If Truth Be Told: A Monk's Memoir

by Om Swami

even remember sitting down later and analysing why such a beautiful act was labelled a sin in the major religions. If you had sex within a societal or religious framework like marriage, it was acceptable, but if you dared to venture beyond, it was considered a ‘sin’. Who had made these rules? Some Hindu scriptures did not view sex so negatively. Nevertheless, they regarded it as a great hindrance towards one’s spiritual progress because lust can easily override one’s intelligence and resolve. They argued that a seeker on the path must be chaste, he or she must be steadfast in practising celibacy so they do not become prey to temptations. I could see some sense in this, but what about the seeker who had reached the other shore? I couldn’t see the wisdom in a lifelong vow of abstinence. Further, I thought it was unnatural and unnecessary. Besides, tantra offered a phenomenal way of transforming sex into a divine offering, and the only significant difference between ordinary sex and sex the tantric way is mindfulness. Tantra insists on awareness—the awareness of each breath, thought and emotion. Sexual desire can destroy awareness effortlessly. When overcome by lust, all boundaries between right and wrong, between good and bad, blur very quickly. But tantric mindfulness turns even lust into an awareness of emotion, it transforms it into love. This is a subtle but powerful transformation because the next time any sexual thoughts occur, you don’t experience a tide of lust but a...