The Tethers of Lust

Where there is great Lust, are the fetters of man.

Hundred Thousand Songs:

Selections From Milarepa,

Poet Saint of Tibet

Now about sex. Many of us needed an overhauling there But above all, we tried to be sensible on this question. It is so easy to get off the track. Here we find human opinions running to the extremes --- absurd extremes perhaps. One set of voices cry that sex is a lust of our lower nature, a base necessity of procreation. Then we have the voices who cry for sex and more sex; who bewail the institution of marriage; who think that most of the troubles of the race are traceable to sex causes. They think that we do not have enough of it, or that it isn’t the right kind. They see its significance everywhere. One school would allow man no flavor for his fare and the other would have us all on a straight pepper diet. We stay out of this controversy.
    We reviewed our own conduct over the years past. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, or inconsiderate? Whom had we hurt? Did we unjustifiably arouse jealousy, suspicion or bitterness? Where were we at fault, what should we have done instead? We got this all down on paper and looked at it.
    In this way we tried to shape a sane and sound ideal for our own future sex life. We subjected each relation to this test --- was it selfish or not? We asked God to mold our ideals and help us live up to them. We remembered always that our sex powers were God-given and therefore good, neither to be used lightly or selfishly nor to be despised and loathed.
Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 68-69

I have nothing to add to the big Book on this subject. Because of what I had to do to relieve myself from the bondage of my own proclivities, I can see what Milarepa was talking about and I can see why he attributed lust to be a tether of humankind.

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