It is due to the gift of His Divine Grace that we survive in this world. Every drop of blood coursing through our veins is but a drop from the shower of His Grace. Every muscle is but a lump of His Love. Every bone and cartilage is but a piece of His mercy. It is clear that without Him we are but bags of skin. But, unable to understand this secret, we strut about boasting “I achieved this,” and “I accomplished this.”
Sunday, August 29, 2010
What is the true definition of "service"?
Education is rendered noble when the spirit of service is inculcated. The service rendered must be free of the slightest trace of narrow selfishness. That is not enough. The thought of service should not be marred by the desire for something in return. You have to perform the service as you would perform an important Yajna (sacrificial ritual). As trees do not eat their fruits but offer them to be eaten by others in an attitude of detachment; as rivers, without drinking the waters they carry, quench the thirst and cool the heat from which others suffer; as cows offer their milk, produced primarily for their calves, in a spirit of generosity born of Tyaga (renunciation), to be shared by others; so too you should offer yourself to others prompted by the motive of service and without consideration of selfish interests. Only then can you justify your status as sajjana (noble men).
Why should we not forget Divinity in our daily lives?
Consider what happens when a person sees a dry stump of a tree at night: he/she is afraid that it is a ghost or a bizarre human being. It is neither, though it is perceived as either. The reason for this misperception is darkness. The absence of light superimposes on something another object that is not there. In the same manner, the darkness that is spread through maya (false perception) veils and renders unnoticeable the Primal Cause, Brahman (Divine Self), and imposes the cosmos on it as a perceptible reality. This deceptive vision is corrected by the Jnana(awakened consciousness) and transmuted into the vision of Prema (Universal Love).
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Why should we discriminate and renounce?
A bird in flight in the sky needs two wings; a person on the earth below needs two legs to move; an aspirant eager to attain the mansion of moksha (liberation), the abode of freedom, needs renunciation and wisdom - renunciation of worldly desires and wisdom to become aware of the Atma. When a bird has only one wing, it cannot rise up into the sky. In the same manner, if one has only renunciation or only wisdom, one cannot attain the supreme Self, Brahman. The sense of “mine” is the bond of deluding attachment. How long can one cling to what one fondles as mine? Some day, one has to give up everything and leave, alone and empty handed. This is the inescapable destiny.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
What is the best way to learn?
We have to learn good things from others. We sow seeds in the ground and provide it with manure and water. The seed sprouts, becomes a sapling and grows into a huge tree. It does not become soil when placed therein, nor manure when it feeds thereon, nor water when it partakes thereof. It only imbibes from each of them whatever it can benefit from them. It grows into what is essentially IT, namely, a huge tree! May you too grow likewise. You have to learn much from others; imbibe about the Supreme and the means of attaining it from even the lowest. Learn from others how to practise progressive sadhana (spiritual exercise) and saturate yourselves with it. But do not be transformed into others.
A Philosophical Argument for Masturbation
We welcome this guest post offering a fresh perspective on the goodness of masturbation. God has given us the power of reason to guide us in recognizing His path for us. This post uses philosophical reasoning to explain the value of masturbation as a tool to help us glorify God.Please also see our earlier article on Masturbation: God's Great Gift to Us.
Masturbation decreases rather than increases vice.Objection 1: Masturbation is a squandering of human time and physical energy that could otherwise be used for Godly worship, self-improvement, or good works.
Objection 2: Masturbation inflames carnal lusts, leading to worse sexual vices.
Objection 3: As an indulgence of physical appetite, masturbation encourages indulgence of other appetites, such as gluttony.
On the contrary, commission of vices requires time, energy, and motivation or desire. That which occupies time and energy preempts vice in the present, while that which extinguishes motivation or desire prevents the commission of vices in the future. As masturbation fulfils both these criteria, it results in a sum reduction of vice.
I answer that, masturbation diminishes vice by eliminating both opportunity and motivation to indulge in certain vicious activities. He who masturbates is therefore, on the whole, less likely to commit various vices.
Reply to Objection 1: It is said that idle hands are the devil's workshop. Insofar as masturbation occupies the onanist, it prevents him from engaging in vicious or destructive acts.
