Kamasutra, words people only dare to whisper<\/p>\n
Jalan Kesempurnaan Melalui Kamasutra, Sex, Cinta & Kasih<\/p>\n
(Road to Perfection through Kamasutra, Sex and Love)<\/p>\n
Anand Krishna<\/p>\n
Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta, 1998<\/p>\n
IX + 122 pp<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Kamasutra. It's one of the most familiar words
\nin the world -- so familiar that many people do not know exactly
\nwhat it means. They may think that it is about the Indian art of
\nacrobatic lovemaking, and many people are too embarrassed to
\ndiscuss the book openly.<\/p>\n
This lack of knowledge also makes people only dare to whisper,
\nsteal glances and then giggle when they come across a book with
\nthe word kamasutra in the title.<\/p>\n
Kamasutra (some versions spell it Kama Sutra) is a Hindu
\nliterary work written some 1,600 years ago by Bhagavan
\nVatsyayana. However, this was only a rewritten version of the
\noriginal work which consisted of Indian texts which were even
\nmore ancient.<\/p>\n
It is true that the most famous part of Kamasutra is about
\nsexual intercourse positions.<\/p>\n
In fact, this book also speaks of mankind in totality; of
\nmanners, behavior, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual
\nsatisfaction. Kamasutra was originally written for the
\naristocratic class of ancient India.<\/p>\n
In Vatsyayana's teachings, the ideal life is one that is in
\nline with dharma, artha and kama. Dharma is the
\nsearch for religious meaning, artha for prosperity and kama for
\nsatisfaction and love. Unfortunately, this idealism no longer
\nfits the present day context. The main difference is that the
\nworld now is more egalitarian than at the time of Vatsyayana.<\/p>\n
As Kamasutra does not exclusively deal with sexual acts, it is
\nnot considered taboo. In Central India there is a temple,
\nKhajuraho, that boasts reliefs of the sexual positions discussed
\nin Kamasutra. The Khajuraho temple was once used as a sort of
\nclassroom to teach sex education. When a girl or a boy reached
\nadolescence, he or she was taken to the Khajuraho temple by their
\nparents or their teacher.<\/p>\n
For the community of Central Java, the information contained
\nin the Khajuraho temple should not be too startling. The Sukuh
\ntemple near Surakarta offers nearly the same information as
\nKhajuraho, and was probably originally designed to serve the same
\nfunction as the temple in India.<\/p>\n
Khajuraho also served as a place to study tantra. It is said
\nthat tantra teaches one how to reach spiritual perfection without
\nabandoning worldly things. According to tantra, the worldly and
\nthe spiritual can go hand in hand. The world is a step that can
\nbring you to the summit of spiritual awareness.<\/p>\n
From the standpoint of tantra, it is easy to understand why
\ndiscussions on sex are never considered taboo. To study
\nKamasutra, you must also think clearly and maturely.<\/p>\n
Author Anand Krishna will certainly not fulfill your hopes if
\nyou are only dreaming of seeing erotic pictures.<\/p>\n
He first explains the real meaning of Kamasutra, dismissing
\nthe misconception that the work is pornographic. In fact, he
\nasserts, Kamasutra is a great literary work.<\/p>\n
He also differentiates between love and sex. For example, he
\nmentions that the positions of sexual intercourse discussed in
\nKamasutra can be performed only if you love your partner.<\/p>\n
If you only think of sex, you will be carried away by desire.
\nYou will have no patience and you will not be able to practice
\nthe postures of the Kamasutra. If you are overwhelmed by passion
\nor if you often change sexual partners, you will not be able to
\npractice the postures of the Kamasutra. You must know your
\npartner for a long time, thus extramarital affairs can
\nautomatically be prevented if you follow the Kamasutra.<\/p>\n
From passion to compassion, from sexual desire to the highest
\nawareness, from sex to love. This is the essence of the teachings
\nof the Kamasutra.<\/p>\n
So, if you see the book in a shop do not feel embarrassed. Buy
\nit, read it and enjoy it without suspicion or prejudice -- who
\nknows, it may help you improve your marital life.<\/p>\n
Kamasutra is an increasingly popular source of knowledge about
\nthe art of lovemaking.<\/p>\n
-- A. Ariobimo Nusantara<\/p>\n
The reviewer is a graduate of Gadjah Mada's School of Archeology
\nin Yogyakarta.<\/p>",
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