http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_budd.htmPeople's beliefs are greatly influenced by many factors; two of the most important are culture, tradition, and religion. Culture often trumps religion. For example, in the case of the worldwide Anglican Communion, many believers in the U.S. and Canadian provinces feel that the denomination is in a state of sin because it does not grant equal rights to homosexuals. Many believers in African provinces believe that Anglican Community is in a state of sin because some Anglicans support equal rights for lesbians and gays. Here we have a single religious movement, using the same Bible as their holy book, sharing the same rituals, sharing a common history for many centuries. Yet they take opposite views on homosexuality because of their differing cultures.
The same cultural overlay phenomenon may be happening in Buddhism as well. 7 In the West, there appears to be a growing acceptance of same-sex sexual activity as moral. In Asia, cultural influences result in a continuation of a long tradition of considering same-sex behavior to be sexual misconduct.
Apparently, the Buddha did not leave any teachings on homosexual orientation or homosexual behavior. He strongly encouraged his followers to "be a lamp onto yourself" -- to examine and test the truth of religious teachings before accepting them.
Buddhism is most concerned with whether an action is helpful, based on good intentions, and freedom from harm. Thus, a specific act can sometimes be either permissible or not permissible, depending upon its context. This differs from the positions taken by Christian faith groups. They often evaluate a specific action itself, based on whether it is good or evil according to a system of morality derived from that group's interpretation of the Bible.
Many women, gays and lesbians have been attracted to Buddhism because of its relative lack of misogyny and homophobia, when compared to some other religions. But others report "virulently anti-gay sentiments and teachings from religious teachers in Tibetan and other Buddhist" schools. 5
Argument from basic Buddhist principles:
A core teaching of Buddhism is the Buddha's Eightfold Path.
* The second of the eight steps is called Samma sankappa: right thinking or right resolve. It has been stated as:
"You must renounce the pleasures of the senses; you must harbor no ill will toward anyone, and harm no living creature." 9
When applied to sexual behavior, this step would seem to imply that one must:
* Engage in no pleasurable activities at all, including both masturbation and sexual pursuits with another person.
* Avoid harming another person. Sexual activity can harm others in various ways:
o It can easily spread STDs between sexual partners if safer sex techniques are not used.
o It can engender feelings of guilt, particularly if done outside of a loving, committed relationship.
o It can damage a marriage if it involves an extra-marital affair.
o It can result in emotional distress particularly if the sex is manipulative and not consensual.
o It can be profoundly injurious if one partner is too young.
The second step would seem to imply complete celibacy -- abstaining from sex with another person of the same sex -- if one is a homosexual -- or with a person of the opposite sex -- if one is a heterosexual or from persons of both genders -- if one is bisexual. It one is sexually active, then the second step would seem to imply that the behavior must be consensual and safe. There is no special limitation here that applies uniquely to homosexuals. Persons of all sexual orientations are to remain celibate.
* The fourth of the eight steps is called Samma kammanta: Right conduct or right behavior. It has been stated as:
"Do not destroy any living creature; take only what is given to you; do not commit any unlawful sexual act." 9
The prohibition against engaging in sexual misconduct is also listed as the third of the five Buddhist precepts. Sometimes it is expressed as simply forbidding adultery.
When applied to sexual behavior, this step would seem to imply that one must:
* Practice safe sex to minimize the chance of passing an STD to a sexual partner that could, in the case of HIV and HPV, cause death.
* Engage in only consensual sex. It is a bit of a stretch, but forced or manipulative sexual behavior could be interpreted as theft.
* Avoid "unlawful" sexual acts. This is a difficult phrase to interpret.
o From a legal standpoint, the U.S. Supreme court decided (Lawrence v. Texas, 2003) that all private consensual sex between adults is lawful. Unlawful sex in the U.S. would include activity between an adult and a child, sex in public, sex that is forced, sex for money, etc.
o From a moral standpoint, "unlawful" sex could involve many activities depending upon the specific faith group to which a person adheres.
To summarize: Buddhism's basic teaching discourages sex, and particularly condemns adultery, rape, non-consensual sex, and unsafe sex. This would seem to apply to same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples equally. However, some groups within Buddhism condemn homosexual sex because of cultural teachings.
A contrary view is seen in the Evangelical.us web site. 10 They suggest that Buddhism condemns homosexuality absolutely. Their web site states:
* "Homosexual behavior is a pleasure of the senses," and is thus violates the second of the eight steps. While this is a true statement, it applies equally to sex between a man and a woman.
* "Homosexual acts harm," and thus violate the second step again. Again, the author overlooks the fact that it is the specific behavior that causes the transmission of STDs, not necessarily the gender of the participants. In fact, STDs occur among lesbians at a far lower rate than among heterosexuals. Anal sex can transmit HIV infection very efficiently from a male to a female just as easily as it can from a male to a male.
Topic: TINDAKAN SEKSUAL YANG TIDAK PANTAS DALAM PANDANGAN BUDDHIS (Read 325333 times)