HUMAN INTIMACY

Few human desires can be as powerful as the desire for sexual intimacy with an attractive partner. Such is its power that, unlike many other worldly pleasures, it does not easily fade with repetition. People may tire of countless things, but the desire for intimacy continues to arise. Even when the body has grown old, weak and death may be only a short distance away, the desire for physical closeness can remain strong. Until the body finally returns to the earth, the longing for human intimacy may refuse to disappear.

A young man, troubled by intense sexual desires and the constant dissatisfaction they created, became frustrated with worldly life. He had tried to control his desires but found that the more he fought them, the more restless his mind became. Seeking freedom from this inner struggle, he eventually renounced worldly life and became a disciple of a highly realised Master. After spending some time in the Master’s presence, he finally gathered the courage to ask a question that had troubled him for years.

“Master, does sex not come first? Every human life begins because of it. No one teaches a child how to reproduce, yet every creature instinctively knows how to do so. Nature itself seems to encourage it. If sex is so natural, why have religions and spiritual teachings often asked people to suppress it, practise celibacy, or look upon every woman as a mother or sister? Why is there so much confusion and even hypocrisy around something that nature itself has given us? Are we not going against nature?”

The Guru smiled and countered his volley of questions with another question. “If sex is the cause of birth, then tell me: how did the first human being come into existence? If you say God created the first human, then who created God? And if you continue asking who created the creator, where will your questions end?” The Guru continued, “My point is simple. Just because something has been given to you by nature does not mean it must occupy the most important place in your mind.