Our Audio clip today features a conversation with the bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert. The author of the smash, soon-to-be-a-movie Eat, Pray, Love, has a new book out: Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage.
In the following clip, she speaks to Andrea Miller about love, sex, and what makes a committed relationship work – or not.
Just click this player to listen:
could it really be true that one takes a piece of someone and that person takes a piece of that person after sex with them? what is the buddhist take on this? where does this info come from, it's source-
saying that one could put a bit of themselves carelessly into someone else's hands could do a lot of damage to that person-particularly if they never had an intension of being promiscuous and it just sort of happened in their youth. then this person may feel unhappy after reading that or listening to that…it sounds like judgement- one could spend lots of time crying
sounds like a good idea to be careful and yet what about the individuals who didn't have this info are they doomed with little bit of themselves floating out there? is there a program to get their bits back
what about people who were coerced or raped?
i'm not sure i agree of how young people see marriage "inspire" me as it says in the magazine article
i think it is brave her to write a book called committed whilst being a newlywed since everything changes after having a child
well there would always be room for a sequel no matter the out come
i liked her first book and look forward to seeing the movie
My reply to the idea that it is sad if you give a little of yourself to someone you choose to have sex is that there is that I do not see sadness in that. We can give of ourselves and give of ourselves, and even if some of those people we aren't connected to anymore, it's okay. We can let go. Life is about giving of ourselves, and it is okay if we didn't have that information the first time we had sex because we can't control everything. That lack of control is also okay.
This image is a beautiful way to prepare kids to really think about who they have sex with, and I don't have to be sad that I didn't have that information when I was first choosing who to have sex with or not have sex with because today is a different time and a different place. Maybe kids need that information even more than we did when we were virgins.
I personally think that the Buddhist take on this would ideally be selflessness and to also realize that we and the Universe are one, so losing a little bit of ourselves is ultimately gaining a little bit of ourselves. I also don't think there are many people who are particular authorities on sex and Buddhism. When you ask, "What is the Buddhist take on this?", you are acting as though there is an outside authority that is more knowledgable and wise than your highest inner voice and self, and that in itself is counter intuitive to Buddhist teachings.