China

Chinese civilization never developed a Western-style concept of God, a conscious being who determines correct behavior. Instead, Chinese philosophy emphasizes the interde­pendence of all things, unified in the Tao, which represents the basic unity of the uni­verse. The Tao is usually translated as “The Way” or “The Path” but is itself unknowable (much like the Western view that God is unknowable). The Tao itself is made up of two principles, yin and yang, which represent the opposites of the world: yin is feminine, pas­sive, and receptive; yang is masculine, active, and assertive. Sexuality in Chinese thought is not a matter of moral or allowable behavior but, rather, is a natural procre­ative process, a joining of the yin and yang, the masculine and feminine principles. The goal of Taoist life is harmony, the effortless, natural blending of yin and yang.

Because sex itself was part of the basic process of following the Tao, sexual instruc­tion and sex manuals were common and openly available in early Chinese society. These texts were very explicit, with pictures of sexual positions and instructions on how to stimulate partners, and were often given to brides before their weddings.

Because women’s essence, yin, is inexhaustible, whereas man’s essence, yang (em­bodied in semen), is limited, man should feed his yang through prolonged contact with yin. In other words, intercourse should be prolonged as long as possible, without the man ejaculating, to release all the woman’s accumulated yin energy. (The man may experience orgasm without ejaculation, however, and techniques were developed to teach men how to do so). Men should try to have sex with many different women to prevent the yin en­ergy of any single woman from getting depleted. It was also important for the man to ex­perience the woman’s orgasm, when yin is at its peak, in order to maximize his contact with yin energy. The Chinese were unique in stressing the importance of female orgasm.

Showtime/The Kobal Collection/Mark Seliger