This blog post explores how the Kama Sutra, often dismissed as a mere manual of sexual techniques, actually contains a philosophy of life and the meaning of human existence.
A Barren Land Where Even Goats Contemplate
As the world grows more chaotic, the procession toward India grows longer. For there, on its vast expanse, unfolds a universe distinct from the Lao-Zhuang philosophy, the pinnacle of Asian civilization.
After several visits, the image of India that lingers in my mind is that this arid, vast land is what shaped humanity in such a way. The birthplaces of world religions—whether in India or the Middle East—share a common trait: they are vast lands that are neither abundantly fertile nor completely barren, but rather in a liminal state. They possess natural conditions that are neither drought nor flood, but just enough to barely sustain life. If the land were bountiful, people would indulge in pleasure without contemplation; if it were utterly barren, they would engage in a relentless struggle for survival. But existing in that middle ground of natural conditions, between hunger and satiety, seems perfectly suited for pondering the meaning of existence.
India was like that. The way the trees, the stones, and the river flowed as if in deep thought was striking. Especially the living things—the trees stood twisted as if reproaching themselves, “Why do I exist here?” Goats and cows wandered the streets and fields, posing the same question. They were all philosophers. Watching a cow stroll through the city center, I felt I could never bring myself to eat meat with eyes like that.
Thus, the earth, rivers, plants, and animals were all filled with contemplative beings, making one suspect that perhaps all religions and mythological origins on Earth trace back to India. For them, life is the very essence of existence itself; they are subjects of absolute thought, needing to feel no humiliation or discomfort from external concepts like class systems or poverty. The notion that poverty makes one pitiable requires a subject who recognizes poverty. But isn’t that a value system that doesn’t apply to an ontological subject who has transcended such judgments altogether?
I once spent a sleepless night in a train sleeper car, side by side with an Indian philosophy professor. His confident assertion that while all world religions and philosophies require renewed study and reform, Hinduism, due to its profound nature, is sufficient to learn exactly as it has been passed down symbolized today’s India. I dare say that religious philosophy is impossible without seeing India.
But if there is something more sincere to say about India than such metaphysical matters, I dare offer two pieces of advice.
First, I often say that if you find yourself in despair—whether from discouragement, bankruptcy, facing death from an incurable illness, or heartbreak—when you can no longer find meaning in life, wander through India once before you die. For it is a land where you will surely find the courage to live on.
Second, it is not a place for women to go alone. Several women in my group experienced conflicts with local men, leading to hysterical breakdowns. Indian men are, after all, the most perfectly trained subjects in the world, legally and institutionally educated in the ultimate expression of masculinity. That philosophy professor stated it matter-of-factly: “I can manipulate women in relationships however I please, and I owe that to Indian philosophy.” Incidentally, when Korean women go there to study, most end up marrying locals. Despite warnings not to go alone, the number of women quietly traveling solo is actually increasing.
And Indian women? They are likely the most sexually stimulating dancers on Earth. Latin women’s dancing can’t compare. Most Indian films are dance and song movies. Because the forbidden zones regarding sexual expression are so vast, they cannot show explicit acts, so they substitute sexual function with song and dance. How diverse that field must be!
Isn’t it already common knowledge that the energy and technique that created the driving force behind this second piece of advice were formed by the ‘Kama Sutra’? Where else on Earth is there a country where the philosophy of sexuality is so profound yet so generalized?
The pinnacle of erotic literature
Perhaps the ultimate crystallization of contemplation was the recreation of life itself. While all religions on Earth suppress sexual desire and treat it as forbidden, Brahman-Hinduism is arguably the most practical practitioners of pleasure, embodying the concept of heaven within eroticism. Once one understands that yoga is essentially physical training to achieve perfect erotic union, one can begin to grasp how profoundly erotic union embodies the noble, earthly value of heavenly consciousness in life.
The Kama Sutra and The Art of the Bedchamber stand as twin pillars among the world’s sacred texts of erotic literature. Both have distinct characteristics: while ‘The Art of the Bedchamber’ represents the imperial approach to Chinese eroticism, the ‘Kama Sutra’ emerged in India around the 4th century BCE, embodying the philosophical thought of all Indians, encompassing the meaning of ‘affection and sorrow’.
