Summary

The article discusses the misconceptions surrounding the role of sex in spirituality and enlightenment, emphasizing that sexual energy should be understood rather than repressed.

Abstract

The article argues that religions have historically erred in their approach to teaching about sexual energy, leading to widespread misunderstanding and repression. It suggests that the intense desire for sex is natural and should not be suppressed, as this has led to various societal issues including perversions and unfulfilled desires. The text posits that sex, like food, is a basic human need and should not be inherently linked to guilt or shame. It criticizes the traditional teachings of celibacy for the masses and instead advocates for a balanced view where sex is seen as a physical act, not something that should dominate the mind. The article concludes that true spiritual progress is not hindered by sex itself but by compulsive thoughts about it, which often stem from repression or guilt.

Opinions

Osho's teachings on sexual energy are presented as a corrective to the repressive doctrines of mainstream religions.
The repression of sexual desires is seen as unnatural and counterproductive to spiritual growth.
The article suggests that the widespread conditioning against sex is the root cause of various sexual dysfunctions in society.
It is emphasized that only those deeply committed to the spiritual path and guided by an enlightened being should consider celibacy.
The article criticizes the public dissemination of teachings meant for a select few, as it leads to misinterpretation and further repression.
It is argued that sex should be approached with detachment, neither being excessively for nor against it.
The text implies that animals, without mental conditioning, have a healthier relationship with sex than humans.
The author believes that meditation, witnessing, and love are the true focuses for spirituality and enlightenment, not the suppression of sexual desires.
The article suggests that as individuals become more aware, their preoccupation with sex will naturally diminish.

Is Sex a Hindrance in the Path of Spirituality and Enlightenment?

Food is a need of the human body — do you go about asking whether food is a hindrance in spirituality? Then why do you ask the same about sex?

To date, religions have committed a grave mistake in their teachings.

The mistake that Osho decided to correct by speaking against the biggest conditioning of humanity ever. He tried helping humans understand Sexual Energy and go beyond it through understanding, not repression.

The whole teaching of transmuting sexual energy has been wasted and has led to more downfall of humans, not rise, because it has been misunderstood. This teaching should not have made it to the masses through religion.

Instead, it should have been delivered only by those people who understood it.

Such is the repression that when Osho tried to teach and help humans understand the energy, many accused Osho. Others named him Sex Guru. Only a few understood.

The most intense desire burns inside everyone. But moralistic people keep wearing fake masks in front of the world!

Now, please understand everything is OK for

committed disciples,
for people who are committed to the path,
who are being guided by an Enlightened Being,

Tell them Celibacy, and they will follow that as there is one last desire — Truth, tell them to keep enjoying the world and that is what they will do.

But when something meant for highly committed people comes into the public domain, it simply causes perversions of all kinds.

Religions have turned humans against their own natural biology. It is not going to work.

These misunderstood repressive teachings are the number one culprit to blame for widespread unfulfilled sexual desires, rapes, and porn.

When you don’t let the steam out from a volcano, it will find its way out — by hook or crook.

Right from birth, a child is conditioned against sex, whereas nature wants sex.

Don’t we see that the whole of nature is growing and procreating? Sex is central to all/most lives.

How can repression of the most intense desire work??

Amazingly, even today, these religions and even some well-accepted Gurus go on speaking against sex.

Everybody needs to understand that what has not worked in a millennium is not going to work now either. You can’t expect people to change with the same crappy teaching that goes against the most intense and burning desire of humans.

So, is sex actually a hindrance?

Absolutely not till you get deeply conditioned about sex. Sex is a desire of humans, as is food.

Sex is for the body; don’t let it occupy the mind.

This is the fallacy of religious conditioning. Sex occupies and it even rules the human mind. Because it is repressed right from birth.

Food is a natural need of the human body.

Do you go about asking whether I should be for food or against food?

You ask this question regarding sex and not food because you have been conditioned against sex — had religions conditioned against food, all of us would have been trying to find ways to stop eating to avoid the guilt.

This is where one needs to be as far as sex is concerned — unattached, unconcerned — neither for nor against. It is just a bodily need — nothing more, nothing less.

There is no need for sex to rule the mind.

The relation of energy with Awakening is there because it is the same energy working at sex centers and other centers. At heart, the same energy is called Love. But Sexual repression is not the way to progress.

If anything, repression usually kills the capability to explore other dimensions of life because the human mind then just gets lost in sexuality and other perversions.

The answer to this question is pretty simple.

Sex itself is not a hindrance in the path but compulsive thinking about sex is.

Compulsive thinking happens when one doesn’t get sex or gets sex but is full of guilt!

Sex is absolutely not a hindrance for humans nowadays because they are already sex-starved.

Do you see any animal running behind sex as humans?

Animals don’t require porn because they get sex when required. Sex is available as animals do not have mental conditioning against sex.

Humans, if anything, need more sex nowadays to grow so that they can look beyond it!!

For Spirituality and Enlightenment, just focus on Meditation, Witnessing, Love, or whatever your Guide says if you have one.

Be unconcerned about sex. Sex is there. It is OK, and if it is not there, then it is fine. If you crave sex, then also it is OK to find a compatible partner.

As you become more and more aware, what has to drop will drop, and what has to stay will stay. Usually, as you become more and more aware, sex will drop from your mind and remain a physical act — an expression of love. You eventually have a choice of whether you want to go into the act or not.

However, directly working on sex through repression hasn’t worked in thousands of years except for a very, very few who were under the direct guidance of Enlightened Beings. I don’t see it working now as well, even more with repression at its peak.