Gospel of One; Letters of Aul

Hi Everyone, namaste:

We are now on paragraph 2 of chapter 7 in the First Letter to the Orinthians from the book "Gospel of One; Letters of Aul."

"Next question: What about sex before marriage? Since different cultures have different morals and customs about this, I won't make any blanket statement, although I just indicated it is not a good idea.  The sex drive is very strong, and young people especially want to know what it is like.  However I favor abstinence until marriage.  Young people need to be educated about the oneness of all life and to have respect toward the opposite sex.  They need to be educated about the blissful reunion with God the beautiful, all pleasing, all satisfying one.  Then they won't get lost in human sexuality, which of course ends when their bodies die.  But the love of God is forever and the joy of God is forever, ever new."

Commentary: We may think that it is useless to try to hold back natural impulses, but that is not true.  There are many testimonies of couples who have taken the sacred approach to sex and have kept themselves chaste for their marriage partner. There are many people who put God first and their spouse second in priority.  There are many people who keep sex in perspective and see it as just one part of their lives. The bliss of God goes way beyond the physical act of sex. The bliss of God goes way beyond bodily pleasures.

Gospel of One; Letters of Aul

Hi everyone, namaste:

We are now moving on to chapter 7 in the First Letter to the Orinthians from the book, "Gospel of One; :Letters of Aul." We begin with paragraph one:

"Now I will answer the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, what is my view on sexual relations?  We are biological beings.  Sexual activity is natural for us as it is for animals.  However, we have moral standards about it because we recognize that it is very connected to our emotions, our health, and our children.  We have the laws of marriage as well as the ideals of marriage wherein mutual regard is given to man and woman.  Once a marriage is established between a man and a woman, for their own well-being and for the well-being of their children, (as they come along to make a family), they would do well to build their mutual love and respect day by day.  They would do well to have sex only with each other.  They can determine their own frequency. If they look for other partners to have sex with, they are betraying themselves as well as their spouses.  If the marriage is falling apart or was a mistake in the first place, and cannot be saved even after counseling and attempts at reconciliation, then a divorce is acceptable, and then they can try again with new partners, always with an attitude of forgiveness towards their former partners."

Commentary: Learn from people who are happily married. They can give the best advice.

Gospel of One; Letters of Aul

Hi Everyone; namaste:

We are now on paragraph 6 of chapter 6 in the First Letter to the Orinthians, from the book "Gospel of One; Letters of Aul."

"There is a lot more to sex than sensual touch.  Sex is a spiritual mystery in the way that two may become one.  Since we want to have the blissful reunion with God, the union of man and woman is a a little taste of the ecstatic union with all of life--God.  That is why we want to have sex with commitment and mutual caring.  In acts of lustful, selfish, and abusive sex you can never really experience oneness with your partner.  In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of ourselves.  It doesn't pay to abuse yourself or others and squander the wonderful bodies that God has provided for you.  In fact God is in every cell of your body, so let people see God in and through your body."

Commentary: Maintaining sexual purity has always been a problem for humans.  We have biological needs and desires that are mixed in with all the other complications of human relationships. Even for people with high ideals of sexual purity, the temptations to fall from those ideals are strong.  However, for people who are sincere in their quest of experience in the oneness of all life and the bliss that comes with it, then sexual purity becomes a natural and sensible part of their Selfhood.

Gospel of One; Letters of Aul

Hi Everyone, namaste:

We are now on paragraph 4 in chapter 6 of the First Letter to the Orinthians in the book, "Gospel of One; Letters of Aul."

"Remember also that just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it is spiritually all right.  We can't just go around doing what we think we can get by with.  We don't want to be whimsical.  You know that old saying about first eating to live and then living to eat? These  bodies may only be temporary, but that is no excuse for mistreating them by indulging in too much food and sex.  Honor your body as the temple of God. as I have reminded you before."

Commentary:  Yes, there are many things that are legal, but still harmful to yourself or others, physically and spiritually speaking.  There is no law against drinking 10 bottles of Mountain Dew in one afternoon. There is no law against smoking 20 packs of cigarettes in a day.  There is no law against not exercising every day. There is no law against watching tv all the time. There is no law against being grumpy all the time. It is up to each one of us to take good care of ourselves as far as possible.

Gospel of One; Letters of Aul

Hi Everyone, namaste:

We are beginning chapter 5, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the first letter to the Orinthians from the book "Gospel of One; Letters of Aul" (page 76).

"I also received a report of scandalous sex within your community of believers--of a kind that wouldn't even be tolerated within normal society.  And you are so loose and unconcerned about it!  I would think it would break your heart and bring you to your knees in prayer.  I would expect that you would confront these people and help them out."

"This matter of sexual misconduct needs to be brought out into the open because it can seriously harm a community.  I know that most of you are strong in the faith of always doing your highest and best for everyone, but the illusions of life are very strong, and the weaker ones among you may make poor choices about ego and body gratifications.  However, you must not look the other way and hope the problem goes away on its own."

Commentary:  Sexual infidelity, promiscuity, and selfish sexual desires can make it very difficult for a group of people to get along well, even for people who profess a high level of spiritual understanding.  We are spirit souls with earthly bodies and are thus subject to the sexual desires of all normal human beings. There are no easy answers to sexual dilemmas.  Practitioners of Oneness can know that all good desires will be fulfilled in the oneness of God.  Sexual desires that hurt other people are not acceptable. If sexual temptations are too strong, the best thing to do is to physically get out of the temptation as quickly as possible, and then you can regain your calmness and think clearly.