Indians perceived the purpose of life as divided into three major categories: (1) ethics (dharma, the right path) defining human conduct, (2) the practical wisdom for survival (artha, worldly gain), and (3) sex as the reproduction of life (kama, sensual desire). Dharma symbolizes the religious sanctuary of faith and philosophical thought, while artha encompasses the social norms and rules of life belonging to the realm of social sciences, including politics. In contrast, Kama is a law pursuing both procreation for offspring and sensual pleasure as love. It should be interpreted not merely as simple sensuality, but as a holistic dimension of life’s recognition and practice encompassing both pleasure and the creation of descendants.
Hinduism’s ideal life divides existence into three stages: mastering artha in youth, kama in young adulthood, and dharma in old age. This seems an exceedingly rational way of life.
The ‘Kama Sutra’ is a code of conduct for successfully fulfilling the sexual love that is the realization task of youth, one of humanity’s three great goals. Originally composed in beautiful verse like other scriptures, it is commonly introduced as the work of Vatsyayana, though it is known to have been expounded by multiple authors. The various versions of the ‘Kama Sutra’ today represent the extensive philosophy of sexuality, progressively refined and meticulously detailed as it was passed down through later periods.
As it is known as the original source for the famous Khajuraho erotic sculptures, all related literature is sold there in various forms. This peculiar form of worship, with sex positions intricately carved onto the towers, seems to reveal the truest face of religion—the most explicit display of humanity’s primal instincts. In Khajuraho, bookstores lining the streets sell ‘Kama Sutra’ in every conceivable format.
From small paperback editions to large tabloid-sized formats, complete with all manner of illustrations, the variety is likely greater than any other famous work in the world. Interpretations and applications are also diverse.
Some are edited as specialized Kama Sutras exclusively for women, while others are condensed into simplified abridged editions. There are even deluxe color editions featuring photographs of modern celebrities passionately performing various positions, replacing the original illustrations.
To this day, no other work in world literary history depicts sexual acts with such detailed and beautiful descriptions as the ‘Kama Sutra’. The verse is largely untranslatable and is usually rendered in prose, but this poses little hindrance to understanding. Anyone passing through Khajuraho without buying a copy of this book must suffer from severe mental disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder or exhibitionism. For no pornographic video has yet surpassed the ‘Kama Sutra’.
The Structure and Content of the Kama Sutra
As is commonly known, the ‘Kama Sutra’ is not merely a book about sexual techniques. It is a comprehensive treatise on the philosophy of sexuality, broadly addressing the methodology for effectively fulfilling one of humanity’s three fundamental purposes: procreation, and the accompanying pleasure inherent in the biological instincts involved in this process. Comprising seven chapters, a brief overview of the book in order is as follows.
Chapter 1: Introduction and General Theory
Human life is divided into three stages: the first is devoted to acquiring knowledge and wealth, the second to pursuing sensual love, and the last to striving for liberation.
The author states that advocating pragmatism with the notion that “a small dove obtained today is better than a peacock to be obtained tomorrow” is an act that disregards the power of the true Dharma. He further asserts that practical benefit can only be attained “when persistent effort is combined with courage.”
What then of sexual love? It requires training in the 64 arts from youth, and this very text systematizes that training. We must not forget that sexuality, viewed not as mere pursuit of pleasure but as the total realization of life, is both a synthesis and an extension of the true Dharma and practical benefit.
Chapter 2: Sexual Intercourse Between Men and Women, or Theory of Sexual Acts
Male and female genitals are classified into large, medium, and small types. Males are called stallions, bulls, and bucks; females, female elephants, mares, and does. Intercourse between similar types is called same-type intercourse; between different types, unequal-type intercourse. The techniques differ accordingly.
Methods for achieving pleasure are categorized as: (1) skill, meaning repetition; (2) imagination-based, i.e., arousing desire even without experience; (3) recollection-based, evoking memories of former lovers; and (4) sensation-based, directly feeling pleasure.
To enhance pleasure, embrace, kiss (a famous passage states: ‘A calf’s mouth is not clean in ordinary times, but it is clean when suckling milk from its mother cow. A dog’s mouth is clean when hunting. A bird’s beak is clean when pecking fruit from a tree. Likewise, a woman’s mouth is clean during intercourse and when kissing’), scratching with nails (good nails possess eight qualities: smooth, flat, lustrous, free of grime, unbroken, long, beautiful, and soft to the touch), biting with teeth, and other techniques are described in detail. It then records various positions for the act, techniques involving hitting and crying out, skills before and after the act, and the arrangement of the bedroom, among other things.
