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Two ladies making love with a substitute Lingam between them. From a Chinese painting of the eighteenth century.

Sexual aids should be slightly soft, provocative of vigor and well fitted to suit the intended purpose.

Made according to the natural liking of the individual, they are always to be used carefully.

KAMA SUTRA

Japanese women using an artificial Lingam (Harigata) to satisfy each other. From a color print by Chokyosai Eisho, circa 1800.

sexual aids

Sexual aids are mentioned in the Kama Sutra as well as in a number of Indian and Chinese texts. They are divided into two distinct categories: drugs and implements. We deal with the former category in

the section entitled "Aphrodisiacs," which follows.

Implements, or love instruments,

are devices used to augment or substitute for the sexual organs. Ancient texts describe various devices to be put on or over the Lingam to supplement its length or thickness. These were made of gold, silver, copper, ivory, horn, wood, cane, or even jade; many different types are described in Chinese, Japa-

nese, and Indian literature. T h e r e are

accounts of special rings, often of jade, that fitted around the base of the Lingam and had a protruding part, which was used to stimulate the w o m a n ' s clitoris during love - making. Such sexual aids were considered "innovations" to be used when needed. They were by no means presented as the ideal way to make love, and were generally considered desensitizing and unnecessary.

Chinese Lingam ring, with dragon motifs, circa eighteenth century.

Japanese artificial Lingam for use as a dildo (Harigata). Made from horn, circa eighteenth century.

Orthodox Hindu lawbooks prohibit the use of substitute Lingams or "dildos," on the grounds that they are "insults to Shiva, whose Lingam is ever-erect." Hindu medical texts state that if hard inanimate objects are inserted into the Yoni, they are liable to cause long-term physical problems for the woman. The Kama Sutra suggests that only natural objects be used as dildos, and cites bananas, mangoes, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, the stalks of plants or mushrooms, gourds, and other fruits or vegetables that resemble the erect Lingam in shape and texture. The same text adds that "a reed made soft with oil and tied to the waist with ribbons may be used in connection with or in the place of the Lingam."

Chinese and Japanese texts refer to the double-dildo, an implement made of treated roots, horn, wood or ivory, with two silk bands attached to the middle. One woman could insert an end of it into her own Yoni, fastening it with ribbons tied around her waist. She then could satisfy a girlfriend with the prominent end of the shaft, while herself enjoying the friction produced from the movement of the other end inside her.

Another Oriental innovation, used by women for self-satisfaction, is known as the

Burmese Bell. This consists of a pair of small hollow spheres made of silver, one containing a drop of mercury and the other having a metal "tongue" that vibrates and produces a tinkling sound when moved. These twin spheres are carefully inserted into the woman's Yoni and held in place by a piece of silk cloth. When she rocks her body or walks around, the movement of the mercury creates a gentle vibration inside her and a pleasant sound is produced. In China this sexual aid was called Mien-ling (literally "exertion bell"), and in Japan a similar device was named Ri-no-tama. Modern sex shops offer related gadgets as well as a whole range of vibrators. Unfortunately, most

of these are mass-produced from synthetic materials and are badly designed, aesthetically ugly, and potentially damaging to the human body.

Love-making is best when it is uncomplicated by external aids. Foreplay is recommended by

the Kama Sutra and o t h e r au - thoritative texts,

Playful sexual dalliance on a swing. From a Chinese painting of the eighteenth century.

Lovers using belt or sling as a sexual aid. From a Japanese painted scroll of the early seventeenth century.

especially when a man is unable to satisfy a woman easily. The Yoni of a woman should not be penetrated until she is excited and naturally lubricated. Nowadays many different creams, gels, and oils are sold for lubricating the sexual organs. These commercial preparations are really unnecessary. In most cases, the excitement of sexual contact will produce more than sufficient sexual secretions to allow for comfortable entry. Saliva can also be used most effectively, and it has the advantage of containing essential and magical properties.

Anything inserted into the Yoni should be soft enough not to harm its internal parts. A Japanese text advises that if a dildo is used, it should first be warmed by immersing it in

warm water or oil. For playful variations of love-making, organic sex aids such as fruits (which can be eaten afterward) should be used.

A complete survey of sexual aids should include playful devices like swings, rocking chairs or beds, water jets, and inventions spontaneously conceived of in the ecstasies of loving. The whole environment can be thought of as a sexual aid, so take care to make it beautiful and suitable. The human body itself has a wealth of possibilities in the limbs, hands, fingers, toes, chin, nose, breasts, and tongue. Create your own sexual aids, if you find you need them. But, according to Tantra, the direct contact between bodies has a special potency that can never be matched by substitutes.

aphrodisiacs

Many aphrodisiacs are listed in Eastern sexological works. Some of them have merely a placebo effect, but others are actually effective on the physical level. Many foods can be prepared in such a way as to release vitalizing forces. Healthy food and a natural lifestyle are by far the most effective aphrodisiacs. Fresh air, water, and fire all have the power to stimulate sexuality, as does the har-

monious contact of the senses with objects of enjoyment. An often quoted Oriental say-

ing is, "The most natural aphrodisiac for a man is a beautiful woman, passionately asking to be enjoyed."

