I’m jumping the gun here and pre-emptying what I am sure will be a comment from Shiva or someone else on my earlier article about Preaching in the Post-Gay-Marriage World.

I said: “Any type of monogamy devoid of celibacy is useless.”

By the term “any type” I am referring to hetero or homosexual. When I say “devoid of celibacy”, I mean devoid of the intent to cultivate the type of spiritual consciousness that results naturally in celibacy. Celibacy is defined as abstinence from any sexual activity which is divorced from its natural function, the natural function of sexual activity being the reproduction of children who are to be cared for, loved, and raised as wholesome, spiritually aware persons.

Monogamy without celibacy is good if it represents a transitory stage from unregulated sex life towards celibacy.

If a monogamous couple come to the center they can be encouraged to cultivate positive spiritual engagement and to naturally and consequently experience the joys of celibacy. Celibacy is very good for your relationship. Once we stop engaging in mutual sexual exploitation for sense gratification a dark cloud lifts off us and we can start to have a real, healthy relationships with mutual respect and real caring.

In material life there are two emotional states - hankering and lamenting. There is also a point where the coin falls on its side, where there is temporary neutralization. However, the coin falls down again on one side or the other.

So we will either be hankering or lamenting. The modern program of unrestricted sex life is not keeping marriages together. It simply ends in lamentation: “You’re not the one for me”. Artificial celibacy and uncontrollable hankering won’t do it either. Only positive spiritual cultivation that leads to the termination of identification with the body and its gratification and a natural, healthy respect for one another’s true identities holds any promise. Why not give it a try? Going by the statistics and everyone’s personal experience, we’ve got nothing to lose.

In the case of non-monogamous persons, they can be encouraged to undertake the process, and then it will gradually become clear whether they are suited for a formally renounced, completely celibate lifestyle (very, very few will be), or whether they are suited for monogamous celibacy with the ability to channel and connect their propensities with the spiritual process through the service of procreation.

In the latter case it is most beneficial to pass through some time of training in self-control and the systematic and conscious acceptance of austerities, in order to experience first hand the different results that come from taking that option in a given situation. We all already have experience of the results of gratification and indulgence.