Content Advisory: Sexually graphic artwork and language.
Chinese metaphor of the Heaven (men) making love to the Earth (women), as interpreted by Boone Brux.
Modest, discreet, and humble, the Chinese people have carried this persona for centuries. So it may come as some surprise that early Taoism, or Daoism, produced what can only be referred to as the superheroes of the bedroom.
With its emphasis on balance, ancient practitioners of this philosophy strove for a harmonious marriage between sex and spirituality. It was their belief that when sex was performed effectively, the male was rewarded with not only better health and control over all disease, but immortality. Needless to say, many Taoist males dove into the practice with their jade stalk cocked and primed, ready to prove their worthiness to live forever.
But fear not ladies, though heavenly rewards were bestowed to men, it was the women who won all the earthly delights.
Yin and Yang played an important role in the mating ritual—opposite forces comprising the body, nature, and the universe.
Portrayed as the black swirl, Yin represented the woman, weakness and passivity. But it was she who held the key to the man’s immortality. Without her and the life-giving essence she kept locked away, a man was unable to reach the state of everlasting life.
Whereas a woman’s reservoir of yin was vast, a man’s yang was believed to be limited in quantity. The longer he could remain penetrated within her and the more of her essence he absorbed, the stronger his Yang became. In a nutshell, she had it and he wanted it. As such, it was man’s job to keep his yang, or semen, while making his partner give up her yin, or come.
Yep—you’ve got it. If a man gave the woman an orgasm without ejaculating, he was rewarded. Some may consider this common sexual courtesy, but for the ancient Tao practitioner, this was one step toward eternal life.
Treasuring his jing or essence was imperative to the Tao male. To treasure was to refrain from ejaculation and wasting his semen outside his body.
Different methods prescribed by the Taoists were used to control ejaculation. First, the man could pull out before his orgasm, thus staving off his climax. Talk about strength of will.
Second, he could apply pressure to his perineum, or “taint” as it’s referred to in present day slang. Some modern teachers believe the potential dangers of this practice are too high and it shouldn’t be performed.
Another method is for the Taoist to master separating the impulse to orgasm from the impulse to pump and physical release. At the point of orgasm the man can halt his movement, remain inside his partner, and clench his pelvic floor. By doing so, the initial prostate contraction stops. At the same time the Taoist enters a meditation like state that redirects the life energy of jing the semen stores, and sends it up his back and into the center of his brain.
The man may still have an orgasm, but will not ejaculate, and will not lose his erection. He is then advised to climb a ladder of increasing orgasms while maintaining his meditative intention. In this way the man cultivates and stores massive amounts of jing. If done correctly there should be no blue balls, semen in his urine, and he should garner many health benefits. This practice is believed to be one of the keys to immortality.
Though every Chinese woman must have been clicking up her heels, one can’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for her deprived partner. What happened if he did come? Would he have to start all over on his quest for perpetuity? Would his vision and hearing diminish? Would he become weak again?
Perhaps performance anxiety helped the Taoist male in his eternal pursuits. Have an orgasm or become immortal? Have an orgasm or become immortal? You can almost hear the question warring in his mind. The pressure must have been enormous.
The best sexual partner to aide in the Taoist male’s quest was a virgin. Many took teenage girls, believing the young women possessed the most potent essence because they had not yet been contaminated by pregnancy.
Zhao Liangpi and Zang Sanfeng instructed the men through sexual texts that girls aged fourteen and under were best for a man’s purpose. Though today men may not receive eternal life by undertaking this practice, they may get ten to twenty in the state penitentiary.
Zhang expanded his explanation by dividing women into three groups.
Highest Ranked: 14 years and under
Middle Ranked: 16-20 years (menstruating virgins)
Lowest Ranked: 21-25 years
Saddled with the task of enticing a young virgin to relax and enjoy her sexual experience enough to orgasm, men turned to Pillow Books. Unlike the porn magazines of today, these books were revered as medical texts and used as guides by couples.
But in keeping with the gender bias of ancient times, the manuals were written mainly for the head of the family. Though the purpose of the Taoist practice was to make a woman give up her essence by having an orgasm, never were the texts written for her benefit. Women’s pleasure was the focus only in as much as it aided the man.
The sex treaties instructed couples on how to have healthy children, and how to live long and happy lives by practicing harmonious sexual relations. Many times a Pillow Book was given to the bride as a wedding gift to ensure she fully satisfied her husband. For this reason, the books were kept by the bed and were consulted in times of love making. One never knew when a shy partner might need a little coaxing.
Who’s to say whether this practice truly achieved immortality for its practitioners? Dedicated and single-minded, it’s a pretty good bet many died trying.
If you enjoyed today’s piece, be sure to return on January 26, 2011 for a more in-depth look into the Pillow Books of Ancient Asia and on January 12, 2011 for my next fiction piece—Pumpkin’s Great Escape (Part 2).
vBoone Brux v
Resources: Taoist Sexual Practices-Wikipedia
History Channel-The History of Sex (The Eastern World)
The Art of Sexuality in China
Copyright © 2010 Boone Brux
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