Role of Hinduism in Creating Awareness About Sex and Its Related Functions

Abstract

Abstract

Hinduism is otherwise known as Sanatana dharma, the oldest of all religions in the world. Its scriptures allow absolute freedom to the rational mind of human to choose the choice as per individual’s choice wherein individual freewill is exercised. The present review article aims at how a Hindu is educated and guided by the scriptures to lead a harmonious life in the society in general and in particular the sexual functions as prescribed. The main focus of this article are the roles of individuals, families, community, the religious, and educational institutions, and the government to create awareness in the areas such sex, sexual functions and sexual problems among men and women. They are essentially important and needed for the healthy practices of sex in our Indian culture. To strengthen it further, some practical measures are suggested to bring in a change, especially adolescent period is a very exciting phase and they are facing lot of difficulties and challenges in the area of sex. Therefore, the educational institutions should conduct training and workshop for teachers, parents and students on reproductive health and healthy sexual function and the state and central should encourage to undertake the scientific research studies in different areas and groups, for different groups.

Awareness about sex in Hinduism vastly explained in detail through the scriptures to effectively function in a society as a potential human being having got a birth as a human which is very rare. The punya earned by a Jiva in different forms earlier results in birth as human being. A human being sees oneself as a different person. His constant compulsive pursuits make his sense of inadequacy evident. To escape from his deficiency, he struggles for a large number of things in life which are (a) dharma—ethics (b) artha—securities (c) kama—pleasure, and (d) moksha—liberation. The purusartha is that which is longed for by human beings. These are the goals of purusa, the human being struggles for the pursuit of security and pleasure, artha and kama, is shared in common with other living beings. The other pursuit, the ethics—dharma, and the pursuit of liberation—moksha is peculiar to human beings. A self-conscious being is a thinker with the capacity to reach conclusions about himself. Artha, one of two pursuits that human beings share with other creatures, stands for all forms of security in life—wealth, power, influence, and fame. Every living being seeks security in some form appropriate to itself. There is no end to longing and struggle for wealth, power, and fame for the human being.

Kama stands for the many forms of sensual pleasure. All creatures seek what is pleasurable through whatever sense organs available to them. Human pursuit of pleasure is more complex. Every human being lives in a private, subjective world where one seeks objects as desirable, undesirable, or neutral—neither desired nor undesired. ¹ There are four ashrams or stages in a Hindus life, namely, brahmacharya—the period of studentship, grhastha—the stage of householder, vanaprastha—the stage of the forest dweller or hermit, and sanyasa—the life of renunciation or asceticism. The first two stages have their own duties to perform to regulate life into something meaningful as far as wordly affairs are concerned. In Brahmacharya ashram an individual student stays with the respective teachers and fellow students; during this period he remains away from wine, meat, perfumes, garlands, tasty and savory dishes, women, acids, spices, injury to sentiment of creatures, lust, anger, greed, dancing, singing, playing on musical instruments, dice playing, gossip slander, and untruth.

On completion of his studies he was addressed by his teacher with some guidelines to follow, like speak the truth, do your duty, never swerve from the study of the Veda. Do not cut off the line of progeny never swerve from the truth. Never swerve from duty, never neglect the study and the teaching of the Vedas. Never swerve from the duties to the gods and forefathers. Regard your mother as a god. Regard your father as a god. Regard your guest as god. Only those that are good acts to us should be performed by you and not others.

You should remove the fatigue of Brahmanas who are superior to you by serving them with seat etc. Gift should be given with faith in plenty with modesty and sympathy. If there be any doubts regarding rites or conduct then lookup to the lives of great man and follow their examples. This is the injunction. This is the teaching. This is the secret of Vedas. This is God’s word of command. This should be observed. This is to be meditated upon. ²

But in this present modern educational system the students staying in hostels are exposed to computer, information technology, television and cell phones and other advanced technologies, put them in hardship in maintaining interpersonal relationships, deviations from the culture, lack/poor understanding of sex related information or malfunctioning of sex related activities, drug abuses, suicides and committing crimes. The school, the families, and the communities suffer due to the students’ problems which need adequate attention. The ethical teaching from the scriptures, performing rituals at home and schools, worships, prayers, meditation, listening to music, sacred songs or singing the glories of god yoga and other kinds of meditation, contemplative readings, appreciation of art and creative relationships, participation in team and recreation, and energizing and enjoying nature are programs to be incorporated into main system of education whichever possible by the environment.

