A Modernist Who Wrote About Sex In The Most Ethereal Way

Time changes, and with changing times, individuals change and evolve as do societal perceptions. What was a taboo a century ago is today's truth. What was frowned upon in the past is a statement of freedom in this age. Our values, morality, ethics, and ethos are not static; they're constantly in a state of flux. Yet, a few ideas and human emotions still remain somewhat ‘overly guarded’. Sex is one such natural emotion that’s still not discussed openly. That English novelist DH Lawrence wrote about sex in his novels more than a century ago is really remarkable. It reflects on our society’s prejudiced and eternally embarrassed attitude towards sex, which still persists. Read DH Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928), The Rainbow (1915), and Women in Love (1920). He justifiably celebrated physical intimacy. Lawrence viewed sex as a vital, primitive force capable of freeing humanity from the cold, mechanical traps of modern industrial society. He believed that true physical intimacy could reconnect people with deep natural instincts, serving as a powerful counterforce to rigid Victorian morality and intellectual repression. He argued that people rely too much on their thinking minds and social rules. Physical passion lets the body speak through a natural wisdom that goes deeper than human laws.

Sex As A Profound Experience

For Lawrence, sex was never just a physical act; it was a profound, almost religious, experience that brought two souls into a true, deep balance. Sex is beyond sexuality when it’s understood in its totality. If love is the handwriting of God, sex is his signature.

Thousands of years of repression and suppression of natural urges, thanks to religion and its associated false morality, have made us look at certain things through the prism of suspicion and shame. New thoughts are always unsettling to one's old views. Throughout our lives, we develop beliefs and opinions that shape our understanding of the world. However, when confronted with fresh perspectives or alternative ideologies, our sense of certainty becomes unsettled. In this process, we are faced with a choice: either reject these new thoughts and remain steadfast in our old beliefs, or embrace the discomfort and allow ourselves to grow and evolve. While this journey of questioning one's beliefs can be challenging and even disorienting, it is essential for personal growth and intellectual progress. Only by daring to explore new possibilities and challenging the status quo can we truly expand our horizons and discover deeper truths about ourselves and the world in which we live.

Sexual Passion As A Driving Force

Sexual passion is not only the valid but also the mightiest force that propels individuals forward. It is the driving force that fuels our actions, ambitions, and desires, igniting a fire within us that cannot be easily extinguished. Passion is the ultimate form of being alive, as it awakens our senses, invigorates our souls, and leads us to fully immerse ourselves in the pursuit of our dreams and aspirations. It is through sexual passion that we can truly experience life's vibrancy and meaning, embracing each moment as a valuable opportunity to express our deepest emotions and connect with the world around us.

Eastern Philosophy And Sacred Sexuality

Even in oriental philosophy, sex is rarely viewed as merely physical or sinful. Instead, it is seen as a sacred cosmic event, a powerful flow of vital energy and a bridge to spiritual awakening. Traditions like Taoism and Tantra treat sexuality as an art form and a pathway to balance and higher consciousness. The Eastern thought process believes that sex can be elevated and sublimated to the Apex. In Chinese philosophy, sex reflects the cosmic dance of Yin (feminine, receptive energy) and Yang (masculine, active energy). When we practise sacred sexuality, we are working with cosmologically rooted principles, balancing the heavenly Yang of the universe with the all-knowing, life-giving Yin of the earth within ourselves. In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, Tantra views the material world and the body as divine, using sexual union as a vehicle for transcendence. The edifice of Eastern philosophy stands on the four pillars of Dharm, Arth, Kaam and Moksh. Even the great Adi Shankaracharya had to experience Kaam before he could defeat the redoubtable Mandan Mishra's wife, Ubhaya Bharti, from Mithila in Shastrarth (religious discourse).

Sex As Emancipation And Sublimation

Whatever nature has bestowed upon us cannot and should not be suppressed and done away with. Shams-e-Tabriz, the soulmate of Rumi, says, “Ishq shaguftan shavat astan” (Love blossoms into a 'union'). Sacred sexuality is the marrying of souls. Sex is not copulation, ejaculation, and population; it's emancipation and sublimation. Only through the sublimation of senses can we all meet and realise the Ultimate Reality, or Truth. Sexual embrace is a great and mysterious sacrament. Through physical union, we touch the sacred and feel the true warmth of being alive. Honoré de Balzac aptly said, “Sex is the lyre which vibrates the grandest chords of our being.” Sex is not the fire that burns you down; it's the kind of fire that changes gold into sterling.

If we refrain from being ‘intimate’ because of our inveterate doubts and prejudices, we'll keep thinking about IT all the time. Thinking about sex is harmful than the act itself. Sex can be easy and natural, but thinking about it too often is unnatural. It's an obsession; a perversion.

Sex Is Sacred, Not Secret

After examining the experience of thousands of people, psychoanalysts tell us that man is taking too much interest in mental sex and he does not derive any pleasure from the actual activity. No amount of talking about sex is going to diminish the mystery of the experience of it. Sex is sacred, not secret. So, drop all presuppositions and look at sex as nature's finest gift to mankind. Remember, refusing to accept a gift is against social and celestial etiquette.

Sumit Paul is a regular contributor to the world’s premier publications and portals in several languages.

Published on: Thursday, September 10, 2026, 10:12 PM IST