When we practice mindfulness and allow sexual energy to be the object of awareness, rather than allowing ourselves to be a slave to the libido’s every request, we begin to relate to sexuality rather than from it.

Sexual suffering is caused not by the energy itself, but by our own inability to understand and skillfully deal with that energy. At its most unskillful extreme—as manifested in all of the rape and sexual abuse that occur daily in this world—sexuality is closer to violence or hatred than to love or beauty. But even those of us who are attempting the spiritual path—doing our best to pay attention, practicing our meditation and mindfulness, and trying to be as compassionate and skillful as possible—still struggle with intimate relationships, though such relationships are a tremendous source of joy.

This Buddhist Dharma Talk is based on 'Against The Stream: A Buddhist Manual for Spiritual Revolutionaries'. We’re making all of 'Against The Stream' available for free on our blog (one piece at a time). LINK in episode notes.