Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

bcol01
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Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by bcol01 »

So I grew up as a Christian, Protestant to be exact and I was always taught that the "lifestyle" is a dead-end, meaning that gay men just want sex and hardly ever want a monogamous relationship. Well, in my experiences in life (I am a gay male), I have sort of found this to be true. Not saying that there aren't any gay men who are in stable, long-term, monogamous relationships but that personally, i've known very few throughout my life and in my experiences just being the outgoing and social person that I am. I've had numerous guys, over the years, mirror my own observations, which kinda further solidifies my thinking that very few gay men can and want to be monogamous. Anyway, over time and as i've broken free of the religion that I grew up in, i've come to find that the issue is not so much about gay men or the "lifestyle" and more about the fact that men in general have less of a tendency (I think) to want monogamy/love. Sometimes I find myself thinking "maybe I shouldn't be gay (or try dating anymore) since so few people i've encountered seem to want anything more than just a fling" but then I realize, "this isn't just about "gay men" and it's prob just as bad when it comes to heterosexuals as well. I mean, I hear girls all the time talking about how men are pigs and how they just want sex, so maybe it's less about the gay thing. I dunno. Sometimes I think it'd be easier to just be single and stop trying but, I also do want love and just one person so im like :thinking:

Perhaps my "question" isn't worded right. Perhaps it all seems a bit muffled. I dunno. Hopefully some of you can peer into my way of thinking and offer some kind of insight. I don't want to be at war w myself and have an improper perspective on all of this so i'd love to hear your thoughts. :namaste:
In his writing, Hokkemongu (Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra), The Great Master Nichiren said, “If the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra wholeheartedly devote their life to the Lotus Sutra and practice according to its golden words, it is certainly needless to say that not only in the next life, but also in this lifetime they will overcome severe difficulty, prolong their life, receive the great, good fortune of unsurpassed enlightenment, and accomplish the great vow of the widespread, propagation of True Buddhism.”
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Könchok Thrinley
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Könchok Thrinley »

My theory is that behind the homosexual promiscuity there are several influences. One of them is the history of repression against homosexuals. This has influenced homosexual culture to this day. Lets be honest if being gay is seen as punishable offense then naturally you won't be as thrilled to start long-term partnerships as that would only enhance the chance of you being outed. So just from time to time enjoy sex is fine. This is even now present in homosexual culture as it still can be a pain in the butt (hh) to come out or live openly.

Next there is the fact that nothing really holds two gay men together. While hetero couples have after some time children, gay men usually had nothing like that. Yes there are pets but have you ever heard about anyone who was forced to stay in a relationship because their pet would be emotionally traumatized? Children are a shared project which can help sustain the relationship through the worst.

The way in which male sexuality is portrayed plays also a huge role. It is part of our societies to worship male promiscuity and fertility to a certain degree. These alpha males who can have multiple partners and can pick up anyone etc. This is in many ways how real males are portrayed. Naturally it influences the way some people behave. But here it is a question which came first a promiscuous male or the cultural picture of a promiscuous male. It probably goes hand in hand. Male sexuality can be a bit more open to promiscuity, but it really depends. However what cannot be denied is that society looks more favourably on male promiscuity than on the female one.

Anyway, you are gay. Be fine with it, 'cause it aint gonna change in this life. Yes, sometimes it can be about luck to find a good partner, but the same goes for straight people. Me and my partner are together for a year and a half and honestly so far the best. Yeah year and a half aint much, but I am in my early 20's and no other relationship lasted longer than 3 months before sooo ... success. You have your life in your hands and you are responsible for yourself and your behaviour. You can change it. You do not have to sleep around if you do not want to. Or you can, share the joy of sex (remember safety!). :D Really just relax. Realize what it is that is expected of you and what do you want. Do you want a stable relationship. Then search for that. Do you want to be celibate. Go and be. But do not do sth just because parents or people or society thinks you should do it. Figure yourself out. I have found my current partner when I said enough and vowed that I will have one relationship lasting at least a year and then focus on dharma instead of relationships. (I also did Kurukulle mantra, but because I liked the melody of the video on youtube :D) Garchen Rinpoche said that if one has good motivation even sex can be a source of good karma, so the possibilities to be gay and happy or even a buddhist are here.

