Kāma śāstra - Science of Desire Hari March 30, 2018

பயம் பசி பிணி
வாழ்வாதாரத்தை அசைத்து பார்க்கும்
(மூலாக்னி)

இம்மூன்றும் தணிந்த நிலையில்
பொருள் புகழ் காமம் கேட்கும்
(காமாக்னி)

இச்சிற்றின்பங்கள் சலித்த உயிர்
அறம் அறிவு ஆற்றல் தேடும்

(ஞானாக்னி)

Hunger, Health and Survival are the primal needs of a being. This is referred as மூலாக்னி (base fire). Until this fire is quenched, the intentions don't rise any further. 

Once extinguished and only after extinguished, we are driven by a second kind called காமாக்னி (fire of desire), which leads us to seek wealth, fame and sensual gratification. It takes a long time, often many lifetimes to attain a state of complacency with this kind. Sigmund Freud's theories of psychology is built on this.

Then a third kind called ஞானாக்னி (fire of wisdom) starts flickering. This is the drive to learn, hone intelligence, thirst for knowledge and yearning for wisdom.

Instantly, we starting jumping to conclude that these are stages of attainment, the third kind is noble, other kinds are to be suppressed... all such derivations hinder our understanding and evolution. These are not dead stages of attainment, but a flux.

Anything alive can only be a flux, ever changing, shrinking and expanding, stepping forward and backward, up and down. These 3 agnis (fires) are no different. We, the humans, cycle through these 3 agnis several times in a single day. How long one can sustain any of these fires depend on the maturity of the soul. Young souls hover around மூலாக்னி (base fire). Their quenching of base fire doesn't last longer. They might move on to the காமாக்னி (fire of desire) and at times to ஞானாக்னி (fire of wisdom), but will always and quickly come back to the base fire. Mature souls sustain the ஞானாக்னி (fire of wisdom) for a longer time, but they are still in the clutches of base fire and fire of desire, as long as they retain the human form.

In the current times, we are at the luxury of the base fire easily quenched with abundance of food, secure living and a choice of sound health. Hence, most of us have a high flame of desire and flickering fire of wisdom. Hence, our every day-to-day actions are driven towards one of these three;

1.) Sensual Gratification - Pleasing of the most commonly known five senses.

2.) Intellectual Gratification - Attaining more knowledge, ability and adeptness.

3.) Soul Gratification - Genuine attempt to connect and know the soul and the purpose.

Sensual Gratification easily trumps the other two when considering the collective time and effort being spent in. This  Sensual Gratification can again be subdivided into 5 categories based on the number of senses that gets pleased simultaneously. More the senses an act can please, the more desired it is.

1 sense - music, perfume, sugar, pillow, sunset.

2 senses - Television pleases the sense of hearing and sight at the same time. Some flowers are soft to touch and fragrant.

3 senses - Food can please the sense of taste, smell along with the sense of touch. Sometime the sizzling food is thought to be pleasant to ears, but it happens independently, not in conjunction with pleasing other senses.

4 senses - Children - They can please the sense of sight, touch, hearing and smell at the same time. If not familiar, try assessing how these senses are pleased when you meet them after being parted for a while.

5 senses - One known thing to human that can please all these 5 senses simultaneously is a sexual intercourse.

Hence, copulation is the most desired amongst the sensual gratifications. The sad part is, it is not studied as much as it is desired. There are several ancient literature in the art of love-making from renowned sages. The oldest known one is from 3000 years ago (by Shvetaketu, 8 B.C.). Most famous one that survived is Kama Sutra (by Vātsyāyana, allegedly around 7 A.D.). Later more such literature were penned down like Ratirahasya (by Kokkaka, 13 A.D) and Anangaranga (by Kalyanamalla 16 A.D).  

After 16th century, ancient evolved eastern civilizations started falling down and the topic has been given a grey shade and tabooed. It might have been necessary during that time for what-so-ever reason harder for us to comprehend now. As a consequence, the knowledge kept dwindling to a point where majority of us don't even know the proper anatomy of the copulatory organs. It is a good place to start the learning from.