The second ashram as grhastha is to practice sex not only to attain pleasure for sense organs but to fulfil his dharma to lead a marital life by his honest earnings to maintain the harmonious relationship with his family and the society. Here, the marriage is a sacrament for a Hindu. The wife is his partner in life. She is his ardhangini. He cannot do any religious ritual without her. She stands by his left side when he performs any religious performances. Husband and wife keep Rama and Sita as their ideal. It is further emphasized that they should enjoy sensual pleasures within the limits of moral law. A householder is permitted to enjoy conjugal happiness on one night in a month. ³ The Rigveda tells us that there is a divinity to human marriage in that it is modeled after gods; before focusing on more on the humanness of marriage simply by being a women, a bride is seen as having inherent value to her husband’s family. This has to do with the expectation that children will be the result of a marriage. ⁴

On wedding (first night), there is an anticipation of hymen break in women by physical contact with her husband which results in bleeding; this is seen as destructive blood in a Vedic marriage. Her husband goes to rituals by a learned Brahmin to purify the wet cloth and bring longevity to the marriage. Very important in Hinduism is invoking Indra for strong sons and Agni for many sons are emphasized. Some Upanishads compare Vedic rituals to sexuality such as the oblation of cow butter into the five resembling the acts of procreation every action performed in the ritual has a counterpart in love making and eventual birth. ⁵ The tantras suggest that sexual intercourse is not simply like a ritual but that the act itself is a ritual. ⁶ Kama Sutra: Aphorisms on Love by Vatsyayana states sexual aspect is Hindus dharma to be performed and it appears to be the expression of Indian psyche and life. Love is in the true of nature of human and sex is a form of expression. United couple together both physically and mentally within the framework of dharma to lead a marital life with peace and harmony is prescribed. Ananda Ranga in his Kalyana Malla states that all of you who read this book shall know how woman is instrumental in capable of giving the divinest pleasure.

In Ramayana, when Rama returned to Ayodhya, he found that the hijras, neither males nor females, had not moved from the place where he gave his speech to the people of Ayodhya. Impressed with their devotion, Rama grants hijras the boon to give blessings to people during auspicious inaugural occasions of childbirth and weddings. The Dharma Sastras view of homosexual is a taboo; a man who engages in same sex activity has to be punished. However in the case of transgression it is treated slightly. Homosexuality and transsexuality is found in ancient and modern days. Homoeroticism is an important aspect of Hindu literature. Indian mythology depicts the communion of male and female parts of human consciousness as represented by lord Shiva and goddess Shakti; out of their union, the whole world is created in a celestial dance. In ancient times, sex was liberal where women had an equal say in what they wanted and enjoyed by sharing in bed. Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita quotes that he is omnipresent but takes the form of desire—kama, especially sexual desire, in human body. ⁷ Attainment of kama, fulfilment of sensual and sexual pleasure for males as the householder, is prescribed in the grhastha ashram.

In Mahabharata, a story of Shikhandi is given. Amba is reborn as a male Shikhandi, sometimes whole and other times a eunuch in other versions; Shikhandi is a male but transgender owing to lord Shiva’s boon that Amba will remember all the details of her past life. In early versions of the Mahabharata, Shikhandi is still Amba reborn but a straight female and because Panchal does not practice gender discrimination, she is trained to become a warrior and fight in the Kurukshetra war. Iravan in Mahabharata was Arjuna’s son from the Naag Princess Ulupi while on the exile, which Arjuna got for disturbing the privacy of Yudhishthira and Draupadi. Arjuna spent a night with Ulupi and from their union was born Iravan. In Tamil tradition, Iravan is worshipped as homosexual god. Man having sexual feelings towards men worships him. Iravan or Aravan literally means homosexual or hijra. In Tamil Nadu, Aravanis, during April–May, celebrate an 18-day religious festival in the Koothandavar temple.

As long as a human being is aware of his sexual functioning in accordance with moral code of conduct prescribed by sastras, he maintains peace within himself, brings joy and happiness in his wife, and establishes tranquility in family and prosperity and absolute peace in the society. That person becomes wise to set out a model to the society as examples to the generation. In the case of poor understanding/lack of awareness about biological psycho social and spiritual aspects of sex of human beings, the individual is prone to difficulties in sex and to commit crimes related to sex. Blaming the individual may not be wise to act out which results in aggravating the existing problem. There is no other way to solve it unless the family from the beginning imparts knowledge about the science, religion, and spirituality. The educational institutions should create an environment for the learners to openly discuss the issues of pre-adolescence and adolescence crisis to solve the issues with the help of teachers, parents, school counsellor and creative artists and through yoga, drawing, music and life skills. The role of religious mutts and temples are very vital to make them aware of themselves as Jiva whose purpose of birth is novel to serve the fraternity and attaining moksha through the regular teaching of scriptures, the rituals, prayers, pilgrimage, and retreat by the individual based on freewill, are no doubt but helpful to maintain a positive outlook towards sex and its related practices.

The foremost important tasks of government authority are:

Formulation of educational policies for the overall/all-round development of the student community; special focus should be on bio-psycho-socio-religious-spiritual dimensions of sex and its sssssrelated functions for adequate awareness among the students.

Designing curriculum where an individual learns about sex as a subject through discussions, drama and play, competitions, etc.

Organizing pilgrimage and retreat and awarding the public for innovation for the development of community.

Establishing child guidance centers in schools and communities and student guidance and counselling centers in the community to promote a positive outlook/attitude towards sex and its related areas.