"There are seven kinds and colors of sanskaras. Red is the worst and the deepest; it is the most lasting impression and takes the longest to be wiped out. These red sanskaras are caused by the sex act, hence they are a great check on the progress and advancement. The sex act is considered a grave sin on the Path and prohibited to spiritual aspirants.
Thoughts [of sexual desire] may come, and even a rush of impulses, but one should not commit any action with another person. Even self-pollution [masturbation] is better, though it is bad in a physical way.
Sexual intercourse has the worst consequences. It attracts to oneself the worst sanskaras of ages past of one's partner; hence it is most difficult to wipe out. It incurs incredible damage to one's spiritual progress." Baba in Lord Meher, Bhau Kalchuri, online edition, p. 1889-90.
"[Baba to Garrett Fort in 1937] But once the veil is torn open there will be light, knowledge, understanding, illumination — and then you will know all."
Baba urged Garrett to follow all the orders he had been given, especially about refraining from lustful actions. Baba warned him, 'One physical relationship and it's all lost, so beware!'" Baba in Lord Meher, Bhau Kalchuri, p. 1811.
"Impressions are contagious. Eating meat is prohibited in many spiritual disciplines because therein the person catches the impressions of the animal, thus rendering himself more susceptible to lust and anger." Baba's words as rendered in Sparks of the Truth, ed. C.D. Deshmukh, 1967, p. 26.
"Lust is not bad. Because of this lust, you have been born as human beings. It is due to this very lust that you will turn from men into God. But even if lust is there in you, don't put it into action. From the spiritual point of view, lust is the worst possible weakness. The real hero is he who successfully fights it.
"Fornicating with a woman who isn't your wife is one of the worst possible sins. What had to happen has happened; but from now on, beware of carnality. Follow my orders and stay away from lust. What lasting pleasure can one derive from such stinking parts? It can destroy your spirit and character, as well as infect the body.
"I know each and every thing, but knowing everything, I keep on watching. Perhaps you might think, 'Why doesn't Baba save us from committing sins, despite knowing everything?' Before you do any wrong action, I already know that you are going to do it. Then why do I not prevent you? It is my secret.
"The secret of my work is, though I know everything, I do not interfere. The fact is, you should have this lust, but you should do your utmost not to fall prey to it. You should put up a fierce fight, and though defeated a thousand times, you should again be ready to continue to fight the lust.
"Were I to wish it, I could destroy the lust in you in no time. But what would be the use of destroying it? Inevitably I will destroy it. In the meantime, continue on with the battle inside yourselves. This is the law. It is necessary. Then joy will come in defeating lust. Without a struggle, there is no pleasure in fighting. The real pleasure lies in success after so many defeats. Wars won without obstacles, without sacrifices and untiring effort afford no pleasure. This should be a life and death fight. Lust is there to be fought. It is a lifelong struggle. It will be a conflict in you till the end of your days. It should be there to fight you, and you should always be alert and ready for battle, to kill.
"He who has love for and faith in me will try doubly hard to obey me. If you touch any woman, tell me immediately; this is one remedy. Another is to think that in your last birth you were a woman and had connections with a man; now you are a man and you want connections with a woman. You have had enough satisfaction in previous births. What is to be had by more lust?
"Foremost you should try to get rid of lust, as all other vices are on account of it. For instance, if a parrot's throat is cut, it dies. But if its wings are clipped, it does not die; after some time the feathers of the wings grow back. Lust can be compared to the parrot's head. Therefore when lust is still present and we conquer other evils, such as anger, the evils again revive - everything rises out of the head. But if lust is killed once and for all, every other evil is also destroyed. You have to cut off its head.
"Yet in truth, lust is necessary for evolution. It starts developing in the vegetable forms. With the increase in lust, there is advancement in evolution, since lust means energy. And with the increase in energy, consciousness expands.
"But these are points on this path which you will never understand. There are thousands of points thinner than hair. Remember, it is no easy thing to eradicate sanskaras gathered during birth after birth, and lust is the hardest of all sanskaras. But be heroes and fight lust; you will defeat it. The real pleasure is to fight it and not succumb to it. Knowing this, I let it remain, but I will destroy it in you when the right time comes. Until then, go on fighting, and never give up.” Baba in Lord Meher, Bhau Kalchuri, 1st edition, Vol. 4, pp. 1232-33.
Many Baba quotations about sex are at http://www.meherbabadnyana.net/life_eternal/Book_Two/2_Sex.htm.
Many Baba quotations about marriage are at http://www.meherbabadnyana.net/life_eternal/Book_One/Marriage.htm.
"The Problem of Sex" from Baba's Discourses is at http://discoursesbymeherbaba.org/v1-146.php.
"The Sanctification of Married Life" from Baba's Discourses is at http://discoursesbymeherbaba.org/v1-148.php.