Why is the desire for sex stronger than the desire for any other sense gratification?

From: bhuvan sharma

Why is it that the appetite for having sex is very strong than any other sense gratification? Why does it requires a great impetus to control than required by any other sense gratification?

Transcription (edited) by- Keshavgopal Das

Question- Why is it that appetite for sex is very strong, stronger than any other sense gratification? Why does it require greater impetus to control than by any other sense gratification?

Answer (short)-

• Sex is an act that offers pleasure to practically all the senses of the body.
• It also gives us the feeling of being a controller and creator like God.
• By developing higher pleasure of service to Krishna the lower pleasure of sex can be driven away.

Answer (long)-  It is because sex is an activity that offers pleasure to all our senses and not just one or two of the senses. In a sexual act all the bodily senses are involved in some way. The eyes look at the form, the ears hear the sweet sound, the sense of smell is used (people use perfumes), the sense of touch is used, and there is use of tongue also.

However, this explanation is from material point of view.

From spiritual point of view, the soul has come to the material world to enjoy separate from God, and not just enjoy separate from Him, but also by imitating Him. There are various ways in which soul tries to imitate God. God is the controller so we try to become controller in the world. God is the supreme controller but we are tiny and temporary controllers. God is the creator and we try to imitate Him by becoming the creator.

When we eat food we are not becoming creator in any way. We are enjoying but not becoming a creator. Whereas in the pleasure of sex we try to imitate God by taking on His role as the creator. Through sexual activity we procreate and make a life apparently.  Although the soul is eternal but through our procreative process we help create a body and get the soul into the body. We think that we are the creators.

Similarly, during the sexual intercourse, the person gets a sense of control over the other person. The sexual act involves us imitating God not just as an enjoyer but as the creator as well as the controller.

If we turn towards Krishna and try to serve Him, we can get greater happiness by assisting and participating in His pastimes than by defying Him or imitating Him. Once we experience that higher pleasure the drives of the lower pleasure gradually subside.