Sex, intoxicants & sādhanā

Sex and intoxicants hold a tremendous amount of Shakti manifesting physically in powerful ways. Sex, for instance, is a destructive force in that it bewilders and entangles the mind, reinforcing identification with the body, yet it is also a creative force as it is the cause of (pro)creation and the very reason we exist. Spiritual practices involving sex and intoxicants are really just meant for one who has become an alchemical vessel capable of transforming these powerful forces into amrita (nectar). The instruction to avoid intoxicants and sex in sadhana also holds true as both reinforce attachment to ego when one is unable to handle the immense Shakti within them. The seat of Shakti in the body is the Muladhara chakra, where Kundalini rests in three and a half coils. Kundalini is Shakti, the very force that identifies with the ego so that we may function in this world. When She sleeps in the Muladhara, the jeeva identifies with its false, temporary personality, and thus Kundalini becomes ahamkara (ego). Because Kundalini resides in Muladhara located at the base of the spine near the anus and genitals, the desire for physical union is especially strong in jeevas. Anything containing great amounts of Shakti can lift us very quickly on the spiritual path, but it can also cause a devastating fall and as the feminine principle, Shakti amplifies everything. 

Intoxicants hold so much shakti  and almost instantly modify the consciousness of those who ingest it and make them susceptible to spirit attacks, as spirits (especially of the lower kind) can more easily possess and influence someone under their effect. Intoxicants dilate certain brain cells to increase awareness and sharpen the mind which can be useful for sadhana. They also help ignite the internal fire (agni). A sadhaka who takes intoxicants should be able to use that energy to power the Bhuta agni (the fire of intellect that allows one to digest spiritual knowledge and practices) rather than the Jathara agni (the fire of digestion), thereby converting a venomous substance into a nectarian one. Poison and amrita are two sides of the same coin. Serpents (symbol of Kundalini) have the power to  inflict venom and to heal. When the great Serpent Goddess Kundalini sleeps in the Muladhara, She acts as poison as She enforces identification with our limited personality, but when She rises, She becomes amrit gradually freeing us from our limitations and .This duality is also represented in the churning of the ocean where the asuras (demons) pull the serpent Vasuki from one side and the devas (gods) from the other. So this duality is intrinsic to Shakti and things like sex and intoxicants, which hold immense shakti, can either act as poison & kill us by binding us to the cycle of rebirth or make us immortal by freeing us from it. By force of sadhana, one must purify the consciousness enough so that it purifies and transforms whatever is consumed in return. This is how some saints and siddhas are known to live only on intoxicants, because they have mastered the concentration of Shakti within them and are able to turn that force into nectar.

Sexual energy holds such great Shakti because it is the force of both creation and destruction, not only within the inner microcosm but in the macrocosm as well. This energy produces ojas, a subtle essence that supports spiritual progress. Ordinary sex dissipates ojas through ejaculation or oozing, but conserving these fluids allows us to preserve ojas and redirect it upward to the brain; this is why saintly people have a radiant aura which is but an effect of concentration of ojas in that area. Since ojas is also the source of both Jathara and Bhuta agni, wasting it weakens the ability to digest both food and knowledge. Brahmacarya (celibacy) is not about denying sexual energy, but about transmuting it—raising ojas to the brain instead of losing it through the genitals. Brahmacarya means working with sexual energy consciously rather than ignoring it. Spiritual practitioners who neglect or suppress this sex energy it without understanding its power often fail to sustain Brahmacarya and end up losing control and indulging in sex or even sexual deviancy. Yet sexual intercourse itself can also be used for sadhana, provided one knows how to conserve ojas during union. One way is by ‘stealing’ it from a partner, though this is not recommended since it shortens the other’s lifespan and creates karmic debt. The other is to unite with a partner who is also a sadhaka, so that both can exchange and transmute the energy together. The difficulty, of course, is that both must be equally disciplined and have very firm minds as in such sexual intercourse there is no emission of semen so no ojas is lost. Since these sadhanas demand extraordinary mastery of the mind, abstinence is recommended in most spiritual practices otherwise sex becomes a cause of energic and spiritual drainage that is not condusive to sadhana.

That force which is so strong it consumes the mind of ordinary men and women, and is at the same time the very source of creation—imagine what could be done by one who learns to control it. Likewise, that force which can shift consciousness almost instantly, making one shameless and fearless, could certainly be used for sadhana. By understanding inner alchemy and the transmutation of elements, we can see how even sex and intoxicants can be used for spiritual advancement.  However it takes special determination to control Tamas rather than be controlled by it. This is why most spiritual doctrines advise focusing on sattvik sadhanas for they are milder, safer and wholly supportive of spiritual growth, avoiding the risk of being catapulted back into samsara. Sattvik practices are accessible to everyone, while only a rare few can truly manage rajasic and tamasic sadhanas. Actually, to use tamasic and rajasic practices for spiritual purpose, it is important to develop Sattva first. Sattva gives the power of discrimination that helps the practitioner identify whether something will be beneficial or harmful. One who uses fierce tamasic sadhanas should be able to do sattvik sadhanas as well, otherwise they are simply taking intoxicants and having sex like materialists. The point, however, is that Nature is infinitely generous, and whatever She provides can be used for sadhana. This is the supreme kindness of the Divine Mother who provides many paths, and as Sri Aurobindo said “That which binds, when done with ignorance, liberates when done with awareness.”