Webmaster Lifestyle: The Sixty-Four Arts
by Josielyn Chase
The Kama Sutra, the classical Indian treatise on the Art of Love, enumerates the Sixty-four Arts. The text advises these arts should be studied along with the Kama Sutra, under the guidance of a teacher. Got that?
These arts and sciences include: Dancing, music, singing, drawing, writing, painting, reading, sewing, recitation, sculpture, poetry, gymnastics, games, flower arranging, cooking, gardening, decoration, perfumery, mimicry, mental exercises, languages, carpentry, magic, chemistry, etiquette, mineralogy, architecture, gambling,logic, charm-making, household management, religious rites, disguise, martial arts and physical sports. This also would include specialized accomplishments related to culture and time period. The accomplishments expected of young women in Victorian times is a similar concept.
The Indian treatises on love suggest that both men and women should be well versed in as many of the Sixty-four Arts as possible. There are three reasons as to why these arts should be studied and they are outlined in the texts. First, one who is accomplished in the arts is given an honorable place in society. Second, through the application of these arts one can more easily win over the object of desire, whether it be a husband, wife, or lover, and provide more fulfillment to their partner. Third, a person can easily be self-supporting by the application of these skills. Merely knowing the basics of these arts greatly enhances the charm and interest of a person.
The Art of Love diversifies modes of expression between two people. Even a cursory knowledge of these arts makes communication more interesting, and less restrictive or unimaginative. Dress and appearance is also important. The Kama Sutra states that "when a wife approaches her husband in private, her dress should consist of many ornaments, various flowers, a wrap (or cloth) of different colors, and some sweet-smelling ointments or unguents." The text advises that a woman reserve her best clothes for her husband and that he should do likewise. Every woman who wishes to please and excite her partner should have a range of intimate clothing and should remember to dress up for her man - and not reserve the "best" or most alluring clothes for when they go out socially. In the East, women adorn themselves with special jewelry for the delight of their lovers, rather than for public show.
There is no Western equivalent to the Kama Sutra. This is possibly why sex as an art form has yet to mature in the West. Internalized guilt and social repression can prevent Westerners from having an honest and open minded exploration of sexuality. All that is offered as "liberated attitudes" in this area are clinical sex manuals or pornography.
The Orient did not classify sex apart from spirituality or religion. The sex act was given a place of honor and was intimately connected with the other arts. Both men and women were expected to study the Kama Sutra as well as similar texts. In the temples and other religious buildings, all variations of sexual postures were openly portrayed and venerated as ideals. In the privacy of the home, the entire range of erotic art and literature was considered a normal and respectable study. The parameters of sexual behavior in the East extend way beyond the West's narrow spectrum of normalcy, without the least debasement of the sexual function. Celibacy, monogamy, polygamy and polyandry all had a place in Oriental culture.
The Sixty-four Arts are considered the Paths of creative Energy. They are the emanations of the goddess Saraswati, the "anima" of Jungian psychology. They have been likened to flames of an inner sun, blazing from the solar plexus. Burning up all negativity, these flames of the creative attitude purify the psyche, and bring about an inner transformation. The Sixty-four Arts are practical skills for the outer world, and they delight others and enrich ones existence.
Josielyn's complete biography is available at: www.josielynchase.com
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