penises and vaginas

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A Zen teacher whose name I have forgotten was once asked about the role of sex in Buddhism. And he replied, more or less, "What's the big deal? It's just penises and vaginas, isn't it?"

Of course it's not just penises and vaginas. There is a boatload of psychological and physical baggage that has to be considered as well. There's love and lust and power and ... and on and on and on. And it can be pretty powerful, pretty compelling, pretty important. And there's no escaping it. Even those who imagine they have escaped still have to pay attention to their penis or vagina...and perhaps the boatload of baggage.

And when it comes to the spiritual world, the boatload of baggage can be heavier by half, especially in a prurient country like the U.S.

But whatever the baggage and whatever the context within which it is viewed, still I think it's worth remembering once in a while: "It's just penises and vaginas, isn't it?"
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