Name:vvk •
Title: What is the Buddhist view of homosexuality? •
Date posted: 05/14/12 6:44
Q: Thich Nhat Hanh: On Homosexuality Posted on March 29, 2009
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Thich Nhat Hanh, the noted Zen monk, poet, teacher who is the inspiration behind Deer Park Monastery and the Plum Village tradition, shares these words about the Buddhadharma’s view of “homosexuality” in the latest book, ANSWERS FROM THE HEART.
Thanks, Julia — for sharing the dharma for us to read!
excerpt from Thay’s new book Answers from the Heart
Q. What is the Buddhist view of homosexuality?
A. The spirit of Buddhism is inclusiveness. Looking deeply into the nature of a cloud, we see the cosmos. A flower is a flower, but if we look deeply into it, we see the cosmos. Everything has a place. The base-the foundation of everything-is the same. When you look at the ocean, you see different kinds of waves, many sizes and shapes, but all the waves have water as their foundation and substance. If you are born gay or lesbian, your ground of being in the same as mine. We are different, but we share the same ground of being. The Protestant theologian Paul Tillich said that God is the ground of being. You should be yourself. If God has created me as a rose, then I should accept myself as a rose. If you are a lesbian, then be a lesbian. Looking deeply into your nature, you will see yourself as you truly are. You will be able to touch the ground of your being and find peace.
If you’re a victim of discrimination, then your way to emancipation is not simply by crying out against injustice. Injustice cannot be repaired by recognition alone, but by your capacity to touch the ground of your being. Discrimination, intolerance, and suppression stem from lack of knowledge and lack of understanding. If you’re capable of touching the ground of your being, you can be released from the suffering that has been created in you through discrimination and oppression.
Someone who discriminates against you, because of your race or the color of your skin or your sexual orientation, is ignorant. He doesn’t know his own ground of being. He doesn’t realize that we all share the same ground of being; that is why he can discriminate against you.
Someone who discriminates against others and causes them to suffer is someone who is not happy with himself. Once you’ve touched the depth and the nature of your ground of being, you’ll be equipped with the kind of understanding that can give rise to compassion and tolerance, and you will be capable of forgiving even those who discriminate against you. Don’t believe that relief or justice will come through society alone. True emancipation lies in your capacity to look deeply.
When you suffer because of discrimination, there’s always an urge to speak out. But even if you spend a thousand years speaking out, your suffering won’t be relieved. Only through deep understanding and liberation from ignorance can you be liberated from your suffering.
When you break through to the truth, compassion springs up like a stream of water. With that compassion, you can embrace even the people who have persecuted you. When you’re motivated by desire to help those who are victims of ignorance, only then are you free from your suffering and feelings of violation. Don’t wait for things to change around you. You have to practice liberating yourself. Then you will be equipped with the power of compassion and understanding, the only kind of power that can help transform an environment full of injustice and discrimination. You have to become such a person-one who can embody tolerance, understanding, and compassion. You transform yourself into an instrument for social change and change in the collective consciousness of mankind.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Answers from the Heart: Practical Responses To Life’s Burning Questions (Berkeley: Parallax Press, 2009), 119-122.
THICH NHAT HANH accept Equal Marriage of the same gender，In the part of ’Wedding" in Plum Village Chanting and Recitation, he wrote : “adapt as appropriate for couples of the same gender”
This is an excerpt from Dharma Talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh on July 20, 1998 in Plum Village, France.
Question : "Dear Thay, I feel very well and safe here in Plum Village, but there were times in my life when I experienced discrimination, so there is one question which really interests me. What does Buddhism say about homosexuality?"
Reply: "Discrimination is something that many of us know, and there were times when we wanted to cry out for justice. You might be tempted by violent means in order for injustice to be removed. There are very many of us who are seeking non-violent means in order to remove injustice and discrimination imposed on us. Sometimes those discriminating against us act in the name of God, of the truth. We may belong to the third world, or we may belong to a particular race, we may be people of color, we may be gay or lesbian, and we have been discriminated against for thousands of years. So how to work on it, how to liberate ourselves from the suffering of being a victim of discrimination and oppression? In Christianity it is said that God created everything, including man, and there is a distinction made between the creator and the creature. The creature is something created by God. When I look at a rose, a tulip, or a chrysanthemum, I know, I see, I think, that this flower is a creation of God. Because I have been practicing as a Buddhist, I know that between the creator and the created there must be some kind of link, otherwise creation would not be possible. So the chrysanthemum can say that God is a flower, and I agree, because there must be the element "flower" in God so that the flower could become a reality. So the flower has the right to say that God is a flower.
