It is easy to assume that the Adam and Eve story that begins both the Jewish and Christian religions has something to do with sex. One would be rather bold to ignore the obvious implications of a naked man and woman alone in a beautiful garden. Yet, for centuries, believers, pontiffs, and scholars have debated the precise interpretation of the fruit that was forbidden for them to eat (the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge).  And to date, none have offered a satisfactory explanation as to exactly why it is necessary or healthy for a man or woman to give up sex when they are really serious about their religion, such as to be a priest or monastic.

Islam suffers much the same situation, carrying a whole host of sexual laws and morals whose scriptural basis is debated and fought over.

Then there are the Buddhists and Hindus, the vast majority of which steadfastly avoid discussing the sexual themes in their traditions, leaving a vacancy taken advantage of by a whole series of so-called "gurus" and "experts" to mislead naive westerners into mistaken ideas about tantra, sex, and yoga. (And they have made a lot of money in the process).

In each case, followers generally take the leaders at their word, and scarcely investigate even their own religion. As an example of the willing ignorance enjoyed by many religious people, the mainstream Christian movements have stoutly ignored the mystical foundation of Christianity, which is the Hebrew tradition of Kabbalah, and particularly the esoteric or hidden tradition within it that is concerned directly with the study of the Tree of Knowledge (in fact, it is clearly stated in the Bible that Jesus knew Kabbalah very well). In recent years, awareness of Kabbalah has been gaining ground in Christian groups, although few traditional Kabbalists agree with the Christian interpretations of their tradition and scripture.

The DVD entitled Sex: The Secret Gate to Eden addresses the controversial and contradictory relationship between sex and religion in a way that - as far as I know - is unprecedented. It begins by showing in simple terms how even the first three Hebrew words of the Bible have been mistranslated and misunderstood for thousands of years, and the simplicity with which the video shows this is astonishing. I do not want to spoil it for you, but just the first few minutes of the video can turn one’s whole concept about Christianity and Judaism upside down (one can understand why the priests and rabbis kept their knowledge secret). I suggest pausing the video here to reflect on it. In fact, the video as a whole is a very compact series of very challenging concepts, packed into a dense 75 minutes. It may require repeated pauses or coming back to it later to watch more. I had to because my brain could not take it all in from one nonstop viewing.

While going step by step through the first few chapters of the book of Genesis (Bereshit in Hebrew), the video demonstrates how the teaching hidden in the scripture also exists in Hinduism, Buddhism, and other world traditions. What is astonishing about the presentation is that each concept is clearly seen in art and scripture from every tradition.  Readers of Joseph Campbell will immediately feel at home, and perhaps long to know if he would have smiled upon seeing how neatly this video reflects his ideas.

Interestingly, although it is about sex, the video relies entirely on paintings and graphics to tell the tale - and it remains visually engaging throughout. I would not call it groundbreaking, but that is not the point. As it happens, I am surprised the video looks as good as it does. According to the producers, it was made entirely from donations. Most videos I have seen emerging from such roots looked something like my aunt’s Popsicle stick craft-work. This one does not.

The conceptual foundation of this video is so radical and surprising that I expect most viewers will reject it outright, simply due to it contradicting everything they have ever heard about religion, sex, and spirituality. This is a real disappointment to those of us who find religion (and sex) to be valuable and worthy of serious investigation. It is odd that topics that are so important to us are often those we refuse to know more about. For those who are open-minded and willing to revise their own ideas, this video provides a real workout.

Furthermore, it is likely that all of the mainstream religions will disagree with the message of this video, not only because it uses each traditions own scriptures to contradict hundreds or thousands of years of public doctrine - and no one likes to undo what they already believe or affirm - but also perhaps because the video demonstrates that one does not need a church or group to gain spiritual development - and that in itself may be cause for the rest of us to give it extra attention.

The Answer

So, to answer my own question: is there really a sexual secret hidden in the world's religions? Further research into the specifics offered in the video have led me to surprising results. Where at first I felt that the concept presented was perhaps a fringe or cult-like theory, the facts weigh in favor of the video. In particular, I was surprised how closely the sexual themes in the video matched concepts taught in ancient Chinese Taoism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Hindu Tantra, and hinted at in the poetry of Rumi and the writings of a long list of mystics, prophets, and spiritualists. (On that note, the producers have a related website called Sacred Sex where the scriptural basis of the video is presented and elaborated. It is an impressive display.) A definitive answer to the question may best be provided in the scriptures themselves, this one from Rumi:

Without purity of spirit,
if you're still in the middle of lust and greed
and other wantings, you're like children
playing at sexual intercourse.

They wrestle
and rub together, but it's not sex!