DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Why Buddhists Should Support Marriage Equality

**RIjdrVs3** · 04-01-2012, 12:27 AM

Combined with teachings about love, equality and compassion it would be weird to have switched up on the issue of homosexuality.

I guess one answer -- and this seems to be Ajahn Sujato's view -- is that the Buddha didn't see homosexuality as an ethical/moral problem and therefore there was no reason for him to single it out for discussion.

Then why is heterosexuality spoken about so often by the Buddha? All of the suttas that mention sexuality (at least those that I've read) are quite heterosexually focused. To give a couple of examples:

Saññoga Sutta: Bondage (AN 7.48)

The Blessed One said: "A woman attends inwardly to her feminine faculties, her feminine gestures, her feminine manners, feminine poise, feminine desires, feminine voice, feminine charms. She is excited by that, delighted by that. Being excited & delighted by that, she attends outwardly to masculine faculties, masculine gestures, masculine manners, masculine poise, masculine desires, masculine voices, masculine charms. She is excited by that, delighted by that. Being excited & delighted by that, she wants to be bonded to what is outside her, wants whatever pleasure & happiness that arise based on that bond. Delighting, caught up in her femininity, a woman goes into bondage with reference to men. This is how a woman does not transcend her femininity.

"A man attends inwardly to his masculine faculties, masculine gestures, masculine manners, masculine poise, masculine desires, masculine voice, masculine charms. He is excited by that, delighted by that. Being excited & delighted by that, he attends outwardly to feminine faculties, feminine gestures, feminine manners, feminine poise, feminine desires, feminine voices, feminine charms. He is excited by that, delighted by that. Being excited & delighted by that, he wants to be bonded to what is outside him, wants whatever pleasure & happiness that arise based on that bond. Delighting, caught up in his masculinity, a man goes into bondage with reference to women. This is how a man does not transcend his masculinity.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....048.than.html There is no equivalent example given regarding homosexuals. Why this omission?

Sigalovada Sutta (DN 31)

"In five ways, young householder, should a wife as the West be ministered to by a husband:

(i) by being courteous to her,
(ii) by not despising her,
(iii) by being faithful to her,
(iv) by handing over authority to her,
(v) by providing her with adornments.

"The wife thus ministered to as the West by her husband shows her compassion to her husband in five ways:

(i) she performs her duties well,
(ii) she is hospitable to relations and attendants[10]
(iii) she is faithful,
(iv) she protects what he brings,
(v) she is skilled and industrious in discharging her duties.

"In these five ways does the wife show her compassion to her husband who ministers to her as the West. Thus is the West covered by him and made safe and secure."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit...31.0.nara.html So why the attention payed to heterosexual conduct, yet none to homosexual conduct? Why speak of husband and wife and not of the equally legitimate expression of love between same-sex couples?

04-01-2012, 12:27 AM	#11
RIjdrVs3 Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 522 Senior Member	Combined with teachings about love, equality and compassion it would be weird to have switched up on the issue of homosexuality. I guess one answer -- and this seems to be Ajahn Sujato's view -- is that the Buddha didn't see homosexuality as an ethical/moral problem and therefore there was no reason for him to single it out for discussion. Then why is heterosexuality spoken about so often by the Buddha? All of the suttas that mention sexuality (at least those that I've read) are quite heterosexually focused. To give a couple of examples: Saññoga Sutta: Bondage (AN 7.48) The Blessed One said: "A woman attends inwardly to her feminine faculties, her feminine gestures, her feminine manners, feminine poise, feminine desires, feminine voice, feminine charms. She is excited by that, delighted by that. Being excited & delighted by that, she attends outwardly to masculine faculties, masculine gestures, masculine manners, masculine poise, masculine desires, masculine voices, masculine charms. She is excited by that, delighted by that. Being excited & delighted by that, she wants to be bonded to what is outside her, wants whatever pleasure & happiness that arise based on that bond. Delighting, caught up in her femininity, a woman goes into bondage with reference to men. This is how a woman does not transcend her femininity. "A man attends inwardly to his masculine faculties, masculine gestures, masculine manners, masculine poise, masculine desires, masculine voice, masculine charms. He is excited by that, delighted by that. Being excited & delighted by that, he attends outwardly to feminine faculties, feminine gestures, feminine manners, feminine poise, feminine desires, feminine voices, feminine charms. He is excited by that, delighted by that. Being excited & delighted by that, he wants to be bonded to what is outside him, wants whatever pleasure & happiness that arise based on that bond. Delighting, caught up in his masculinity, a man goes into bondage with reference to women. This is how a man does not transcend his masculinity. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....048.than.html There is no equivalent example given regarding homosexuals. Why this omission? Sigalovada Sutta (DN 31) "In five ways, young householder, should a wife as the West be ministered to by a husband: (i) by being courteous to her, (ii) by not despising her, (iii) by being faithful to her, (iv) by handing over authority to her, (v) by providing her with adornments. "The wife thus ministered to as the West by her husband shows her compassion to her husband in five ways: (i) she performs her duties well, (ii) she is hospitable to relations and attendants[10] (iii) she is faithful, (iv) she protects what he brings, (v) she is skilled and industrious in discharging her duties. "In these five ways does the wife show her compassion to her husband who ministers to her as the West. Thus is the West covered by him and made safe and secure." http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit...31.0.nara.html So why the attention payed to heterosexual conduct, yet none to homosexual conduct? Why speak of husband and wife and not of the equally legitimate expression of love between same-sex couples?
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