Sexuality in Asia. From South Asia to Japan. Joachim Schliesinger

Sexuality in Asia From South Asia to Japan Joachim Schliesinger

Contents Introduction 1 Origin of modern humans 2 Sexuality and the idea of race 5 Human sexuality 7 Traditional Asian sexuality 10 Spiritual sex in Asia 12 Taoist sexual thinking 14 Hindu and Buddhist sexual practices 17 Sexual conduct and Buddhism 20 Buddhism and sexual orientation 22 Homosexuals 25 Transsexuals 27 Transgender 29 Transvestite (or cross-dresser) 31 Kathoeys (or ladyboys) 33 Third gender 36 Sodomy 38 Sacred prostitution 40 Concubinage 42 Sexuality in animistic indigenous societies 44 Sexuality in childhood 46 Virginity 48 Man- and womanhood 50 Courtship and premarital sex 52 Marriage and bride prize 54 Monogamy and polygamy 56 Patriarchy and matriarchy 58 Extramarital sex 61 Sexual transgressions 63 Public nudity 65 The dress code 67

Bare-breasted women 69 Love magic 71 Penis seath 75 Penis inserts 77 Body tattooing 80 Adam's costume 83 History of clothing 85 Loincloth 90 Bark cloth 92 Grass skirts 94 Sexuality in Laos 136 Sexuality in Burma 140 Sexuality in Malaysia 143 Sexuality in Indonesia 148 Sexuality in the Philippines 153 Sexuality in New Guinea 156 Sexuality in Australia 158 Sexuality in New Zealand 161 Sexuality in the Pacific Islands 164 Sexuality in Taiwan 169 Sexuality in China 96 Sexuality in India 101 Sexuality in Tibet 104 Sexuality in Nepal 107 Sexuality in Bhutan 109 Sexuality in Bangladesh (Bengal) 112 Sexuality in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands 115 Sexuality in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) 118 Sexuality in Japan 120 Sexuality in Vietnam 123 Sexuality in Cambodia 126 Sexuality in Thailand (Siam) 132

Introduction genetics, and others assert that it is molded by the environment. This is the nature versus nurture debate, or those behavioral traits that are due to innate characteristics (such as instincts and drives) versus environmental factors or external stimuli (such as behavior, emotions, and thinking). Since the dawn of time, each living creature on the globe must be somehow involved in sexual practices for reproduction and the survival of its kind. Further, since early history, human sexual behaviors have taken on many different social, cultural, even religious meanings. Human sex is the process of reproduction or the combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organism into a male or female variety. Humans have basically been the same anatomically for about 100,000 years, so it is safe to say that if humans enjoy it now, so did our cave-dwelling ancestors and everyone else since. With the industrial revolution pushing more and more people together, attitudes towards sex became more liberal. The liberalization of sexuality kicked into high gear by the 1960s with the advance of the sexual revolution. But despite the modern tendency towards sexual freedom, even today there are vast differences in attitudes across the world. Some researchers assume that sexual behavior is determined by Welcome to the evolution of human sexuality and lust. 1

Sexuality and the idea of race The four races Whites, Blacks, Mongolians and Hindustanics are the rootstock of all human races. As all modern human life has its origin in Eastern Africa, it is believed that differences in climate were responsible for the physical diversity between the races. The poets of their times even established national differences in beauty, intellectual and moral cultivation. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) explored relations between Europeans and non-europeans. According to Kant, Europeans were the first and only race to raise sex to the sublime by interlacing it with morality and, by doing so, raise the status of women. In contrast, non- Indigenous woman, Andaman Islands (1922) 5

European men placed women in virtual slavery because of their dominance as men. Until quite recently, it was quite a common theme of racial thought among the Europeans to determine the hierarchy of races by the color of the skin white color clever and civilized, dark color stupid and uncivilized. Furthermore, these groupings were seen as absolute, such as all members of a racial category share the same characteristics. Negroid woman, Philippines (1910) Even today, sexuality is often connected with race and national boundaries. Racial or national identities and communities constitute ethno-sexual frontiers or erotic intersections that are penetrated by individuals forging sexual links with ethnic "others." Aborigines, Australia 6

Human sexuality Human sexuality is how people interact in sexual behaviors and define gender roles or sexual orientation. This includes homosexuality or attraction to the same sex, heterosexuality or attraction to the opposite sex, bisexuality (or pansexuality) or attraction to both sexes, and asexuality or not being attracted to anyone in a sexual manner. Masturbation is another sexual method by which a person sexually stimulates the genitals usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed using the hands, everyday objects, or dedicated sex toys. Masturbation with a partner can be an alternative to sexual intercourse. Two girlfriends, Bali 7

Sexuality in Asia From South Asia to Japan informs about the traditional sexual behaviors of the various Asian peoples, such as masturbation, sexual and gender orientation, sodomy, spiritual and religious sex, sacred prostitution, sexual desires, pleasures and power, as well as the complex system of traditional beliefs, customs and practices that have evolved around sexuality and gender among the indigenous peoples of the region. It also tells about the history of clothing in Asia from early times among the indigenous groups, including the various techniques how indigenous people cover their private parts. Finally, the work gives an account about specific sexual activities by country. The text is supported by plenty of photographic and other images.