--- Ong Yong Peng <ypong001@...> wrote:

> I am actually looking at the mundane level at how
> gay people can live
> a life of respect and dignity. For example, in
> Sigalovada Sutta, the
> Buddha teaches Sigalovada about good relationships
> between husband
> and wife in a family. I wonder if that can be
> extended to a gay
> couple. What do you think?
>

On a mundane level, yes, I do believe the Buddha's
advice on wholesome relationships is general enough to
be applied to many specific cases that less civilized
segments society is often intolerant of, such as
same-sex relationships, interracial marriage, etc. The
catholic church I read the other day is strategizing
on ways to fight the possible legislation of same sex
marriages in the U.S. They have publicly declared that
homosexuality is evil. As if they were qualified to
even recognize what good and evil are. This is the
buddha's more polite way of saying that:

[m 13] "[religious figures] should be questioned thus:
'�what is the gratification, what is the danger, and
what is the escape in the case of sensual pleasures? �
in the case of material form? � in the case of
feelings?' Being questioned thus, these religious
figures will fail to account for the matter, and what
is more, they will get into difficulties. Why is that?
Because it is not their province� I see no one in the
world with its gods, its Maras, and its Brahmas, in
this generation with its recluses and brahmins, with
its princes and its people, who could satisfy the mind
with a reply to these questions, except for the
Tathagata or his disciple or one who has learned it
from them."







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