“Scandalous, obscene and pornographic” was how one contemporary critic described the work of the celebrated painter of women Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). Although his depictions of the femme fatale and his sexually explicit drawings have secured Klimt a place in the history of erotic art, the most famous works by this Austrian artist are his portraits and the sensual paintings of his “golden period”.
From Gustav Klimt, by Christopher Wynne, Prestel Verlag, Munich, 2004.
I wonder if the dominant religions of the world will ever recognize that there is no human energy in this world that does not derive from sexual energy. All growth is based on sex and creation. It is the most beautiful and powerful thing we humans have to celebrate. It drives our creativity and connections, our love and our will to live.
Yet the only traditions I know that haven’t found it necessary to condemn sexuality are Tantra, Tao, Zen, and various tribal cultures around the globe. Although common sense can, of course, be found anywhere in this world. A friend told me that his father in the West still looked admiringly at women in his eighties, and said “when you stop looking is when you die”.
A few years ago, I was lucky to be introduced to the Tao teachings of circulating and storing Chi energy in the body. It is a natural and practical way of using energy to infuse all other organs and parts of the body, right up to brilliant spiritual awareness.
Tao has a remarkable teaching that at the time of death, our spiritual body should be able to shoot up like a space shuttle. But it needs booster rockets to do so. If we learn to manage our energy and conserve our life essence, we can be prepared for this, and enjoy life better too.
Across the Himalayas, that dangerous man from India, Osho, called for a new generation of human beings to combine the qualities of Zorba the Greek and Gautama the Buddha. He referred to this breed as Zorba the Buddha. The West, he said, had become too material, and the East too spiritual, and both had missed the boat.
Tao teaches that sexual energy is neither good nor bad. It’s just our most powerful energy. What we do with it is up to us.
No journey to rebirth at 50 can be complete without coming to terms with this energy, and how to use it to fuel a healthy, happy, and spiritual life for the years to come.
In this respect, I love and respect the way of Tao and happily forget about religion.
Photograph: The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt.
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