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Newsletter #1
Inspirational Ideas
Sex vs Love vs Fulfilment
Sexual activity is the starting point of life on earth. That is why it is the starting point for this monthly newsletter.
Love is the fuel that fires up our life on earth. It is not to be confused with sex.
Fulfilment is the ultimate goal of our life on earth. It is not to be confused with sex or love.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchyof Needs is presented as a five-stepped pyramid. Its base consists of the needs for survival of the physical body, the satisfaction of thirst, hunger and sex. A few days without water will end one’s life. A few days longer without food will also end one’s life. One can live one’s whole life without sex, but then it will end with no future generation. Thirst, hunger and sex are so much the needs of every living creature,that one will sacrifice all else in order to satisfy these needs.
The next rung on Maslow’s pyramid is Shelter. I will deal with this, especially in its modern context, in a later article. Suffice it to say that one will desert one’s shelter in order to search for water, food – and sexual satisfaction.
Love is on the next rung of Maslow’s pyramid. Note that it is separated from Sex by Shelter. Love, in the sense that it is an emotional exchange between two beings, is not as essential to physical life as the previous two. It is this form of love that – through the interpretations of Western religious beliefs – has become so confused with sex, that sexual activity outside of marriage is condemned. When Love and Sex come together in one relationship, it is immensely satisfying, and usually excludes any other sexual indulgence. Hoever, it is important to realise that prostitution could not have existed if love was a prerequisite, and love between two humans could not exist(beyond a few years, perhaps) if sexual intercourse was an essential ingredient.
The next rung on Maslow’s ladder is Self-Esteem, also to be dealt with in a separate issue of this bulletin. For the moment, do recognise that here one is dealing with love of oneself in relation to the outside world. If one does not love oneself, it will affect one’s presentation of oneself to the outside world, and that will usually prejudice one’s indulgence or enjoyment of love, and of sexual activity, too.
The top rung of Maslow’s Hierarchy is what he termed Self-Actualistion. It is being the person one is capable of being to the fullest possible extent. It may or may not require sexual fulfilment, it may or may not require a loving relationship with another being. It is the fulfilment of one’s higher goals, objectives, purpose in life. It can only be achieved by communion with one’s Creative Source. Call it God, if you are religiously inclined, but please, do not see It as outside of you, up there, beyond your reach. It comes about when your mind is in tune with and a vehicle for Creative Mind.
Sexuality and Spirituality.
When seen in this light, one can understand that sexual activity is not unspiritual. We are created by the Divine, the Spiritual Source, and It created us with sexual organs and desires that have to be satisfied if our species is to continue. It is unspiritual to force oneself on another. It is unspiritual to utilise a person’s sexual interest to one’s financial or promotional advantage without that person’s open consent. It is unspiritual to pretend to reciprocate love when one’s real interest is gain of a different type.
The kundalini has two heads. There is a definite connetion between one’s creativeand one’s procreative activity. Bobby Burns was a profligate poet and a profligate lover. Charlie Chaplin, one of the most creative figures of recent times, married Oona O’Neill when he was 68 and she bore him seven children in the years that followed.
We Westerners look with disdain on the Eastern gurus and spiritual guides who have a bevy of beuties (including other men’s wives) at their disposal. Yet it would help the religious amongst us to remember that Jacob had twelve children (the twelve tribes of Israel), only two of whom came from his beloved Rachel. The others came from his first wife Leah, and from Leah’s and Rachel’s handmaidens. Yet they were accorded equality. And Solomon, the most spiritual and creative of Biblical kings, had 300 wives and 700 concubines.
Fulfilment:
In conclusion, let me suggest that this month you think about this:
Fulfilment at the Sexual level only, needs two people (at least) and much
activity, leads to feelings of inadequacy, and stems from feelings of inadequacy.
Fulfilment at the Love level only, also needs two people (at least), brings
joy, perhaps peace, but not achievement.
Fulfilmen at the Spiritual level can only be achieved alone, within oneself,
and is completely satisfying.
This Month’s Affirmation
Affirm this statement twice daily, and more often if you wish. Before long, you will develop an attitude and experiences in accord with it.
“Because the Creator created everything that IS, out of Itself, I am part of the Creator. I . . . (your name ). . . speak my word into the Universal Mind for protection, peace, love and guidance throughout this day, and the Universal Law responds to me.”
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