"The white person has the right to say that God is white, and the black person also has the right to say that God is black. In fact, if you go to Africa, you’ll see that the Virgin Mary is black. If you don’t make the statue of the Virgin Mary black, it does not inspire people. Because to us the black people, "black is beautiful," so a black person has the right to say that God is black, and in fact I also believe that God is black, but God is not only black, God is also white, God is also a flower. So when a lesbian thinks of her relationship with God, if she practices deeply, she can find out that God is also a lesbian. Otherwise how could you be there? God is a lesbian, that is what I think, and God is gay also. God is no less. God is a lesbian, but also a gay, a black a white, a chrysanthemum. It is because you don’t understand that, that you discriminate.
"When you discriminate against the black or the white, or the flower, or the lesbian, you discriminate against God, which is the basic goodness in you. You create suffering all around you, and you create suffering within yourself, and it is delusion, ignorance, that is the basis of your action, your attitude of discrimination. If the people who are victims of discrimination practice looking deeply, they will say that I share the same wonderful relationship with God, I have no complex. Those who discriminate against me, do so because of their ignorance. "God, please forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing." If you reach that kind of insight, you will no longer get angry at that person who discriminates against you, and you might have compassion toward him or her. You will say: "He does not know what he is doing. He is creating a lot of suffering around him and within him. I will try to help him." So your heart opens like a flower and suffering is no longer there, you have no complex at all, and you turn to be a bodhisattva in helping the people who have been discriminating against you. That is the way I see it, out of my practice of looking deeply, so one day I made the statement that God is a lesbian, and this is my insight."
From http://www.plumvillage.org/
(Oh, and dip me in vinegar and call me fickle, or whatever you like.)
Name:vvk •
Date: 03/27/13 19:04
A: What about Mahayana Buddhism? Master Hsing Yun is a Chinese monk who leads the world’s largest Chinese Buddhist association. In his book Buddhism, Pure and Simple he writes:
“Marriage is an institution that reflects the values of the society that supports it. If the people of a society no longer believe that it is important to be married, then there is no reason why they cannot change the institution of marriage. Marriage is a custom. Customs can always be changed. We can find the same core point in this question as we have in others—the ultimate truth of the matter is that individuals can and should decide for themselves what is right. As long as they are not violating others or breaking the laws of the society in which they are living, then they are free to do what they believe is right. It is not for me or anyone else to tell them that they must get married if they want to live together. That is their choice and their choice alone…
The same analysis can be applied to homosexuality. People often ask me what I think about homosexuality. They wonder, is it right, is it wrong? The answer is, it is neither right nor wrong. It is just something that people do. If people are not harming each other, their private lives are their own business; we should be tolerant of them and not reject them…
However, it will still take some time for the world to fully accept homosexuality. All of us must learn to tolerate the behavior of others. Just as we hope to expand our minds to include all of the universe, so we should also seek to expand our minds to include all of the many forms of human behavior.
Tolerance is a form of generosity and it is a form of wisdom. There is nothing anywhere in the Dharma that should ever lead anyone to become intolerant. Our goal as Buddhists is to learn to accept all kinds of people and to help all kinds of people discover the wisdom of the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.”
Name:sam •
Date: 04/08/13 22:57
A: V V K,
Last night I watched this film , "TRADE OF INNOCENT". From true stories.
It is about the use of the 'under age' girls in a sex trade The contry is Cambodia. The ages of the girls are between 7 & 16, and the prices start with $ 1000, and might reach $ 100,000 for 7 years old virgin girl for one month use !.
At the end of the film, they mentioned the number of those girls in South East Asia which they are at the least 1 200 000 innocent girls, but that number could be much higher since the girls families are very poor [$3 -a day] and accepted the practice, plus the authorities do not mind since they have a share in the buisiness which also include the selling of the pornography materials [Photos, film etc.]
All those countries are Buddhist countries, and there are millions of monks who knows what is going on, but no one ever come to deffend those innocent girls !.
V V K, So please, can you tell me what is the "Buddhist view" on such horrible acts ?.
Dear Indie,
I read all your posts:
"I'd like to confess that I am weary of hearing people discuss homosexuality...... the sex scandals in the church.....write books about how they were molested when they were young."
