Attraction, and equally repulsion, in sex depend upon the
workings of the positive and negative forces in life. Although
the male sex may generally be characterized as the positive
and the female sex as the negative force in humanity, yet this
characterization does not necessarily hold good in all planes
of existence. It can easily be seen that when a positive power
is confronted by a power that resembles itself, but is positive
to still a greater degree, it becomes negative, as a talkative
person becomes a listener in the presence of one more talkative
than himself. In the same way a negative power ceases to be
negative but becomes positive in the presence of a power that
is similar to, or still more negative than itself.
The positive is expressive whilst the negative is responsive,
as speaking is positive while listening is negative. Throughout
life these two forces are seen balancing and completing each
other: in the swing of the pendulum, in the beat of the conductor's
baton as it marks the rhythm of the music.
Since each finds its completion in the other, these two forces
exercise an attraction upon each other. By the very nature of
things the negative cannot but be attracted to the positive
aspect. And the positive is inevitably attracted towards its
negative aspect. The positive is indeed the first to feel attraction;
for it is always seeking the scope for expression and reaching
out towards that in which it finds its balance. And it finds
in the negative that pliability for which it searches with the
whole strength of its being, in its demand for response. The
negative therefore, represents beauty while the positive represents
power. For power is not of itself beautiful. Power is attracted
towards beauty; its desire may be called beauty; and again its
power becomes powerless before beauty.
The moon balances the power of the sun. If it were not for
the moon, the sun would burst into flames and set the whole
universe on fire. If it were not for the moon, the worlds would
break into pieces and the cosmos would scatter.
The negative, by providing the necessary balance to the whole
being of the positive, gives beauty to its activity. On the
other hand, the positive gives strength to the negative. By
its expression of itself, the positive may be said even to create
the negative. It is this, which is symbolically expressed when
it is said, that Eve was created from the rib of Adam; that
is, the negative created from the positive and actually part
of the positive. The negative, then, is derived from the positive
and is strengthened by it and to the positive it returns again;
and the positive indeed draws from the negative its positive
character. The existence of each depends thus entirely upon
the other. And every purpose of each, even its ultimate purpose,
is accomplished through the cooperation of both.
Repulsion is caused either through lack of power or of scope
on the part of positive or negative. When the positive has not
the power to draw to itself the negative, it draws it perhaps
halfway, or a little more or less, a lack of power that may
actually repel the negative. Or else the positive, being first
attracted to the negative and then feeling itself too weak,
recoils. Or again the positive may be slow to express itself;
and remaining in the attitude of the negative it provokes confusion,
since the negative finds no channel through which to respond.
Again the negative, in responding, may express itself in
the manner of the positive, and then there must result a clash
or conflict; for then there is no scope for the positive. Or
else the positive, expressing itself with intensity, may drive
back the negative. Or the positive may find the response of
the negative so narrow that it finds itself deprived of sufficient
opportunity for its full expression. In such cases harmony is
not possible, because the negative does not furnish sufficient
opportunity or scope for the positive.
Disharmony therefore results when one or the other is frustrated
in the desire for self-expression. But harmony is more natural
than disharmony. The union of male and female should provide
an opportunity within that union for both to attain to the fullest
expression of which they are capable. And neither should find
within it an obstacle, which impedes his or her fullest development.
Every soul is indeed seeking for completion: a search that too
often ends in the destruction of beauty. Since the human being,
deluded and ensnared by the life on the surface, forgets to
look into his self, and to discover what is the nature of that
'I' which so desperately desires satisfaction.
checked 18-Oct-2005