“When the girl accepts an embrace, the man should put a screw of
betel nut and betel leaves in her mouth, and if she will not take it,
he should induce her to do so by conciliatory words, entreaties, oaths,
and kneeling at her feet, for it is a universal rule that however bashful or
angry a woman may be, she never disregards a man keeling at her feet.”
Kama Sutra
Kama is fulfilling one's desires. Desires are in various forms -- to be wealthy, powerful, sexual needs, recognition, service, etc. The Kama purushartha advocates that one's desires in this lifetime need to be fulfilled, albeit in a state of awareness and without harming anyone in the process. For a person to evolve spiritually and to reach the ultimate destination, the barrier of desires needs to be crossed. This can be done either by fulfilling the desires, or by sublimating them. Suppressing of desires is certainly not recommended because it is like a fully coiled spring that is held down by force, it can erupt unpredictably causing undesirable consequences. As one becomes aware of their desires and one goes about fulfilling them in awareness and without judgement, one soon reaches the stage of being able to sublimate them.
Reliefs depicting lovemaking
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| The ideal playboy |