Sry for this long rambling. Just wanna say you do you I guess (not in the naughty sense, or even that one, sorry). :D
“Observing samaya involves to remain inseparable from the union of wisdom and compassion at all times, to sustain mindfulness, and to put into practice the guru’s instructions”. Garchen Rinpoche

For those who do virtuous actions,
goodness is what comes to pass.
For those who do non-virtuous actions,
that becomes suffering indeed.

- Arya Sanghata Sutra
bcol01
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by bcol01 »

Hi! I think a lot of what you said really made sense to me and has really given me food for thought. I appreciate your insights and I find it to be very helpful in sorting myself out. Ty again. :namaste:
Miroku wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 9:10 pm My theory is that behind the homosexual promiscuity there are several influences. One of them is the history of repression against homosexuals. This has influenced homosexual culture to this day. Lets be honest if being gay is seen as punishable offense then naturally you won't be as thrilled to start long-term partnerships as that would only enhance the chance of you being outed. So just from time to time enjoy sex is fine. This is even now present in homosexual culture as it still can be a pain in the butt (hh) to come out or live openly.

Next there is the fact that nothing really holds two gay men together. While hetero couples have after some time children, gay men usually had nothing like that. Yes there are pets but have you ever heard about anyone who was forced to stay in a relationship because their pet would be emotionally traumatized? Children are a shared project which can help sustain the relationship through the worst.

The way in which male sexuality is portrayed plays also a huge role. It is part of our societies to worship male promiscuity and fertility to a certain degree. These alpha males who can have multiple partners and can pick up anyone etc. This is in many ways how real males are portrayed. Naturally it influences the way some people behave. But here it is a question which came first a promiscuous male or the cultural picture of a promiscuous male. It probably goes hand in hand. Male sexuality can be a bit more open to promiscuity, but it really depends. However what cannot be denied is that society looks more favourably on male promiscuity than on the female one.

Anyway, you are gay. Be fine with it, 'cause it aint gonna change in this life. Yes, sometimes it can be about luck to find a good partner, but the same goes for straight people. Me and my partner are together for a year and a half and honestly so far the best. Yeah year and a half aint much, but I am in my early 20's and no other relationship lasted longer than 3 months before sooo ... success. You have your life in your hands and you are responsible for yourself and your behaviour. You can change it. You do not have to sleep around if you do not want to. Or you can, share the joy of sex (remember safety!). :D Really just relax. Realize what it is that is expected of you and what do you want. Do you want a stable relationship. Then search for that. Do you want to be celibate. Go and be. But do not do sth just because parents or people or society thinks you should do it. Figure yourself out. I have found my current partner when I said enough and vowed that I will have one relationship lasting at least a year and then focus on dharma instead of relationships. (I also did Kurukulle mantra, but because I liked the melody of the video on youtube :D) Garchen Rinpoche said that if one has good motivation even sex can be a source of good karma, so the possibilities to be gay and happy or even a buddhist are here.

Sry for this long rambling. Just wanna say you do you I guess (not in the naughty sense, or even that one, sorry). :D
In his writing, Hokkemongu (Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra), The Great Master Nichiren said, “If the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra wholeheartedly devote their life to the Lotus Sutra and practice according to its golden words, it is certainly needless to say that not only in the next life, but also in this lifetime they will overcome severe difficulty, prolong their life, receive the great, good fortune of unsurpassed enlightenment, and accomplish the great vow of the widespread, propagation of True Buddhism.”
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by markatex »

I know several long-term gay male couples who have been together for between 10 years and 30+ years. I was in a relationship for 9 years. I don’t know where you live, but if you live someplace with a smaller gay community, you’re not going to get to know a broad range of gay people.

Gay liberation (as it was once called) was an outgrowth of the sexual revolution, essentially. Early gay liberation was not concerned with things like monogamy, and it’s interesting to me that you seem to equate monogamy with love in your OP. They have nothing to do with one another.

The progression toward marriage equality really picked up steam as a result of the AIDS epidemic. Gay men in relationships found that the lack of legal recognition of those relationships greatly impeded their ability to care for one another through what was, for many years, an inevitable and incredibly grisly & painful death.