I do agree with you. There are so many , and they are a daily news to all to watch, but nothing can be compared to what we [me &my wife] learned from this film. Those crimes against so many, so young girls far beyond any other crime, and it goes on in the open in those countries and for sure those great countries who never stop talking about the human rights, the women rights , they knew about it , but they stop short in standing up to protect millions of ennocent girls all over the world.
Some human are far much worse than the animal, and those innocent girls must be protected by the united nations, and there should be laws to punish such crime to the maximum.
Have a nice week Indie.
Name:vvk •
Date: 05/09/13 16:59
A: Five Wonderful Precepts
1. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.
(Pali : Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.)
How to apply it to your life:
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I vow to cultivate compassion and to learn the ways of protecting the lives of people, animals and plants. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life.
1. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.
(Pali : Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.)
How to apply it to your life:
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving-kindness and learn ways to work for the well-being of people, animals and plants. I vow to practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will do everything in my power to prevent others from human suffering of other species.
3. I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct.
(Pali : Kāmesumicchācāra veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.)
How to apply it to your life:
Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I vow to cultivate my responsibility and learn ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families and society.
I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to protect families from being broken by sexual misconduct.
4. I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech.
(Pali : Musāvādā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.)
How to apply it to your life:
Aware of suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to the suffering of others, I vow to cultivate oving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or bring suffering, I vow to learn to speak truthfully, with words that can inspire self confidence, joy and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain, and not to criticize or condemn things I am not sure of . I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or
the community to break. I will make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, even small.
5. I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented drink that causes heedlessness.
(Pali : Surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.)
How to apply it to your life:
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I vow to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I vow to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicants, or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain T.V. programs, magazines, books, films and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body and my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my pafrents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation, and for the transformation of society.
MAY ALL BE HAPPY !!!
Name:vvk •
Date: 05/09/13 17:25
A: Buddhist Views on Marriage
In Buddhism, marriage is regarded as entirely a personal, individual concern and not as a religious duty.
Marriage is a social convention, an institution created by man for the well-being and happiness of man, to differentiate human society from animal life and to maintain order and harmony in the process of procreation. Even though the Buddhist texts are silent on the subject of monogamy or polygamy, the Buddhist laity is advised to limit themselves to one wife. The Buddha did not lay rules on married life but gave necessary advice on how to live a happy married life. There are ample inferences in His sermons that it is wise and advisable to be faithful to one wife and not to be sensual and to run after other women. The Buddha realized that one of the main causes of man’s downfall is his involvement with other women (Parabhava Sutta).
Man must realize the difficulties, the trials and tribulations that he has to undergo just to maintain a wife and a family. These would be magnified many times when faced with calamities. Knowing the frailties of human nature, the Buddha did, in one of His precepts, advise His followers of refrain from committing adultery or sexual misconduct.
The Buddhist views on marriage are very liberal: in Buddhism, marriage is regarded entirely as personal and individual concern, and not as a religious duty. There are no religious laws in Buddhism compelling a person to be married, to remain as a bachelor or to lead a life of total chastity. It is not laid down anywhere that Buddhists must produce children or regulate the number of children that they produce. Buddhism allows each individual the freedom to decide for himself all the issues pertaining to marriage. It might be asked why Buddhist monks do not marry, since there are no laws for or against marriage. The reason is obviously that to be of service to mankind, the monks have chosen a way of life which includes celibacy. Those who renounce the worldly life keep away from married life voluntarily to avoid various worldly commitments in order to maintain peace of mind and to dedicate their lives solely to serve others in the attainment of spiritual emancipation. Although Buddhist monks do not solemnize a marriage ceremony, they do perform religious services in order to bless the couples.
Divorce
Separation or divorce is not prohibited in Buddhism though the necessity would scarcely arise if the Buddha’s injunctions were strictly followed. Men and women must have the liberty to separate if they really cannot agree with each other. Separation is preferable to avoid miserable family life for a long period of time. The Buddha further advises old men not to have young wives as the old and young are unlikely to be compatible, which can create undue problems, disharmony and downfall (Parabhava Sutta).
A society grows through a network of relationships which are mutually inter-twined and inter-dependent. Every relationship is a whole hearted commitment to support and to protect others in a group or community. Marriage plays a very important part in this strong web of relationships of giving support and protection. A good marriage should grow and develop gradually from understanding and not impulse, from true loyalty and not just sheer indulgence. The institution of marriage provides a fine basis for the development of culture, a delightful association of two individuals to be nurtured, and to be free from loneliness, deprivation and fear. In marriage, each partner develops a complementary role, giving strength and moral courage to one another, each manifesting a supportive and appreciative recognition of the other’s skills. There must be no thought of either man or woman being superior — each is complementary to the other, a partnership of equality, exuding gentleness, generosity, calm and dedication.
