Page:Love in Hindu Literature.djvu/96

 Si, VI. THE DIGNITY OF SEX.

human, other-worldly and transcendental truths, the " scorner of the ground," has thus to express himself throughout and deliver his entire message only in terms of the human, the worldly, the " sense "-man. He wants us to draw upon our sensuous experiences, ■ the " dirt," the " dust,"" the .flesh, the animal in man inorder to understand the truths of the " only real " life and love. This lecture on spiritual love has the following towards the close : ' ' Most attractive human love, is .that between the sexes and it was therefore that language which they took up. It was the madness of sexual love that was the faintest echo of the mad love of the saint." This, then, is the dignity of the sensuous, the sacredness of the sex, that the highest life has to be interpreted in terms of the sensuous and the sexual. Truly, ".herein lies an imperfection which yet is noble and grand."

Coomaraswamy quotes for us the following from a mediaeval Christian hymn "in which the language of human love is deliberately adapted to religious uses:" " When ye se blosmes springe. And here foules songe, A suete love-longynge Myn herte thourh out stohg ; fAL for a love newe, That is so suete. and trewe. That gladieth al mi song.

Here the " new love " is Christ."

Coomaraswamy quotes the following from Hafiz (translated by Walter Leaf) : " Cowl of the monk and bowl of wine, how shall the twain: by man be wed ?