Spirituality is about completeness. About the union of the male and female aspects. The highest state of energy in Hindu world view is the male Shiva. Shakti, the female aspect breaks away from Shiva and by involution (slowing down) existence is manifested. The male and the female aspects – the yin and the yang, separate from each other. Spiritual practitioners use Yoga, sadhana (spiritual practices) and jnana (knowledge)- to evolve and increase energy for enjoin Shakti with Shiva. This union is symbolised by the Shiva lingam. The shiva lingam consists of a feminine base ‘Yoni’ or ‘vagina’ and a rising masculine portion ‘the Phallus’ or ‘penis’ joined in a sexual union. Thus sexual union is the highest state in spirituality.

All body parts gets a supply of energy and use them for their regular activities. The heart uses its energy for pumping, the lung for cleansing, the stomach for digestion etc, but it is only the sexual energy that is not used on a regular basis. And compared to the rest of the organs, the sexual energy is way more than the energy of all the other organs – each male sexual ejaculation produces 220 millions sperms, each of which has the capability of creating a human being. So, one can imagine the power of the sexual energy.

As we have seen in earlier blogs, the ancient Rishis had tremendous knowledge and wisdom about each and every aspects of existence, especially with regards to evolution and increase of energy. Hence sex was one of most researched and studied aspect. Some of the finest and most detailed studies on sexual practices have been done in ancient times – called the Kama shastra (includes the book “Kamasutra”). Kamashashtra refers to the tradition of works on Kāma: love, erotic, or sensual pleasures and includes written works, art, sculptures and others.

The ancient seers of India suggested four stages of life based on maturity, progression and goals. They are called the varna ashramas (stages).

1. Brahmacharya Ashrama is the first 25 years from infancy to border of adulthood. One had to abstain from sex or sexual thoughts in this stage.

2. The next is Gruhasta (householder) Ashrama – from 25 to 50 years. The householder would get married, earn wealth, have material gains. This was the ashrama where sexual conduct and enjoyment was encouraged. Eroticism, sexual pleasures, fantasies, ecstasy and orgasmic knowledge were imparted with a view to satiate all senses with physical sexual acts. Kamashastra was prepared with a view to satiate individuals within this ashrama.

3. The Vanaprastha Ashrama (Age 50 to 75 years) that follows is one in which the individual works for the society and country, unselfishly. Gives back to society. Sex is not allowed in this ashrama.

4. The final phase of the Sanyasa Ashrama (above 75 years) is the time when individuals work towards increasing their frequency – indulging in worship, prayers, visiting pilgrimages etc.

Sex has three distinct and separate purposes – procreation (more suited for tamsic people), pleasure (for rajasic people) and liberation (for sattvic midsets).

While, procreation is common to animals and tamasic humans, there is a lot of literature and knowledge of rajasic sexual techniques called the “tantric sex”. The techniques and practices leads to channelizing all the sexual energy that would normally leave during an orgasm, back into your body. Foreplay is of great importance in Tantric Sex. But Orgasm is given little importance. The period just before orgasm is of utmost importance. Tantric sex tries to maintain that particular effect for a long time – in fact for hours. This is often misunderstood as prolonged orgasm.

What interests me is the sattvic sexual union. Where sex is used to increase one’s frequency, where frictional and physical orgasm is eschewed for a higher form of orgasm – the union of the shiva and the shakti. And for that to happen, one has to practice brahmacharya for many years. Brahmacharya is the retention of semen in the body by continence.

Ancient knowledge say that semen discharge must be stopped to control the energy loss. In ayurveda, it is said that there are seven tissues (dhatus). Our food intake is converted into lymphatic fluid (rasa), this rasa is then converted into rakta (blood), which is converted into mansa (muscle). Mansa is further transformed into meda (fatty tissue). Meda is used to make asthi (bones), asthi forms majja (bone marrow and nervous tissue), which finally converts to form shukra (sperm). Thus every dhatu is a precursor of the next dhatu and one drop of the final dhatu – shukra, takes anywhere between 60-100 drops of blood.

The semen is a viscid albuminous fluid, alkaline in reaction, which is very rich in calcium and phosphorus, also in lecithin, cholesterol, albumen, nucleoproteins, iron, vitamin E, etc. These chemical compounds are nourishing for the nervous system and the brain and loss of these substances could lead to problems of the nervous system.

Just being able to control the discharge of semen is inadequate. It could lead to nightfall. The energy of the semen needs to be converted, transformed and sublimated into another substance “ojas”. Ojas is the energy that gives a person their glow, good health, bodily lustre, stamina, inner strength and a strong immune system.

Sublimation is not a matter of suppression or repression, but a positive, dynamic, conversion process. It is the process of controlling the sex energy, conserving it, then converting it into higher Ojas Shakti. The material energy is changed into spiritual energy, just as heat is changed into light and electricity. Just as a chemical substance is sublimated or purified by raising the substance through heat into vapour which again is condensed into solid form, so also, the sexual energy is purified and changed into divine energy by spiritual Sadhana like deep meditation, Japa, worship and Pranayama. By these techniques, the sexual energy can be transmuted into Ojas Sakti and stored up in the brain.

The most important technique for transporting ojas to the higher frequency of the brain is the “Urdhaverata” (flow towards the higher ). There are secretive forms of sadhana which forces the seminal energy to flow upwards into the brain as Ojas Sakti. There is now no possibility of the semen going downwards by sexual excitement.

If we consider the sahasrara or crown chakra to be of the highest frequency or “Shiva”, then the lower frequency sexual energy or shakti needs to meet the higher one. Therefore, we have to retain the powerful sexual energy by practicing brahmacharya for many years, and convert into ojas energy. This ojas is then sublimated and transformed into higher frequency energy via a process called Urdhavareta. Thus we can use sex to achieve the highest state of sexual union of Shiva and Shakti.