--- Ong Yong Peng <
ypong001@...> wrote:
> Dear friends,
>
> I hope I do not sound inappropriate, but I sincerely
> ask for your
> opinions on the Tipitaka's viewpoint on
> homosexuality. I recalled the
> Dalai Lama saying that the Buddha did not mention
> homosexuality. I
> think that is not a good answer. Because
> homosexuality is a word
> coined in Germany fairly recently, so obviously it
> is not in the
> Tipitaka. Furthermore, homosexuality is not sexual
> perversion as
> certain Christian groups claim.
From the Buddha's standpoint, any kind of sex is a
perversion (wrong view) and binds us to the wheel of
suffering, so in this sense, whether one has hetero
sex, masturbates, has sex with a corpse, animal,
homosexual sex, or even allow a single thought of lust
to arise, these are against the Buddha's teaching (to
the serious seeker of the further shore, be they monks
or laypeople).
For lay people who only aspire to cultivate virtue,
the Buddha advised them to only have sex under
conditions that conform to common sense and common
law. Partner should be of legal age, consenting, not
under the protection of parents, siblings. For
example, a catholic priest molesting a 12 year old
choir boy would violate this precept. Two consenting
adults doing whatever permutation of pursuing 5 cords
of sense pleasure behind closed doors is their
business. I don't recall reading anywhere in the Pali
Canon of the Buddha addressing homosexuality
explicitly. The vinaya goes into great detail of all
kinds of weird sex stunts that monks tried to pull
off, but again, the prohibition against any kind of
lustful thought, let alone sexual acitivity for a monk
automatically precludes homosexual activity for the
serious aspirant.
> Many members here are experienced meditators and
> learned of the
> Tipitaka, I would gladly like to hear your views on
> what the Buddha
> said or would say to a gay person. I understand that
> most Buddhists
> are tolerant and open-minded enough to accept gays,
> but please tell
> me your views on a logical basis in the context of
> Buddhism. We know
> that everyone has sexual needs, and we can't ask all
> gays to be monks
> (that would certainly cause problems as we see in
> the Catholic
> church). So, how should a gay person live his life,
> whether he is
> Buddhist or not?
This is what the Buddha said to the serious
cultivator, regardless of sexual orientation:
What is sensual pleasure? Five cords of sensual
pleasure?
[m66.18] "There are five cords of sensual pleasure�
Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for,
desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with
sensual desire and provocative of lust. Sounds
cognizable by the ear� Odours cognizable by the nose�
Flavors cognizable by the tongue� Tangibles cognizable
by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable,
and likeable, connected with sensual desire and
provocative of lust. These are the five cords of
sensual pleasure."
What does Buddha think of sensual pleasure?
[m66.19] Buddha: "� the pleasure and joy that arise
dependent on these five cords of sensual pleasure are
called sensual pleasure, a coarse pleasure, an ignoble
pleasure. I say of this kind of pleasure that it
should not be pursued, that it should not be
developed, that it should not be cultivated, that it
should be feared."
State the obvious, and people still won't get it
[s2.35] "one who seeks delight in the [sense
pleasures] seeks delight in suffering. One who seeks
delight in suffering, I say, is not freed from
suffering.
What is the danger of sensual pleasure?
[m106.2] "sensual pleasures are impermanent, hollow,
false, deceptive; they are illusory, the prattle of
fools. Sensual pleasures here and now and sensual
pleasures in lives to come, sensual perceptions here
and now and sensual perceptions in lives to come -
both alike are Mara's realm, Mara's domain, Mara's
bait, Mara's hunting ground. On account of them, these
evil unwholesome mental states such as covetousness,
ill will, and presumption arise, and they constitute
an obstruction to a noble disciple in training here."
#1 pernicious wrong view: "Enjoy sense pleasures
without attachment"
Buddha's response to that ignorant view [m 22.9]:
"Monks, that one can engage in sensual pleasures
without sensual desires, without perceptions of
sensual desire, without thoughts of sensual desire -
that is impossible."
What kind of pleasure should we seek?
[m66.22] "quite secluded from sensual pleasures,
secluded from unwholesome states, a monk enters upon
and abides in the first jhana� With the stilling of
applied and sustained thought, he enters upon and
abides in the second jhana� With the fading away as
well of rapture� he enters upon and abides in the
third jhana� With the abandoning of pleasure and pain�
he enters upon and abides in the fourth jhana�
This is called the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of
seclusion, the bliss of peace, the bliss of
enlightenment. I say of this kind of pleasure that it
should be pursued, that it should be developed, that
it should be cultivated, that it should not be
feared."
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