implied... she gained a life or to put it on equal terms, jesus gave up a life to follow her and be her husband

Rukmini maybe as she married Krishna but Radha had a husband separate from Krishna

there are underlying spiritual truths that are similar but "very similar" is a stretch... why not include Elvis who also had a certain attraction among his women devotees?

 

That makes Pope Gregory sound like a pimp.

It would depend wouldn't it on what one is giving up? Could be giving up misery for happiness, ignorance for knowledge.
I don't like the idea common in religion that everything pleasurable has to be given up for some ascetic type existence - but I think some things are better given up.

 

I don't recall Jesus ever marrying Mary Magdaline....

 

The main reason something pleasurable must be "given up" is to try another dish, instead of eating the same one.

 

married, had a child (sarah) and lived happily ever after

 

nothing sensual going on here

 

"Two birds, fast bound companions,
Clasp close the self same tree.
Of these two, the one eats sweet fruit;
The other looks on without eating.

On the self same tree a person, sunken,
Grieves for his impotence, deluded;
When he sees the other, the Lord, contented,
And His greatness, he becomes free of sorrow.

When a seer sees the brilliant
Maker, Lord, Person, the Brahma-source,
Then, being a knower, shaking off good and evil,
Stainless, he attains supreme identity with Him.

Mundaka Upanishad.

 

That is such a beautiful picture.

 

sex is like itching. like camel eating cactus. but it can be purified to spiritual attachment (sex is 100% material)

 

Hinduism has a variety of teachings on sex. It basically comes down to what you are interested in pursuing. Some hindus avoid sexual activity completely, some only engage in sexual activity in order to make children, some avoid just masturbation but not other types of sexual activity, and some don't avoid sexual activity at all.

There are some hindu writings(the practice of brahmacharya by sivananda) say that sexual activity can be draining energetically and so those writings tend to advise people to avoid excessive sexual activity. There are also hindu writings that teach people how to have sex with various sorts of sexual positions, this writing is called the kama sutra.