For Men, the external copulatory organs are penis, scrotum and testicles. For Woman, it is clitoris, urethra, vagina and labia. Orgasm is the climax of a copulatory act. It is often followed by ejaculation of biological fluids, சுக்கிலம் (sperm) for men and சுரோணிதம் (vaginal discharge) for woman. Mind is the main organ for both men and woman responsible for generation, flow and ejaculation of these fluids. Contrary to the common belief, orgasm and ejaculation are not the same. There is less than a second difference between these two. With some simple basic practices like Mūla Bandha, this time difference can be extended to 5 to 10 seconds and eventually ejaculation can be contained at will. This is how the tantric practitioners attain several orgasms without ejaculation.

There are several types of orgasms, especially for woman. The three main types are called clitoral orgasm, vaginal orgasm and g-spot orgasm. Clitoris is also called as female-penis as its functioning is pretty similar, except majority of it is hidden inside and only a spec protrudes out. May be due to that the simulation takes much longer for it to be fully erect. Labia plays a major role in erecting the clitoris. It is said that the clitoral orgasm can even be experienced till the last breath. menopause doesn't pause it. Vaginal orgasm is the most commonly known form of orgasm that occurs with vaginal penetration. Every woman in marital bliss can and should experience these two kinds of orgasms in their day to day life.

There is also a third kind of orgasm which is not readily available even if the woman intends. The existence of G-spot has always been an enigma, not only to men, but also to woman. Because, it is not something out there in open all the time. At the height of excitement, depending on the woman's involvement and the level of trust, a soft tissue of olive size slides down from the roof of vagina, it is called the G-spot. With just minimal simulation of this tissue, 20-200ml of a fluid squirts out of urethra. This is the G-spot orgasm, acclaimed as the highest form of orgasm. Due to lack of education on this, women often mix it up with urination tendency and refrain themselves from releasing it. It can be repeated up to 8 times in a single act of intercourse, before the woman dehydrates and curls back. This is not going to happen over-night. Centuries and lifetimes of suppression has made the women incapable of releasing the G-spot. Literally, as in meditation, the mind has to come to a complete halt for it to be released.  Hence, in ancient India, tantric practitioners are revered as saints and they were.

Unlike woman, orgasm for men can be explained much simpler. There is only one kind. With little practice, men can understand the difference between orgasm and ejaculation and practice several orgasms before ejaculation. For woman, the basic knowledge in handling the male copulatory organs involves two things. First, how to erect a penis. It is mostly mind driven and purely playing with five senses, hence touch is just one of the five tools. Secondly, how to pause his ejaculation. There are several ways. Ejaculation cannot happen until these three things happen simultaneously. Increased breath-rate, tightened muscles around the loins and testicles pressed against the body. When at-least one of these is disrupted, ejaculation cannot happen. Hence, at the height of excitement, either the base of the penis can be pressed with a finger around it or by pulling the scrotum downwards will delay the full-ejaculation. There might be partial ejaculations, which denotes the weakness in prostrate muscles. Hence, strengthening prostrate muscles is the right way for prolonged intercourse.

These are just the elementary details. I urge the interested to venture in and learn kāma śāstra from the ancient scriptures, penned down by enlightened sages. 

All these ancient śāstras are bottomless abyss. If you embark on a journey to find the bottom, you'll be absolutely lost and become an annoyance to the people around you. So always keep a checkpoint on when and where to stop the research, act upon the learnings and move on.

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தற்சார்பு - Self Reliance Hari March 07, 2018

"Self-reliance is the ability, commitment and effort to provide the necessities of life for self and reliant"

Essentials: Food and Rest.
1.) Food for nourishing the body.
2.) Shelter for preserving life when at Rest.

These are the quintessentials for a common man. When someone can provide these two for the self and reliant, they can be termed as self-reliant. This is at the very basic level. An animal, like a buffalo, seems content with these two. We don't know if it is really content, but it at-least seems so. As humans, we are driven to evolve and hence we need more.