If you’ve never explored the history of our community, I’d really suggest doing so. There has been a lot of vitriol and negativity heaped upon us throughout the decades and it’s easy to internalize that.
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by ShineeSeoul »

Mod Note: Comment that initiated a tangent on the compatibility of homosexuality and Buddhism removed from this post. Also, subsequent discussion of the topic removed.
markatex
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by markatex »

Just say no to internalized homophobia, guys.
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by markatex »

At any rate...

Precepts are guidelines, not commandments, and as Nichiren Buddhists, we are only concerned with the Diamond Chalice Precept of upholding the daimoku. The merit of keeping precepts is contained in that practice, guaranteeing that even us filthy homosexuals have Buddha Nature and will attain Buddhahood (indeed, we instantaneously become Buddhas when we chant the daimoku).
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Emmet »

The Third Precept (at least, as I received them) reads; "I resolve not to engage in improper sexuality, but to be caring and responsible."
What is "improper"? Buddhism is founded upon the principle of ahimsa; "non-harming"; ubiquitous to the sutras are admonitions to refrain from harming any living being...including yourself. The "four abodes"; loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity are highly valued and encouraged. Therefore one can extrapolate that any sexual activity that is harmful; to others or oneself, would violate the Third Precept. There is no scientific or sociological evidence to support the notion that homosexuality is harmful to anyone. I prefer to think of this in terms of exploitation; not just the common examples of rape or child molestation; but any relationship where one is indifferent to the needs of the other person, or attempting to get their needs met at the expense of another...essentially masturbating using the other person's body. Conversely, if it's a mutually "caring and responsible" relationship, then it's considered prima facie to be upholding the Third Precept; no questions asked. The sexual identity or preference of either party is completely irrelevant, and doesn't enter into the equation at all. Many in our sangha are LGBT, and I'm very glad that they feel accepted and comfortable enough to bring their mates to sangha gatherings, just as any other family. Every one of them are dearly beloved Dharma sisters and brothers. We would be so much less without them beside us.

Be at peace, and don't listen to homophobes who would prostitute the Dharma to rationalize their petty bigotries.
May all beings plagued with sufferings of the body or mind be quickly freed of their illnesses.
May the frightened cease to be afraid, and may the bound go free.
May the powerless find power,
And may people think of befriending each other.
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Könchok Thrinley »

Garchen Rinpoche said that even sex can be benefitial with the right motivation. So I will leave it at that. I am honestly quite sure that if it was such a big problem then Buddha would speak of it more than once. So believe what you believe. I am going to be a good loving partner.
“Observing samaya involves to remain inseparable from the union of wisdom and compassion at all times, to sustain mindfulness, and to put into practice the guru’s instructions”. Garchen Rinpoche

For those who do virtuous actions,
goodness is what comes to pass.
For those who do non-virtuous actions,
that becomes suffering indeed.

- Arya Sanghata Sutra
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Queequeg »

In the Nichiren tradition, we talk a lot about the Provisional Teachings and the Essential Teaching. This often comes up in the context of Nichiren's shakubuku practice and appears as criticism of both Provisional Teachings and simply erroneous teachings. For present purposes I set aside the erroneous teachings, ie. teachings that are simply wrong.

Provisional Teachings are the Buddha's Golden Words and are "true and not false". These are teachings that are described as spoken in accord with the minds of others. These are teachings that take into account the conditions and capacities of the listener, taking them as they are and leading them toward awakening through teachings that are readily accessible based on their thinking, their conventions of speech, and the experience of their actions. A simple example is the Buddha teaching a blacksmith, who works the bellows all day, breathing meditation. The bellows, being like the lungs, expand and contract, taking in air and expelling it in order to aerate the flames and get the coals burning hot. The blacksmith could readily relate to breathing meditation because it was similar to the activities he engaged in all day long. Similarly, he taught a butcher the foulness of the body, something that he would intimately understand. When Sariputra first taught the blacksmith and the butcher, he had the teachings reversed and both struggled. With teachings appropriate to their subjective experience, both advanced on the path rapidly. That said, these teachings don't readily lead to enlightenment - rather, they prepare the person for further instruction on a gradual path.

