Theos-Talk Archives (August 1998 Message tt00244)

>Daniel Caldwell replies:
>
>But Jerry, several months without sex may not tell us anything one way
>or the other.  The time period may not be long enough in order to see if
>there are real differences or not.  Maybe several years would be needed
>or even longer.
>

This is possible. I don't know.


>Also there may be other factors/conditions that are also needed; not
>just abstinence from sex.  Were you vegetarian doing this same period?
>etc.
>

I have been a vegetarian off and on for many years, even before finding
Theosophy. Again, it doesn't seem to make much difference, although
I do think that a lot of meat is bad for you.


>Also during that period of time, did Crowley or you think about sex,
>etc.?
>

Probably. There are no clear rules here, of course, which is why we
are able to argue both sides. My own feeling is that you should go
with your own beliefs--if you think that sex and eating meat are wrong
then you should abstain from them. But forced celibacy is definitely
wrong, and forced vegetarianism is a waste of time because it
gets you nowhere except maybe an inner false sense of superiority
which actually hurts rather than helps. I really do object to statements
like we "have" to abstain from sex in order to progress spiritually,
because such statements ignore sex magic, which is (like it or not)
a ligitamite Path.

Jerry S.