Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal: Sex Addiction: Work it out or ACT it out (video)

Friday, March 2, 2012

Sex Addiction: Work it out or ACT it out (video)

Ashley Wells, Pat Macpherson, Seven, Amber Dorrian, Wisdom Quarterly

(LINK) Loveline's Dr. Drew Pinsky on the Tyra Banks Show: "Sexual Addiction," March 21, 2010 (Part 1/2). Full talk shows online

Dr. Drew is back on the couch discussing his new show "Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew." Supermodel Tyra meets a few sex addicts who share their shocking stories and receive some guidance from Dr. Drew. One 15-year-old girl claims to have slept with over 20 guys, having lost her virginity at age 9 and recently contracting a venereal disease in the process. A marriage is in turmoil over the husband's addiction to Internet pornography.

Beautiful female "monster" molested 15-20 kids

Work it out or ACT it out

Seven, Amber Dorrian, Wisdom Quarterly

"Radix malorum est cupiditas" is Latin and usually translated as "Greed is the root of all evil." But it literally translates as, "The root of malady is cupidity."

In Buddhism "greed" (lobha) refers to the range of unprofitable desires, usually cupidity and lust for five-sense strand pleasures. However, it can also refer to the desire for annihilation or for eternal existence. These three are the attachments that obstruct insight and liberation.

When sensual craving (kama-tanha) gets out of hand, one is headed for mistakes, remorse, and addiction. Substance abuse is often motivated by feelings of shame and worthlessness as one feels judged and humiliated by our puritanical society. This is a dysfunctional tactic; feelings cannot be outwardly overcome because we have been mentally "colonized." We have internalized our oppression and been caught in a whirlpool of addiction.

"Acting out" means not speaking or thinking but behaving as if

there were no choice but to enact one's impulses. Erik Bohlin dis-

cusses the Cycle of Sexual Addiction (SexualRecovery.net).

Our society's shame has become our shame. And all the protesting and decrying of society will not address the issue of what we have already taken in. Interestingly, the "devil" in Buddhism is not a Satan character, even though he is often depicted or metaphorically spoken of in this way.

There are many maras (obstacles, hindrances, impediments to serenity and insight, to realization and liberation from suffering). But Mara devaputra is a real being living in a high sensual world. He is more Cupid than Lucifer. And one can imagine that Judeo-Christian mythology around this figure originated in ancient Indian/Sumerian stories about Mara, a "son of god" (devaputra, an ancient Sanskrit expression that just means "one born among devas").

Is the Devil the Cause?

Does the devil make one do it? Any mara might possess a person to live vicariously through him or her in collusion at first then choosing not to leave. But that is no cause so much as it is a condition. A cleansing, protective exercises, and steering clear of contaminated situations are good. There is no perfect immunity, so care and mindfulness are always needed.

Pornography is a profitable and growing industry particularly for women, but not in a good way even if a temporary sense of empowerment comes through it. Nightline's Martin Bashir interviews pornstar and porno director Stormy Daniels.

The cause may be found in us. Greed, hatred, and delusion do not only come from outside (inflows), they also emanate from within (outflows). The Buddhist term asava alternately gets translated in both ways. We fuel them. We foster them. We act as helpless victims in relation to them. But the Dharma is here as medicine.

Native Wisdom