3.) Medicine - We are naturally vulnerable to getting hurt and as long as it is within the threshold, we heal without any intervention. When it crosses the threshold or when the environment is unsuitable for recovery, treatment helps. The treatment can be with herbs, needles, chemicals, minerals, touch, chanting, placebo, intention, etc. All these are classified as medicines. The deeper the knowledge of a person in these, more reliant the person is in this aspect. Often, this aspect is what made someone respected beyond their life term.

4.) Art, Sport and Research - This is the food for our ever burning desire to evolve. When a curiosity sets in, there are two ways to tackle it. An intelligent evolved mind, can simulate it, experience it and get the curiosity quenched. An innocent mind, can only indulge in the object of curiosity to experience and realize. Art, Sport and Research provide the necessary opportunities for the same.

5.) Solitude - Irrespective of the social stature, solitude is forced upon every person from time to time. It is a boon or a curse, depending on how the person tackles the solitude. No form of any art, sport or research can provide the opportunities to evolve as much as the solitude. Every person who walked this earth and attained god-like stature in the society were those who leveraged the solitude to evolve beyond earthly limitations.

One can assess self and the reliant (often children) on these five aspects. With my limited knowledge, i've created 7 levels in each category. 1 being at bare minimum and 7 is an expert.

Food
1.) Can self-serve and eat from table or a buffet
2.) Can reheat cooked or preserved food
3.) Can cook basics like ready-to-cook, coffee, rice, flat-breads
4.) Can cook using different spices
5.) Can shop grocieries and cook
6.) Can grow basic vegetables, fruits, livestock, hunt, fish
7.) Can grow and harvest grains like rice, wheat

Rest (Shelter)
1.) Can fetch water and make contained fire in camps
2.) Can make a safe sleep zones in camping sites; install tents
3.) Can make safe sleep zones in core nature; forest, hills, plains, beaches
4.) Can build a dwelling units with wood, sticks, mud, stones, caves
5.) Can plan and build a basic home with kitchen
6.) Can build home and device basic defense mechanism like locks, hideouts, escape-routes
7.) Can plan and build a community with supplies, shared duties, maintain order

Medicine
1.) Can clean and medicate minor cuts and wounds
2.) Can preserve self during cold, fever and recover on their own
3.) Can make basic soups, teas to withstand cold/ache/fatigue symptoms
4.) Can relieve sprains and aches with self-physiotheraphy
5.) Can inject medicine, morphine, anesthetics
6.) Can stitch torn muscles and adminster blood transfusion
7.) Can operate on and fix organs

Art, Sport & Research (ASR)
1.) Admires any ASR
2.) Learning or learnt at-least one ASR with dedication
3.) Can perform an ASR better than an amateur
4.) Expert at an ASR
5.) Proven ASR expert in their region (school, community, street, county, state, country)
6.) One-of-a-kind; best amongst known in ASR
7.) Can Invent a new admirable form of ASR

Solitude
1.) Can sit quiet for 10 mins
2.) Can attempt sit quiet and just watch breath flow for an hour
3.) Can attempt no-speak and watch the mind-chatter for 24 hrs
4.) Strength to practice a controlled lent routine for an extended time like 11/2 moon cycle (45 days)
5.) Can learn time-proven art/sport/research/literature in-depth to perfection in total solitude
6.) Practices refined principles in the way of living; exhibits wisdom
7.) Exhibit spontaneous creativity; can device ideologies beneficial to present and future generations

Do not misunderstand this as, pursuance to quit the luxuries and adopt a minimalist living. No. As long as one realizes what is essential and what is dispensable, the madness of exchanging an essential for a dispensable will stop. This in itself is a revolutionary u-turn.

Where we stand in these 5 categories depend on the environment we grew in. Our guardians may not have realized the importance of self-reliance. We are in fortunate times where we can realize and act upon it. One of the most common regrets of people in the final days is, "what will our dependents do?".

Realizing this and empowering ourselves and dependents to be self-reliant is a commendable stance.

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