Birth Control, Abortion and Suicide
Although man has freedom to plan his family according to his own convenience, abortion is not justifiable.
There is no reason for Buddhists to oppose birth control. They are at liberty to use any of the old or modern measures to prevent conception. Those who object to birth control by saying that it is against God’s law to practise it, must realize that their concept regarding this issue is not reasonable. In birth control what is done is to prevent the coming into being of an existence. There is no killing involved and there is no akusala kamma. But if they take any action to have an abortion, this action is wrong because it involves taking away or destroying a visible or invisible life. Therefore, abortion is not justifiable.
According to the Teachings of the Buddha, five conditions must be present to constitute the evil act of killing. They are:
- a living being
- knowledge or awareness it is a living being
- intention of killing
- effort to kill, and
- consequent death
When a female conceives, there is a being in her womb and this fulfills the first condition. After a couple of months, she knows that there is a new life within her and this satisfies the second condition. Then for some reason or other, she wants to do away with this being in her. So she begins to search for an abortionist to do the job and in this way, the third condition is fulfilled. When the abortionist does his job, the fourth condition is provided for and finally, the being is killed because of that action. So all the conditions are present. In this way, there is a violation of the First Precept ‘not to kill’, and this is tantamount to killing a human being. According to Buddhism, there is no ground to say that we have the right to take away the life of another.
Under certain circumstances, people feel compelled to do that for their own convenience. But they should not justify this act of abortion as somehow or other they will have to face some sort of bad karmic results. In certain countries abortion is legalized, but this is to overcome some problems. Religious principles should never be surrendered for the pleasure of man. They stand for the welfare of the whole mankind.
Committing Suicide
Taking one’s own life under any circumstances is morally and spiritually wrong. Taking one’s own life owing to frustration or disappointment only causes greater suffering. Suicide is a cowardly way to end one’s problems of life. A person cannot commit suicide if his mind is pure and tranquil. If one leaves this world with a confused and frustrated mind, it is most unlikely that he would be born again in a better condition. Suicide is an unwholesome or unskillful act since it is encouraged by a mind filled with greed, hatred and delusion. Those who commit suicide have not learnt how to face their problems, how to face the facts of life, and how to use their mind in a proper manner. Such people have not been able to understand the nature of life and worldly conditions.
Some people sacrifice their own lives for what they deem as a good and noble cause. They take their own life by such methods as self-immolation, bullet-fire, or starvation. Such actions may be classified as brave and courageous. However, from the Buddhist point of view, such acts are not to be condoned. The Buddha has clearly pointed out that the suicidal states of mind lead to further suffering.
by: Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
Name:sam •
Date: 05/12/13 21:03
A: Dear V V K,
An answer to your post dated 05/09/13 - 12:59 in which you stated your position on the Followings:
1 & 2 - I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.
“I am determined not to kill *, not to let others kill **.”
* And there are billions of good people on this earth who share the same opinion with you , me included.
** Every person on this earth has the power over himself only, and only for the actions he/she does, one can only decide for himself and chose the way in every aspect of his life, but no one has the power over the others to stop them from doing the wrong things or the right things.
[You shall not kill & if a person kills a soul for no reason as if he had killed all mankind...& the Buddha teachings... & all the modern laws] , all that did not stop the killings of human or animal or the destruction of the planet earth.
Do not forget that we live in a non- perfect world, and this world contains the good, the bad and the ugly, and the bad & ugly ones are taking power over the good in all aspect of our life, [Ineed many long pages to list all].
We cannot, and we will not be able to change all the bad and unhuman things that ruin the social structure of our societies by a lot of talks or by beautiful humane laws. The only thing that might reduce the crimes, all sorts of crimes, is to bring laws with severe punishment to the criminals, even the death for those who kills [unless for self defense].
On this, I can say that you are a person of excellent quality, on one side, and that is great,
but on the other side you forget that the real world which we are living in, which is not a perfect world , and which needs more than wishful thinking.
3 - I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct. 5 - I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented drink that causes heedlessness.
I do agree with your position on the above. In matter of fact, as I know, the Islam religion is the only religion or non religion teaching that brought laws to protect people in regards to sexual misconduct and the use of alcohol and any thing that harm the human body.
