On Sacred Sex

I recently posted something in a Tantra group about how the younger women today are different from the women of earlier generations. It seems to me that the women of the new generation are more assertive in their sexuality and less ashamed about their animal selves. A female reader responded to me and asked, “Okay then, how do we go from lusty animals to Tantra and divine sex?”

That is a wonderful question. Let me take this opportunity to summarize what I have learned about Tantra. Before I start, note that I use the term “Tantra” rather loosely to mean some kind of sacred sex. As I understand it, there is no uniform definition of Tantra. There are definitely different schools of Tantric thought. There are, for example, Buddhist Tantra and Hindu Tantra. Tantra is not monolithic. The Christians too have their own notions of sacred sexuality. The Taoists have what is called “the art of the bed chamber,” which they view as crucial to a person’s health and well-being. There are Chinese sex manuals written thousands of years ago on this topic. I have learned from many different schools, but I am not a slave to any one of them. What I am saying below is just my own understanding and interpretation, based on three decades of reading, thinking and practicing sacred sex. You are welcome to disagree with anything I say. I don’t claim to be a Tantric authority. But I have been teaching spirituality for decades, primarily Zen. I see a deep connection between sexuality and spirituality, something many religionists have denied. It is my view that once you grasp the essence of spirituality, it will…