Sure, which is why parents typically try to do what they can, while they can, and hope it provides a good basis. Our physical / genetic / miasmatic heritage doesn't *completely* control us, you know. There *is* room for learning, decisions, choices. And that learning may make things worse (e.g. learning how do "do" sex before one has learned to "do" relationships, consequences, etc.) or can make it better (learning values that foster a healthy physical, emotional and spiritual life).

But I'm missing your point--what are you trying to say, that "anything goes" is fine 'cause the damned will be damned and the rest will rise with the angels? I'm missing your point...

Shannon

Hi Shannon,

You did not miss any point - because there was no point:-)

Regards

Luise

Hi Leela,

What has happened to Indian sexuality since the days of the Kama Sutra?
Was that a deviation? How about the fairly explicit temple sculptures?

Is it possible that you are seeing Indian sexuality through the lenses of your own ideology?

No offence intended. Just asking.

Richard Knapp

That's along the lines of sex as a *sacred* activity, for cultivating (spiritual as well as physical) union. It's hard to imagine anyone doing that with multiple partners or casual contacts! (Tho I've known plenty of guys who would've *loved* to give it a shot, LOL!)

:-)

Hi RIchard,
I"m not an expert on Ancient Indian History or Indian Mythology. BUt I could find out if its terribly important to you.
The fact of the matter is - only about 0.0001% (and thre may be more zero's here) of the Indian population would be exposed to the "Kamasutra" and its roots or ideology.

As far as I am concerned - my perception is based on what I have been exposed to in my medical training and in my practice. Its quite possible I have not seen it all.
But really, in the society around me, I can see the norm is definitely more prevalent than deviant behaviour.

There is a good amount of moral control in society in general. I see it as due to the Spiritual nature of the people (one cannot have deviant behaviour with God) and also the Indian in general is very respectful of any reference to God.
Well we're just too many of us at close quarters to be able to have a lot of secretive (deviant) behaviour. India is overpopulated - or haven't you heard? ;)

I don't know if I have an "ideology" as you call it, but I have had Experience (personal). I think its important to be convinced of something personally through experience before one talks to others about it.

No offence taken.
leela

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Once of my sentences got deleted in this para:
I'm sure there is a clear percentage of people, though, in our culture who are "maismatically and hormonally challenged", as Shannon put it so well. Luckily I never came across very many of them.

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Dear RIchard, Luise, Shannon, Lisa and others who silently took part in this discussion,

This discussion has been very helpful to me. I was looking for opinions of people around the world as against my "Indian) perception. But it seemed to end in a discussion of where India stood in the realm of deviated or perverted sexual expression.

I thought I needed to get an Indian Male view on my perception as well as to check whether I was only looking at the Indian situation through my own "ideology" as Richard put it.

Also I think we need to be very careful about forming our opinions on different cultures and their moral discipline based on one sided and headline grabbing media reports. It ends up in a visvious circle of "anything goes" and so its OK to do what I want. We lose faith in the humanity in people and their ability to do what is right!
HAving said that, each of us, including me have made wrong choices or "seen that - done that" but its where we go after that which is more important.
To me, the Kinsey report only talks about humans at their worst - in crime or selfishness, sexual or otherwise.
Shannon's detailed point of view showed me that there is much hope for people in the US as there is for the indian culture.

Well, just to put the Indian persepctive more clearly, here is an opinon from an Indian Male Hindu (colleague/patient) with a completely different cultural upbrining to mine. I asked him not to tell me about what he reads in the newspapers, but about what he has expereinced with people he personally knows - family, friends, neighbours, acquaintences and the community around him. Here is what he had to say:

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Hi Leela,

What struck me most about your friend's response was this:

I have just read something VERY similar to this. It was in a book called "Soul Survivor", by Philip Yancy. A most uplifting read. This book is not about sexuality as such -- but about spirituality, Philip's Yancy's experiences in church whilst growing up, and the subsequent influences in his life that led him full circle back to Christianity and a full appreciation of the life of Christ. Amongst his influences were people like Tolstoy, Dr Paul Brand, Dr Robert Coles, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dostoevsky, GK Chesterton, Shisaku Endo, Frederick Buechner and a few others I can't recall at the moment.

I'm left with the feeling there is hope that Kinsey and Hollywood, for example, are not the only influences that will impress and shape our societies.

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