Chapter 3: The Virgin’s Conduct, or How to Acquire a Wife
Since the purpose of sexual intercourse is to produce offspring, the methods for obtaining a wife are extremely strict, involving numerous taboos. Fifteen types of women are listed as ineligible for marriage (those with ill-reputed names, those who avoid socializing, women who have been married before, women with moles, women with skin blemishes, women with bull-like shoulders, women with hunched backs, women with ugly faces, women with broad foreheads, women who defile sacred things, women who have committed adultery, irregular menstruation, signs of pregnancy, relatives, and women who sweat excessively). Five categories of women with ill-omened names are also listed.
However, the man’s role in pleasing his hard-won wife is no simple task. For three days after marriage, the man must remain a virgin to help his wife overcome her fear of sex.
During these three days, the man must observe five rules: sleep on the floor without a bedding, avoid intercourse, refrain from consuming salt or sugar, bathe while listening to music for one week, and host gatherings like concerts in formal attire, welcoming relatives and giving gifts.
It broadly introduces methods to win a wife’s heart from childhood, approaches to women without intermediaries, and various marriage practices to guide men toward success in obtaining a wife.
Chapter 4: The Wife’s Duties or Responsibilities
This is the least interesting part. It introduces seven types of women a wife should avoid associating with and six things she must shun—matters that seem common sense even by our standards.
The six strict conditions under which a husband may take a concubine even if his primary wife is alive, along with the roles of the primary wife and concubine, are also rigidly defined. In our terms, this resembles the Seven Reasons for Divorce (七去之惡). The six reasons are: when the wife is ill, when she has a bad temper, when pure affection has vanished, when she is barren, when she bears only daughters, or when the husband’s sexual desire is unusually strong, necessitating more than one woman.
Chapter 5: On Extramarital Sex or Seducing Another Man’s Wife
Seduction of a married woman is permitted only under specific conditions: if she is promiscuous, if there is a compelling Dharma or Artha necessity to obtain her, or if there is enmity between the parties. In such cases, the progression of love is divided into ten stages, far more detailed than Stendhal’s ‘Theory of Love’.
Specifically, the ten stages of a man expressing affection to a woman are: the pleasure of meeting (visual delight), pouring one’s heart into her, the desire to meet each other, sleep deprivation, becoming gaunt, neglecting other matters, forgetting shame, going mad, fainting, and death.
However, he sets forth 25 types of cases where a woman is not tempted by a man other than her husband, hinting at the difficulty of seducing a married woman. Conversely, he lists 24 types of men who are easy for a married woman to conquer and 26 types of women who are easily tempted by men. Concepts like winning a woman’s favor, testing a woman’s feelings, and the role of matchmakers seem shallow and below common sense to modern readers.
Chapter 6: The Courtesan or Prostitute
It mainly discusses the techniques professional women use to conquer men and how men gain popularity with such women, which isn’t particularly fresh. However, from the perspective that a significant portion of a woman’s function requires a prostitute-like role, the 22 types of men to prefer, the 23 types of men to choose as noble love partners, and the 16 types of men to avoid are fascinating. While topics like pleasing a lover, extracting money from a lover, or reuniting with a former lover are trite, the eleven common mistakes women make when choosing men are useful.
Chapter 7: Secrets or Keys to Love
Magical secrets emerge, such as methods to preserve vitality, charm, and beauty, and prevent the decline of vitality. Since they are based on Indian herbal medicine, their actual efficacy seems untested. Some of these secrets are easily testable. In principle, one can appreciate that all the experiments modern medicine is developing—preventing loss of vitality, using artificial penises, enlarging genitals, tightening female genitalia, preventing loss of vitality, and so on—were already widely practiced in India.
Kama Sutra Book Plot Summary
Contrary to its popular secular reputation, this book is not merely a compendium of sexual techniques. It addresses the broader art of human conduct through sex, emphasizing that sexual pleasure is pursued as a means to fulfill the role of human procreation.
What elevates this work’s significance is that it integrates not just simple techniques of sexual love, but also the art of conduct and philosophy into the techniques of sexual intercourse.
