Spirituality and sexuality? Are they harmonious, conflicted or one?

From a Buddhist perpective, Mindfulness and awakened awareness allow sexuality to be quite harmonious with spirituality. Sexual tension is reduced with Mindfulness pracftise because you become more aware of the other person's needs, physically, mentally and sexually.

When mindfulness is practised, the other person's needs become paramount. From a personal perspective, my wife's and family's happiness becomes my happiness and my happiness is therefore derived from there as opposed to being derived from any personal wants or selfish desires, their wants and desires always take priority.

I live and work in Saudi Arabia and my family live in Thailand. I work here because they need me to provide for their needs as opposed to me wanting to be here away from them for any selfish desire to travel or 'see the world'.

My wife's sexual wants and needs always come (no pun intended) first, even when I return after being away from her for months at a time. She too is Mindful of my needs and it is always a wonderful surprise to me when we greet and its almost like we are falling in love all over again at each reunion. It is my opinion that it is this preference for giving, understanding and Mindful thought which has helped us maintain a 24 year marriage with no regrets or misgivings and it is the case that I feel nothing other than Love at any time whether together or apart. There is never feelings of oppression, fulfillment or enlightenment, only Love and Compassion in my case.

It is my opinion that there is conflict between partners because there is a lack of Mindfulness in the relationship. It is my experience that conflict arises because one or the other becomes selfish and falls short of thinking of the partner in the first instance, making regretful mistakes whereby the partner gets hurt either physically, mentally or sexually and causing pain and suffering which causes conflict. Mindful concentration would eliminate this altogether.

Thes are my thoughts, impressions and personal experience.

Peace from a Buddhist....

Absolutely harmonious. Absolutely. The conflict arises from people having a belief that says, "If it feels good, it must be bad." (Or something similar) Way too many restrictive beliefs about sex, I think. What if we all believed that the sexual act itself ranked high among all other expressions as honoring God? Guilt be gone. Shame be gone. Some have this convoluted belief system about sex and all other things, as well. Everything that exists is an expression of God in Us, for God's sake (not a blasphemous expression....literally....for God's sake). He created US so that he could experience these expressions, sex and all of it.

Yes sexuality is part of the creative energy and it is natural and healthy way of living.Most religions create some kind of misconception about it.For some everything related to sex is taboo.Sexuality is not against spirituality. My religion is humanity and I do everything I can to help people live a better life.

After reading some of these answers, I can honestly say that I still see no clear and direct answer to your question.

My thoughts are the ways of God. Sex outside of marriage is wrong. Sex with a member of the same gender is wrong. Sex is the highest form of expressing love for your mate and an intimacy is involved. God gave you that special person to share the most sacred seed with and by have sex with people other than your spouse is defiling a precious gift from God.

As a human being we have many facets...like a diamond. The ones we polish shine with the spirit light. Spirituality is one of those facets, just as sexuality is another. Spirituality is continuous, even after death. Sexuality will die with the body as our bodily functions are no longer necessary. Love, on the other hand, is eternal.

Harmonious, sex was created so we could have and raise a family, misuse of sex or even repression by many religions have given sex a bad rap.

God created man and woman, there by creating sex and it was not only good, but he said very good.

Its all about family and reproducing, besides how else would one co habtate with someone for years without it.

I think it has more to do with what your religion is and how it perceives sexuality. Mine is very open and embracing of sexuality, seeing it as life affirming and part of being human.

The greatest gift is when the gift, giver, and receiver are one, in sex this happens at the moment of orgasm[French for the little death]. Sex itself is very close to, and can be a mystic experience. ~ : )

they are harmonious, as sexuality/sex is needed for creation, which is part of spirituality. plain and simple.

It all depends on how you have been Programmed/Brainwashed.