Reply to Objection 2: Rather than inflaming carnal lust, masturbation dissipates it by a harmless release of sexual tensions. In doing so, it removes, rather than proliferates, the driving force that motivates acts of sexual vice.
Reply to Objection 3: Pent up libido will seek relief through other channels, and without the relief of masturbation, might well find its expression through the satiation of other appetites such as gluttony, gambling, and other material vices.
Masturbation is a salutary use of the reproductive organs and does not conflict with reproductive sex.
Objection 1: Masturbation enervates the sexual organs.
Objection 2: In the male, masturbation wastes sperm that would otherwise be used for conception.
Objection 3: By providing an alternative release of sexual energies, masturbation cheapens and may even diminish the physical gratification to be found in reproductive intercourse.
On the contrary, regular use of a muscle or organ strengthens it, preserves ongoing functioning, and keeps it at the ready for functioning. If a limb or organ in the body is not used, it gradually withers away and loses sense or function. It stands that our reproductive organs should be no exception.
I answer that masturbation primes the sexual organs for use in reproductive sex and increases the chances of sexual intercourse resulting in conception by increasing the health of those organs and their issue. Additionally, by making one aware of the erogenous capabilities of the sexual organs, masturbation better prepares one for having a positive experience in partnered, procreative sex.
Reply to Objection 1: Masturbation exercises the sexual organs and assures that they are in good working order. It prevents stagnation of fluids and atrophy of tissues, and in the male, increases the quality of sperm by stimulating the production of fresh gametes.
Reply to Objection 2: Science has shown that regular and frequent ejaculations increase the quality of a male's sperm by stimulating the production of fresh and healthy gametes. Therefore men who masturbate regularly are more likely to father a child. Thusly, the spilt semen is but a sacrifice toward a more favorable chance of achieving conception.
Reply to Objection 3: Especially in the case of women, by demonstrating the range of possible sexual pleasure that one is capable of experiencing, masturbation encourages one to enter into a sexual relationship with confidence in one's own sexuality, and with the expectation of a positive experience.
Masturbation makes a positive contribution to human society.
Objection 1: Masturbation is most often a solitary, private and antisocial act, and is therefore contrary to human interaction and community.
Objection 2: As a act of self-gratification and self-indulgence, masturbation encourages selfishness and promotes the tendency to put one's own needs first above others'.
Objection 3: As a form of self-love, masturbation engenders narcissism, pride, and self-regard, which are detrimental to forming human relationships.
On the contrary, a solitary act directed towards oneself can nevertheless have positive repercussions for the individual's communal interactions and relationships, insofar as it improves the individual's disposition toward others.
I answer that through masturbation, an individual comes to be in a superior position to contribute to society through increased goodwill and capacity for healthy interpersonal bonds.
Reply to Objection 1: Masturbation is an activity in which all sexually mature humans may engage, therefore it can serve as a commonality upon which to build understanding amongst those of differing nationalities, viewpoints, etc.
Reply to Objection 2: After engaging in masturbation, an individual will be in a relaxed, fulfilled, and pleasant mood, and therefore more apt to extend charity and good will toward others.
Reply to Objection 3: The act of masturbation can give a sense of mastery, self-confidence, and ownership of one's body. Healthy self-esteem and a clear sense of self are necessary for healthy emotional bonds.
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Fisting and God's Will
The sex act called fisting is a source of confusion and misconceptions for many Christians. This is unfortunate, because it means that many Christian men and women are depriving themselves of what could be the most spiritual sexual experience of their lives. Like anal sex andBDSM, fisting is often mistakenly associated with the gay community or is considered a sex act too extreme to be appropriate for Christian couples. Not only are these views incorrect, but fisting actually has a scriptural precedent, as we will show.
The Fist of Might
Over and over in the scriptures, the hand and fist of God are described as a symbol of His awesome power and the means through which this power manifests: "O God, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven above and ruler of all kingdoms below? You hold all power and might in your fist.” (2 Chronicles 20:6) Of course, the Old Testament often makes reference to God smiting his enemies with his fist or striking down the wicked with his hand, but it is also the means through which he administers his blessings and benevolence to the righteous: ”You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalms 145:16) Through the hand of the Lord, he guides us to do his will, touches our lives, expresses His love, and provides for our needs with His abundance.