In the Nichiren tradition, our focus is the Essential Teaching, the Single Vehicle, the Path of Buddha. This is a teaching spoken by the Buddha without consideration of the capacities of the listener. It is the direct presentation of the True Aspect. In this teaching, the Buddha presents himself directly in his True Aspect. This teaching is compared to the noon day sun, able to shine deep into the valleys and quickly evaporate the residue of delusions for all beings. This teaching is the way things really are. It needs no explanation - one only needs to be exposed to it and everything else, all false and mistaken notions simply drop. How can you maintain a false notion when presented with the Truth? Of course people do that... that's another story.

The hostility to homosexuality you find in some Buddhist teachings - these are Provisional Teachings at best if not simply erroneous ones. IMO, these are often the echoes of the biases and prejudices of the people who transmitted the Dharma. This is them giving voice to their own fears and insecurities to comfort themselves and validate their impulses and preconceived notions.

Sex drive, after the will to survive, is probably the most powerful impulse we have as human beings. It is the essence of sensual craving and attachment which in the Buddhist view is the arising of suffering and samsara. The rules of conduct for monks in the section on offenses that result in expulsion from the Sangha first address sex. In a celibate order, sex is probably going to be the most difficult obstacle for both individual practice and for maintaining social tranquility. For heterosexual men, being exclusively among men will help with avoiding sex. For bisexual and gay men, its another story. We can read in the adamant denigration of non-heterosexual men and gay sex as proportionate to the problems they seek to address - the louder and more assertive the prohibitions, the bigger the problem. But homosexuality is not the real object of criticism here - its the craving for and attachment to sensual pleasure and stimulation. In the Vinaya, gay sex, as well as sex with animals, are all treated in the same chapter with heterosexual sex. For monks, its all bad, equally bad. In the early Buddhist view, sex is a huge obstacle to awakening, and if sex were to proliferate among the monastics, it would quickly destroy the efficacy of the sangha as a place of practice and the sangha itself. To the extent that these attitudes were echoed and/or amplified in the surrounding society, the prohibitions would take on that flavor - "in accord with the minds of others."

In the Essential Teaching there is, as we say, nothing outside of the Middle Way. We are what we are. There is no value or meaning intrinsic in anything. Our musical preferences are as blank as our sexual preferences. All such judgments are dependent on the milieu of everything else, depend on everything else for their meaning. This is the essence of dependent origination and samsara. To even consider value or no value is a biased view. The True Aspect is without marks. It is pure.

I don't want to add too many words to this but, when we get an insight into the True Aspect, it should come as a liberation at the most intimate levels - there is nothing we are supposed to be, no way we are supposed to be. We see any kind of value judgment as empty. We are, without altering anything, True. The practice of the Daimoku, as Mark pointed out, is the Diamond Chalice Precept - it is unbreakable, because the way things really are is unbreakable. When we chant, we take refuge in that Real Aspect. No matter if we tried, we could not break this precept. This is our Real Nature, our Buddha Nature - precisely the Truth the Buddha reveals when he directly shows his body. From this perspective, sex is what it is. It could be pleasurable, it could be harmful, it could just be an indifferent, perfunctory bad lay. It could be with a man, a woman, whatever.

To close this out, this doesn't mean we can do whatever. As Zhiyi remarked - someone who sees the True Aspect never conceives of doing evil, let alone good. We see ourselves and our fellows as we really are. We have no desire, let alone desire to cause pain and suffering, and instead, compassion wells up in us and we only wish to see beings liberated and happy.

For those who don't see the True Aspect, we tentatively promulgate rules to curb the excesses we impulsively indulge in. "Don't engage in harmful sexual activities. Don't kill. Don't lie. Don't steal. Don't get intoxicated." These are rules spoken in accord with the minds of people who languish in samsara, a slave to their impulses, craving sensual stimulation, running from go with fear, and anger, and greed, and ignorance, so that they don't hurt themselves or others.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
Trilobyte
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Trilobyte »

