Of late much attention has been riveted on Viagra, the miracle aphrodisiac that seems to be any man's response to the incipient signs of impotence - a nagging reminder that life itself is passing him by. Is it any wonder that in the highly stressful and supercharged lifestyles of the closing years of the present millenium most men reaching the half-century tideline should feel less than satisfied in their sexual lives that in so many other aspects are a constant source of irritation, confusion and disillusion even in the best of times. Modern medicine is always coming up with various panaceas for the general well-being of humanity and in this never-ending quest for the long-sought-after fountain of youth that would give us all a taste of immortality, isn't there a real risk of incurring the divine wrath and hasten our demise faster and more surely than if we just let nature take its course? My little finger tells me that it might just be so.Why is there in man such a need to always prove to everybody else that he is so strong and virile and that he should feel so down if he can no longer perform sexually as well as in the prime of his youth? Even those who pretend they do not attach too much importance to human sexuality and are quite offended by any reference to it privately nourish the dream of being the stud that every woman would seek out even for a one night's stand. Christian values approve of sex and sexual release only in the context of a sound and healthy marital relationship and even though most men secretly harbour the wish of having a mistress or several concubines as still happens in many cultures to this day, no one will admit to it even to their best friends. It would be interesting to find out once and for all whether man is by nature polygamous and not too happy in a monogamous relationship. Does he feel trapped in his marriage to such a point that he no longer wishes to indulge in his favourite sexual fantasies and would he dare like Tiberius display his sexual prowess for all to see? Of course Tiberius was quite immune to criticism for he was the Emperor of Rome and in those days whoever wielded power could do whatever pleased his fancy or imagination. The ancient Carthaginians, Greeks and Romans recognized the sexual drive as being most natural and essential to one's well-being. Every year there were events that celebrated the goddess of fertility, a euphimism for unbridled sexual activities that released every one's pent-up emotions. In other words, the volcano was allowed to erupt every now and then so that life could proceed more peacefully thereafter. The Athenians of old, so the saying goes, experienced impotence for the first time soon after St. Paul preached to them about abstinence.
Why is sex so important to us that it sometimes makes of some social outcasts and of others popular icons? Is it because there is in man an immortal element - one that it is very difficult to express publicly but which is in him so passionate? Or is it because there is a duality in us all which forever condemns us to live in a state of mental and spiritual turmoil? In every human being, there is a constant struggle between the light and darkness, between the angel and the beast and however hard he tries to go about his life the normal way, there is always an inner voice, the voice of Conscience, that speaks to him almost all the time and at times berates him for what society perceives as publicly inadmissible. And all the while, the world goes around in the same old-fashioned way, driven by the same atavistic urges, forcing men to strut their stuff and women to walk the malls in the scantiest of clothes, with a body language that harks back to the cave period. Nothing that any religious preacher may say will change the privemal life-force just as it is impossible for the sap not to rise up at the first sign of Spring.
When religion declares war upon sexual instinct there ensues a struggle between the soul and the life in a man. Their battle-ground is, perhaps, the cerebellum; and it may even be true that the brain was developed for the express purpose of giving the two combatants a permanent jousting-field. Why is religion so opposed to sex? Is it because it recognizes in sex the most powerful of its rivals or is there a deeper reason to it all? The Hindu sages were probably right when they taught that the sexual force could be harnessed through proper mental exercises into spiritual "illumination". The "Fire of Kundalini" can thus be kindled and released for better and stronger health. India has for many centuries brought to the world a wealth of knowledge and information about the proper way of channelling one's sexual energies and use them for spiritual happiness. Unfortunately, the mental discipline that is required for such an achievement is well beyond the capabilities of modern man whose mind is so bound by materialistic concerns and drowned by so much noise that it would be well nigh impossible to expect it of an average man or woman.
Viagra is just another attempt by modern science to tap into the life force that craves to manifest itself. The need to achieve a good erection and do one's stuff - thereby calming the restless mind - is only part of the reason why so much money has been poured into serious research by various companies. While it is true that the motivation behind it is the big bucks that are in the offing, it is even truer to say that the ancient mother goddess of life the Ancients were so familiar with is making herself heard and felt again after many centuries of forced slumber. Much can be learned by observing how animals behave in the wild and our ancestors being much closer to nature than what most of us are today had a greater understanding of the laws of nature and the need to respect them.
Nowadays, there is a greater danger of undervaluing the importance of sex than of over-exalting it. The danger lies in the characteristic view of our time - that since the soul was a mere illusion, sex is wholly animal, and that if this be the case, it is therefore of no great significance, only one of various physical functions which are hardly worth talking about. Astronomers who nightly contemplate the Milky Way and view myriads of distant galaxies that confound the mind will certainly tell us that all our concerns and preoccupation with sex are absolutely trivial, almost infantile. And poets, ever mindful of the brevity and the littleness of all human affairs, at times come to think, like myself, that sexual problems are microscopically insignificant. But are we kidding ourselves? Is it not more honest to say that astronomy itself would not have existed without the tiny sperm - that drop of fluid that contains millions of imperceptible life - seeking out in almost rabid frenzy, an act of cosmic despair, the ovum that would allow it in for the purpose of asserting its personality and perpetuate itself through time? Nothing, positively nothing would exist without the sexual impulse that impels us almost against our will sometimes to engage in a sexual ritual that is as old as the universe itself.
So men are very conscious of their role in society as sexual beings and sometimes go to great lengths to give full expression to their biological cravings. But in this primitive free-for-all for immediate gratification there is a danger that we may all one day judge ourselves merely by the physical size and durability of our penises and not other yardsticks that are more worthy of evolved individuals. Generations of unwholesome repression have made many people think of "sex" in a filthy manner, and today there is a reaction to outdated puritan ideas that is in itself quite healthy but which when stretched to extreme limits can sink morality to the lowest of standards. There are those who consider the sexual impulse as harmless and as blameless as the budding of a bough or the up-springing of corn. That may be so but the sexual impulse may also be a source of great havoc and anarchy in one's life if it is not checked by moral imperatives for the greater benefits of society. The golden rule maybe should be like in all things be applied to control man's insatiable appetites if he is to progress further in his difficult ascent towards spiritual evolution. Tantrism may be a good thing for the enlightened beings of India but applied to our modern lives and misconstrued by Westerners as simply a pure gratification of one's lusts it can certainly lead to the downfall of humanity. The "fire of Kundalini" can cause unimaginable damage to one's inner peace when misapplied for the source of life can also be greatly lethal to the uninitiated. Even Jesus warned against unwarranted practices and advised against any involvement in esoteric pursuits.
How infinitely beautiful is life and so mysterious as well. Not a single day passes by without people being born and passing on into the next dimension. While we live, we only know life and are totally dependent on Mother Nature for our survival. What awaits us after death is anybody's conjecture and no one has the final say on the matter however knowledgeable one might be. As hemmed in as we may feel at times within our mortal shell, we would be loathe to part from it even for a short while. All the waking moments of our lives are spent protecting it and pampering it as much as we can. A little pain makes us most uncomfortable and even is cause for much alarm and we cannot conceive happiness without feeling healthy and good about ourselves. Viagra is just another weapon placed at our disposal to pacify the Raging Bull in us. But is it not said somewhere that the gods are very jealous of human happiness. And should we not beware even more of Priapus, the god that gives us death-dealing pleasure? Remember what happened to Marc Anthony and Cleopatra? Will we too have our Actium only to realize that the gods exact a heavy price indeed for a few hours of pleasure that is too divine for us mortals to sustain without baneful consequences? So, my advice to you all is: KEEP AWAY FROM VIAGRA!
