10 Ero'tic Commandments

10 Ero'tic Commandments




Discover the sacred unity of body and soul when it comes to se'x.


THE TEN ER0TIC COMMANDMENTS

ETHICS.
The first step in the spiritual life is to move beyond narcissism and self-absorption. This is not a glamorous suggestion, but it is essential: Treat your partner honestly, respectfully, and kindly. It's as simple as that. Spirituality begins in achieving a basic but difficult aspect of maturity—not being selfish. This doesn't mean that you don't take care of yourself and have full satisfaction in your S’EXual life, but, as the spiritual traditions consistently teach, you can't be happy if those around you are not happy.

PARTNERSHIP.
S’EX is a union of persons, not only bodies. You can prepare for S’EX by being an interesting person, bringing with you your intelligence, culture, ideas, values, and talents. It's one thing to make love with a pretty body and another to be intimate with a real person. You can take time to talk to your partner, maybe at dinner before lovemaking. Don't be afraid to talk about the things that matter. Letting a closely guarded thought emerge can lead to a physical sense of release. If you can’t do this with your dinner partner, then your S’EX may not be anything special. 

VISION.
A spiritual person has a broad vision. He or she is interested in life, meaning, and the world. Vision is an aspect of transcendence and a reach beyond self. S’EX usually begins and ends in conversation. Visionary talk, in contrast to mundane and self-centered chatter, can be vital and er0tic.

CONTEMPLATION.
Spirituality benefits from some kind of contemplation or meditation, a stepping outside the ordinary reality. Lovemaking can have a contemplative quality—taking time, allowing yourself to be dreamy, giving in not only to passion but also to the timeless atmosphere of S’EX. Ecstasy, a word often applied to S’EXual experience, means "to stand outside," and it doesn’t have to have the swoon factor that people sometimes associate with it. Ecstasy can be a steady, calm progress to a state that is tranquil and otherworldly.

RITUAL.
S’EX is as much a ritual as anything done in church or temple. A ritual is an action that speaks primarily to the heart and soul. It doesn't have much practical meaning. Some people like to justify S’EX by seeing it as a way to make babies or to express love. Obviously it can do these things, but it can also be a ritual that evokes the spirituality of the relationship, long or short, casual or serious. Therefore, the spiritual quality of S’EX may increase if you pay attention to its ritual aspect: timing, clothing, music, candles, setting, language.
MORE EROT'TIC COMMANDMENTS ON PAGE 2 BELOW


GENEROSITY.
S’EX can be virtuous without being repressive or too clean. The great virtue in S’EX is generosity, the capacity to offer an abundance of feeling, intelligence, and equality to your partner. This doesn't mean surrendering completely or giving away too much, but rather a thoughtful and moderate offering of self. Again, this is a traditional spiritual virtue applied to the special realm of S’EX.

BEAUTY.
S’EX has a lot to do with appreciating the beauty of the human body and the person. You don't have to be a stunner or even pretty or handsome. Fortunately, S’EXual passion allows us to see the beauty of the body in small elements and gestures. Loving the person also helps, because the beauty of the personality usually gets transferred to the body.

PRAYER.
Prayer takes many forms. Even the monks have said that to work is to pray. You don't have to say formal prayers before S’EX, but you can bring to it such an appreciation for its power to express love and to make unions that it becomes a prayer.

DEVOTION.
The ancient Greeks and Romans had a keen awareness of the spirituality in S’EX, which they personified in the goddesses Aphrodite and Venus. An old story is told of pilgrims going by boat to an island where they could venerate a statue of the naked and seductive Aphrodite. For S’EX to be deeply exciting and engaging, somehow you have to evoke this goddess, the spirit of S’EX, who makes things happen. As a muse is to an artist— a real and important source of inspiration—so this spirit is to a couple making love.

COMMUNITY.
Spirituality involves reaching beyond the self. S’EX is quite private, but a good S’EX life can help make a good community. One of the results of good S’EX is joy, pure and simple, an antidote to the often depressive, cynical tone of modern life, with its tendency to dehumanize and make excessive demands. When people have a joyful, positive outlook, they are capable of community.

Thomas Moore is the author of Care of the Soul, Soulmates, and other bestselling books.