The biblical significance of the hand is important, because in the act of fisting, one partner (usually male) inserts his entire hand and fist into the vagina or rectum of his partner. Rather than copulating with his penis, he penetrates her with his fist. Given the powerful symbolism of the fist, it is no surprise that couples who have partaken in the practice of fisting have described it as being a profoundly spiritual experience. On a symbolic and sexual level, a wife who is fisted by her husband has the experience of surrendering completely to the divine love and power of the Lord, as embodied by her partner’s hand. The husband in turn has the experience of touching and caressing her inwardly, in such a deep and intimate manner as God touches our own souls with His grace.
Powerful Yet Gentle
In the Song of Solomon, the Bible describes the act of fisting and the profound erotic bliss it induces: It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, "Open for me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one”…My love thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings were stirred for him. (Song of Solomon 5:2-4) Here we see the lover gently coaxing his companion to open up to him, metaphorically “knocking at her door,” preparing her sexually and emotionally to receive his hand inside her. Gradually he works more and more fingers into her, until the moment when her vagina yields and his hand slips fully inside her, thrusting “through the opening.” She then describes the powerful passion that this arouses in her as she envelopes his entire hand inside her body. Many couples describe this moment, as the fist makes full penetration into the vaginal opening, as transcendent and a sexual revelation. As the woman’s body accommodates her husband’s hand, both may experience a sense of physical, sexual, emotional, and spiritual oneness.
Some common misconceptions about fisting are that it is very painful or that it is somehow violent or abusive. This is far from the truth, and as we can see from the above description, it can be a gentle, loving, and highly erotic act. Fisting does not have to be painful if it is performed correctly, using enough lubrication and patience. The hand is inserted in a slow and controlled manner, and is preceded and followed by other sexual stimulation which may lead to orgasm. Both the vagina and the rectum are extremely elastic – a vagina, after all, can stretch to accommodate a full-term baby. And in fact, a woman who has been blessed with motherhood can more easily enjoy fisting because her vaginal opening is more flexible.
The act of fisting is physically challenging to perform, requiring patience on the part of the active partner, and relaxation on the part of the receiving partner. It cannot be rushed, and the two participants must communicate closely, with the fister carefully observing and attending to his partner’s comfort and limits, and the fistee directing her partner as to when to push forward and hold back as he works his hand into her. A Christian couple can use fisting to build trust and intimacy between them, as well as strengthening their relationship with the Lord.
Fisting as an Act of Faith
Before attempting fisting, a Christian husband and wife should pray together and ask for divine guidance. The husband should ask that God guide his hand and work through him, and for the skill and patience to fist his wife correctly and maximize her pleasure. The wife should pray for openness and readiness to receive God’s love and grace in the form of her husband’s hand.
Both should treat the act of fisting as a divine spiritual mystery to be entered into with reverence and awe, especially the husband. In another spiritual interpretation of fisting, as he inserts his hand into his wife’s vagina, a man is symbolically re-enacting the moment of truth following Christ’s resurrection from the tomb, when Doubting Thomas touches the wounds in the Savior’s flesh: Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don't be an unbeliever, but a believer.” (John 20:27)Thomas’ doubt would not be satisfied until he physically felt the wounds in Christ’s body and penetrated His flesh with his hand. Likewise, the spiritual and sexual power of fisting cannot be known unless experienced physically.
Role Reversal
So far we have only discussed a husband fisting his wife, but some couples may wonder if it is appropriate for a wife to fist her husband if he enjoys anal stimulation. In most cases, a wife indulging her husband’s desire to receive light anal play is not problematic in the context of a healthy sexual relationship. A wife may even anally penetrate her partner with a strap-on dildo if he enjoys this, and if their respective roles as husband and wife are secure outside of the bedroom.
However, because of the intense nature of the act of fisting and the degree of surrender and submission involved in being fisted, a couple should first look deeply into their own hearts and pray for guidance as to whether it is wise for the wife to fist the husband. They should undertake this only if their relationship is such that the husband can assume a submissive and passive role during a sexual act, while afterward still maintaining his role as the spiritual head of the household and leader in the marriage. Our article on Christian BDSM also addresses this issue.
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