Posted on 08/30/2002 7:44:44 AM PDT by NYer
SEX AND RELIGION: Buddha 'tolerant of gay monks'
Published on Aug 29, 2002
In a move that is bound to spark a controversy, a group of Buddhist scholars said yesterday that - despite popular belief and ecclesiastic law - Lord Buddha did not prohibit homosexuals from being ordained.
Although Thai monastic rules require a person to declare himself heterosexual during ordination, the scholars cited one mythical case documented in the Tripitaka, a compilation of Lord Buddha's teachings, as proof that Buddha did not object to homosexuals becoming his disciples.
The case revolves around a man who felt sexually attracted to a good-looking monk before finally being allowed to be ordained, said Kulavir Prapapornpipat, a post-graduate student from Thammasat University, in his dissertation "Thoughts and Ethics on Sexuality in Theravada Buddhism".
According to Kulavir, the Tripitaka stipulated that the man - who was married with children - met the monk and wished that his wife looked as good as he did or that he was his wife. As punishment for such thoughts, the man was turned into a woman, who then had to leave "his" hometown and later married a man.
But, on the advice of a friend, the transsexual sought spiritual remedy and, as a result, became a man again. He then realised that sex is a transient thing and sought, and was granted permission, to be ordained. The monk reached enlightenment later on in life.
Phra Chai Voradharmo, a member of Saekhiyadharma group, or Buddhism for development, interpreted the case to show that Lord Buddha did not prohibit homosexuals from being ordained.
The dissertation - which touched upon various aspects of gender and Buddhism - is based on the Tripitaka, as its primary source, and uses commentary from Buddhist scholars as secondary sources.
The dissertation asserts that sex in the physiological sense is no barrier when it comes to achieving enlightenment because in meditative practice, the sex of one's body does not matter. And the sex of a person is a temporary thing that can change in later lives.
However, Phra Sripariyattimoli of Mahachula Buddhist University cautioned that the Dalai Lama, the spiritual Buddhist leader, has said that one can be a homosexual, but the public should study the Tripitaka and be careful when it came to interpreting it.
And on the topic of women becoming Bhikhuni (female monks) through ordination, the Vinaiya, traditional regulations for monks, states that a woman must be ordained by Bhikhu (male monks) and Bhikhuni sanghas. But Phra Kosin Praripunno of Plai Na Temple, Pathum Thani province, cited chapter seven, page 21, of the Tripitaka, where Lord Buddha permitted the ordination of woman by male monks only.
It seems other religions are dealing with this issue as well.
In the story, the monk in question does not get ordained until he chooses to regain his balance and quit being a girlie-man.
If anyone tries to read this story as an endorsement by Buddha of the bath-house scene, well, they'd be barking up the wrong Bodhi Tree.
In "The Journey to the West," the most sympathetic and amusing character is undoubtedly the Monkey King, who starts out as a troublemaker (he goes up to Heaven and disrupts the Celestial Jade Emperor's annual Peach Festival) yet ends up as a Buddha. He is mischievous right up to the end.
This would appear to be one of the central points of the story. Of course, this will be forgotten, misinterpreted and plain falsified by the homosexual activists, just as Biblical scripture has been for Christians. For Catholics like me, the price of having done such is coming home to roost in the brutal sexual molestation of thousands of teenage boys.
Well, maybe that's where we have to part company. I don't know what if anything the church has to say about this, but it's my instinct that even though there's no marriage in heaven, sex may well be ontological. After all, the trinity includes a Father and a Son. Furthermore, we believe that priesthood (possible only for men) is eternal.
If Buddhism, is tolerant of homosexuality it may be because it lacks the Christian understanding of man as created in the image of a triune God who calls all to life in communion with Him.
Three or four years ago the Dalai Lama was becoming a household word.Celebrities and the trend setters extolled Buddhism and Dalai Lama. The media was all excited about covering an appearance he was to make in Central Park.One of the largest,if not the largest crowd ever showed up to hear him speak.He told the assemblage many things,but most clearly he spoke about the moral life and what he said could have been said by the Pope.Homosexuality was wrong,contraception was wrong,abortion was wrong.After all the hype,with the media breathlessly counting how many thousands and thousands of people were gathering to hear him,the media was forced to report what he said.
I have noticed that we very seldom hear about the Dalai Lama anymore.
Make me one with everything.
I have noticed that we very seldom hear about the Dalai Lama anymore.
The "truth" has never been very popular with the media.
The other possibility was that the man was making a joke.
Let me give two incidents on point,both involving the Pope.When the Pope came to Denver for Youth Day,our local CBS affiliate was going to do a 10 to 15 profile on the Pope during the 10 o'clock news.It was to take place after the local news.We heard the local news,then came the ads followed by a "must cover event".The Pope was preempted by coverage of a Chicago police station where we watched the public,either milling around or jumping over the police counter,as they waited for the news on the discovery of Michael Jordon's father's body.There wasn't even any commentary except,"These folks are really excited.They want to know if its true",then silence and more viewing of this inane,insane scene.Then it was time for the next network program.
The other manipulated papal coverage was when the Pope went to Cuba.On the night before he arrived all of the network "names"were down there ready to do an almost complete coverage of his visit.Do you all remember what happened that night?Remember Monica Lewinsky?Yep,all the big whigs disappeared before the Pope even got there.They had to go back to cover the "breaking story".It is truly laughable,their transparency and our oblivion.Had the Pope not gone to Cuba the boor and the babe might have remained a secret to this very day.But we had better be very quiet about it or the next thing we know,they to will be trying to sue the Vatican,with the wife adding her name to the suit.
Taylor Caldwell once said,in one of her novels:"Life is a tragedy to those who feel and a comedy to those who think."Probably explains why I don't know whether to laugh or cry most of the time.
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