Fasting can have an aphrodisiacal effect on the body, provided it is practiced in moderation. Yoga and breathing exercises can greatly help to stimulate the natural vitality of the body; if these are combined with meditation, so that the mind is freed of anxiety, then there will rarely be any need for physical aphrodisiacs. A healthy mind and a cre-

ative imagination t o g e t h e r p r o d u c e a "climate" in which all things are possible.

Aphrodisiacs are normally included as topics in works pertaining to the Art of Love. Generally it is taught that a substance that resembles the sexual organs is likely to act as an aphrodisiac if correctly prepared. This concept is known as the Doctrine of Signatures and evolved from the observation that herbs, plants, or other substances with a particular appearance, color, shape, or smell were effective in curing ailments linked by similar characteristics. An example of this is the Indian mango, which resembles the kidneys in shape and is an effective natural cure for some cases of kidney disease.

Correct preparation is very important when using any aphrodisiac. A specialized branch of Indian medicine is devoted to this study. Aphrodisiacs may be broadly categorized under three main headings: the animal, the vegetable, and the mineral. These categories are kept separate or combined to produce the whole range of aphrodisiacs that are suited to the condition and temperament of the individual.

Animal substances include eggs (of various birds), different kinds of milk (but espe-

cially goat milk), wild fowl, sparrows, peacocks, the flesh of vigorous animals, mussels, oysters, sea horses, fish eggs (caviar), especially vigorous fish (salmon), and animal parts such as deer horn, musk pods, ambergris from whales, rhinoceros horn, and a whole range of animal sex organs. For these products to be effective, they must come from animals in the wild, hunted in the right season, and when the animals are in good health.

Vegetable aphrodisiacs are even more numerous, and their preparation requires even more care. Among those included in traditional Eastern works are: ginger root, fennel, ginseng root, mushrooms, black beans, particular kinds of onions, gourds, carrots, wild asparagus, wild rhubarb, figs, licorice, almonds, pistachio nuts, pine kernels, sesame seeds, cinnamon bark, nutmeg, saffron, black pepper, raisins, walnuts, honey (from particular flowers), glutinous millet, tree bark, orange seeds, aconite root, opium husks, damiana,

A noble couple in a version of the Indrani Position with various aphrodisiacs by their side. A Rajasthani miniature painting, circa 1800.

The use of aphrodisiacs should be learned from a study of the science of medicine, from the religious texts, from those who are learned in the art of magic, and from confidential relatives. No means should be tried that are doubtful in their effects, or that are likely to cause injury to the body, that involve causing the death of animals, and that bring a person into contact with impure things.

KAMA SUTRA

In the Orient deer's antlers are valued for their aphrodisiacal properties.

Marijuana; the secretions from the female plant have strong aphrodisiacal properties.

datura, marijuana, as well as fortified "wines" made from grapes, pomegranates, wild flowers, and herbs. As is the case with animal substances, these should be of high quality and gathered in the correct season.

Mineral aphrodisiacs listed in Eastern

medical w o r k s i n c l u d e mineral pitch

("Shilajeet"), stalactites, mercury, sulphur, mica, arsenic, conch shell, cowries, pearls, calcinated gold, silver, copper, iron, amber, coral, emerald, sapphire, ruby, and diamond. The preparation of mineral aphrodisiacs is extremely complex and a science in itself, known in India as Rasayana.

Ginseng has been used for thousands of years for its regenerative and aphrodisiac properties. Recently it has been tested by Western science and shown to have a real effect. The red ginseng root gives the best results, but it should not be taken continually. A forty-day course of ginseng extract (or powdered root), followed by three months without its use, is a typical prescription that works in most cases. The exact dose is determined according to the strength of the individual root and the physical condition of the person.

An aphrodisiac tea can be made from a combination of select spices and dried ginseng root. Equal amounts of cinnamon bark and green cardamom should be pounded together with pestle and mortar. An amount

of fresh ginger root equal to their combined volume should be added and crushed. Then about nine black peppercorns, two or three cloves, some ground nutmeg (not too much), and a pinch of saffron should be added. The whole mixture should then be boiled gently for nine minutes. When the decoction is complete, it should be strained and a tea should be made from it in the normal way, but with the addition of crushed ginseng root. The tea should be allowed to stand for some time and can be served either hot or cold, with or without milk. Honey can be added as a pleasant and stimulative sweetener.

There are many aphrodisiacs that can be applied directly to the sexual organs. They are effective mainly through their heating or cooling qualities. Sandalwood oil mixed with a little crushed ginger and cinnamon is one of the most effective of these recipes. Oil of cloves diluted with a base oil, or camphor and oil in combination, can produce invigorating results. However, considerable care should be taken in using such preparations. Particularly dangerous are aphrodisiacs that work through irritation of the sex organs: "Spanish fly" or cantharides, the powder of blister beetles or insects, has been recorded as causing many casualties by this means.

It is worth repeating that a healthy lifestyle is the most consistent of all aphrodisiacs. It really is preferable not to have to rely on external aids for a satisfactory sex life. Then the use of aphrodisiacs on very special occasions can make a real difference.