{Love and Sex (9) (continued) [continued (5)]}[6th October 1989]

[Redbook6:295-296][19891006:0908e]{Love and Sex (9) (continued) [continued (5)]}[6th October 1989]

19891006:0908

[continued]

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*There are, I think, two quite separate directions to take from** the natural state for Man of sexual relationships.

One is casual (animal?) genital intercourse, ignoring the feelings of others: this would be a wilful separation from God the Spirit, therefore of evil mind, but the intercourse is only symptomatic of the evil.

The other is an abandonment of genital intercourse altogether, through the natural loss of genital attraction, or through the loss of the whole body (ie inSpirited Soul leaves body for a higher and much more perfect union*** with other disembodied Souls). Although this**** may occur before the first death [sic] for supernatural rather than natural reasons, this is rare, is only a symptom of integration and ascent and a higher level of communication# – not its cause – and must not be forced.

Monasteries and convents can easily become forcing houses of the Spirit; but as the Spirit cannot be forced, but ‘blows where it pleases’,#* such institutions can cause outer circle {rotation} and great unhappiness. The fact that they have done great works in learning and music is not the point: I’ve no doubt that castrati also sing beautifully, but I abhor the practice. It is against the Spirit, which is in Nature{,} veiled{,}#** as well as in Man{,} veiled or unveiled.

*[Redbook6:293-294][19891006:0908b]{Love and Sex (9) continued [continued (4)]}[6th October 1989]→]

[Continued from last previous entry but 2]

**[ie away from, presumably]

***(See IV. [[Redbook4:78-81][19871002:2245c]{Spiritual Fusion}[2nd October 1987],] 78-81)

****loss of genital attraction

#To revert to genital intercourse is not necessarily therefore permanent, or disastrous.

#*[The Gospel according to] J[oh]n 3:8

[

‘The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (Authorised/King James Version)

Most translations follow this rendering of the word translated as both ‘wind’ and ‘spirit’ (which is the same word in the original Greek, forcing the translator into English to choose); eg:

‘The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ (New English Translation).

But compare Young’s Literal Translation (19^th century):

‘The Spirit where he willeth doth blow, and his voice thou dost hear, but thou hast not known whence he cometh, and whither he goeth; thus is every one who hath been born of the Spirit.’

This makes a great deal more sense to this writer, allowing exactly the same word resonance in both instances (which in the original sufficiently makes the analogy with the wind) and making the consequential or conditional part of the idea more logically consequent on the initial statement or condition, as well as being consistent with the translation of the word as Spirit wherever else it occurs in this short exchange between Nicodemus and Jesus.

]

#**I nowadays think.

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