I am not saying that the Muslims are perfect today, they are following the glamor of the west which are presented by the movies, the magazines, the media, and the many other ways, which is built mainly on the beautiful pictures of women to advertise for anything to sell. To sell a car they do advertise it with a nearly naked woman, and they do advertise all sorts of alcohol products. And the movies to make profits today has to have what my wife call “the spices of the movies” more spices better the film , it start with number one , “SEX “ then “NUDITY” after “SEXUALITY” , and they add “VIOLENCE” of all kinds, killing, rape, destruction etc., then they top it with the “DRUG & ALCOHOL”, every seen of some films from the office, to the pub, to the club, to the living room, to the bedroom, and in between to the bathroom & washroom, the glass of alcohol or the bottle of beer are always there, the they add the “COARSE LANGUAGE”, some movies and other shows there more “F & S “ words than the meaningful words .
Killer/killers/criminals acts are destroying life of few, but what I mentioned above is far worse than any crime. They are promoting and teaching all generation, specially the young one and children that if you want to be good and strong that you have to follow the super stars, the heroes.
In matter of fact most of the crimes today are originated from watching such works.
5 - I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented drink that causes heedlessness.
Dear V V K , If fermented drink only cause heedlessness that not too bad, but it has many other bad effects, on the person himself and on his family and to all those around him. It ruin families, and leads to crime etc..
The fermented drink or any other substance that might cause a bad effects on the human body are forbidden only in Islamic religion.
4 - I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech.
And you said:
How to apply it to your life:
Aware of suffering caused by unmindful speech (1) and the inability to listen to the suffering of others, I vow to cultivate oving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or bring suffering, I vow to learn to speak truthfully(2), with words that can inspire self confidence, joy and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain, and not to criticize or condemn things I am not sure of(3) . I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I will make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, even small (4).
1- “unmindful speech”, The posts you been writing for several years on this site are speeches, and they show that you are not aware of what you are causing to other people who do not agree to your belief, and stand to support one belief against the others, and that is fact, and if you want example from your posts I will be glad to bring them to you.
2&3 “I vow to learn to speak truthfully” , “not to criticize or condemn things I am not sure of”, Sorry to say that you are not speaking the truth, because many times in your post switched the truth and even you judge things while you do not know the truth of it, and if you need examples that is OK.
4- “I will make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflict, [big & small- that is what ‘all’ means].”
Sorry. You are not speaking the truth,’ truthfully’.
The biggest conflicts that we face and at all times are the conflicts between the many religions around the world, and we all know how much the people around the world are suffering from these conflicts, the list of the sufferings are so long, so I will keep it aside for now.
Many posts you wrote showing Islam as a bad teachings, and Muslims as bad people !, while you do not know the whole truth about this religion or the other religion which you try to support directly or indirectly, [ Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism]. You never ever in any post of yours brought the truth about Christianity, ‘why ?’, and why do hate Islam and Muslims?.
“I vow to learn to speak the truth”, please show me in which of your posts spoke the truth about the Islam religion?.
You talked about killing, sexuality and alcohol drink, all those are prohibited by the Islamic teachings, while on the other side the Bible which is the holy book of Christians is teaches killings, sexuality and drinking, and even hate, here few examples.
Luke 14:26 [Jesus]-And turning round, he said to them, If any man comes to me, and has not hate for his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even for his life, he may not be my disciple.
Mat. 10:34 Do not have the thought that I have come to send peace on the earth; I came not to send peace but a sword.
Luke 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have a great amount of goods in store, enough for a number of years; be at rest, take food and wine and be happy.
Jos. 6:21 And they put everything in the town to the curse; men and women, young and old, ox and sheep and ass, they put to death without mercy.
The word “SWORD” never mentioned in the Quran, but it came more than 200 times in the Bible. Search the word SWORD in the Bible to really know the facts.
Ezekiel 23:20 For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. [please read the whole chapter] or visit youtube:
Bible God’s word ? Deedat vs Swaggart 7 of 23
And if you wold like you can watch the whole debate.
For your information: [Exporting death] . World’s largest arms exporters - 2001/2012, Stockholm international peace research institute.
U.S.A. - Russia - Germany - France - China - England - Italy - Israel - Sweden - Ukraine - Spain - Switzerland - Canada - South Korea.
Can you see the truth. All those countries call for peace !, but in reality they are exporting arms for wars and killing.
