- With the encouragement of Hollywood celebrities
and new age gurus, Americans are turning to an ancient Indian doctrine
that promotes prolonged bouts of love-making.
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- The erotic marathon advocated in Tantrism
- an ancient branch of Hinduism and Buddhism that regards sex as a form
of worship - may seem an unlikely preoccupation for American professionals.
Yet in a development that might have seemed more in tune with the promiscuous,
free-loving 1960s than the abstemious, hard-working 1990s, the movement
which first surfaced in India 4,000 years ago is fast becoming one of the
chief attractions in America's multi-billion-dollar self-improvement industry.
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- Until recently, "Tantric sex"
in the West had been the preserve of a few initiates, among them Hollywood
celebrities flirting with Buddhism in their search for a mystical bond
with the universe.
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- A form of sexual yoga meant to encourage
spiritual awakening, Tantrism is now catering to a mass market as people
shed their inhibitions and begin treating their sex lives like golf - as
something to be worked on with the help of professionals. Centres are springing
up all over the country offering courses, seminars and "sacred sex
weekends" as entrepreneurs cash in on what has become an obsession.
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- Teach-yourself videos, Internet sites
and books are proliferating to preach the pleasures of "Tantric loving".
These are less obvious for the male participant, who learns that the best
way to please his "goddess" is by forgoing, or at least delaying
for as long as possible, his orgasm.
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- The doctrine has even entered the corporate
realm with one guru claiming that his programme to improve the sex lives
of executives is the best way of increasing their productivity. Among his
tips is the transformation of the bed into a "sacred shrine for sex"
where "ecstatic music", incense and aromatic oils encourage erotic
endurance.
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- For serious devotees, there are even
courses in Tantric theory offered by many academic institutions including
Louisiana State University and the University of Virginia.
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- Testimonials from celebrities such as
the actor Woody Harrelson have encouraged the trend, as have reports that
Madonna is a disciple. Another boost was the endorsement of "Dr"
Judy Kuriansky, a radio sex guru, who declared: "I'm a believer."
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- Some entrepreneurs appear to be cashing
in on the trend, leading to complaints from authorities that they are fronts
for prostitution. At least one Tantric Internet site advertises "bath
and massage" and offers "double goddess ceremonies".
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- Such brazen commercialism does not appeal
to traditionalists such as Margot Anand, a Tantric author. She said most
of the movement's teachers should be ignored since they were merely exploiting
a simple truth.
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- "People love to make love,"
she said.
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