Sometimes I find myself thinking "maybe I shouldn't be gay (or try dating anymore) since so few people i've encountered seem to want anything more than just a fling" but then I realize, "this isn't just about "gay men" and it's prob just as bad when it comes to heterosexuals as well. I mean, I hear girls all the time talking about how men are pigs and how they just want sex, so maybe it's less about the gay thing.
honestly? I think you're correct here. there are lots of men who want casual sex with no long term commitments and many view this as ideal. meanwhile the men who don't want that are taught that there's something wrong with them and that if they were a "real man" they would be up for casual sex at all times. that's our wider culture in north america. then you get gay relationships where one aspect of gender norms gets amplified above what happens in the heterosexual population. women have other issues however. it's probably relevant that the stereotype for lesbians is "serial monogamy" and wanting to move in with each other immediately, which isn't necessarily healthier.

in my mind the benefit to being heterosexual is that there are more possible matches in any given geographic area and that it's culturally viewed as more legitimate, but not that people are more likely to have good motivations or understand what a mutually supportive, emotionally mature relationship involves. there is a reason divorce, cheating, unhappy relationships are all so common. in my mind it's better to wait for the right person and focus on other aspects of life than it is to rush into the wrong relationship. that doesn't mean you need to commit to being single forever.

that's my 2 cents anyway.
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Könchok Thrinley
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Könchok Thrinley »

To Queequeg: :good:
“Observing samaya involves to remain inseparable from the union of wisdom and compassion at all times, to sustain mindfulness, and to put into practice the guru’s instructions”. Garchen Rinpoche

For those who do virtuous actions,
goodness is what comes to pass.
For those who do non-virtuous actions,
that becomes suffering indeed.

- Arya Sanghata Sutra
DGA
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by DGA »

Trilobyte wrote: Wed Sep 12, 2018 5:22 pm
Sometimes I find myself thinking "maybe I shouldn't be gay (or try dating anymore) since so few people i've encountered seem to want anything more than just a fling" but then I realize, "this isn't just about "gay men" and it's prob just as bad when it comes to heterosexuals as well. I mean, I hear girls all the time talking about how men are pigs and how they just want sex, so maybe it's less about the gay thing.
honestly? I think you're correct here. there are lots of men who want casual sex with no long term commitments and many view this as ideal. meanwhile the men who don't want that are taught that there's something wrong with them and that if they were a "real man" they would be up for casual sex at all times. that's our wider culture in north america. then you get gay relationships where one aspect of gender norms gets amplified above what happens in the heterosexual population. women have other issues however. it's probably relevant that the stereotype for lesbians is "serial monogamy" and wanting to move in with each other immediately, which isn't necessarily healthier.

in my mind the benefit to being heterosexual is that there are more possible matches in any given geographic area and that it's culturally viewed as more legitimate, but not that people are more likely to have good motivations or understand what a mutually supportive, emotionally mature relationship involves. there is a reason divorce, cheating, unhappy relationships are all so common. in my mind it's better to wait for the right person and focus on other aspects of life than it is to rush into the wrong relationship. that doesn't mean you need to commit to being single forever.

that's my 2 cents anyway.
are you saying that sexual orientation is a choice?
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by DGA »

markatex wrote: Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:51 am At any rate...

Precepts are guidelines, not commandments, and as Nichiren Buddhists, we are only concerned with the Diamond Chalice Precept of upholding the daimoku. The merit of keeping precepts is contained in that practice, guaranteeing that even us filthy homosexuals have Buddha Nature and will attain Buddhahood (indeed, we instantaneously become Buddhas when we chant the daimoku).
Namo Buddhaya!

:cheers:
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Trilobyte »

DGA wrote: Wed Sep 12, 2018 10:47 pm
are you saying that sexual orientation is a choice?
I'm unsure how this question is related to my post, but I don't have an opinion on if sexual orientation is choice.

Maybe you mean that I said being heterosexual has advantages? I didn't mean this is a reason to choose being heterosexual; I meant it's a way people who are heterosexual have advantages: more possible partners in a given geographic area and cultural support. Speaking from personal experience, lacking possible partners or even possible friends who aren't straight and lacking cultural support and understanding are two of the hardest things about being something other than straight.
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by DGA »

It goes without saying that life is easier under nearly all circumstances for straights than gays.

This is in evidence in this thread, where some comments that amount to harassment have been removed by the moderators. Thank you for that, moderating team. Markatex is correct about the bigotry that can come out of the woodwork here in a forceful way. It's dehumanizing and it can deter people from Dharma practice, and for these reasons and more it should not be tolerated.

I'd like to let markatex have the last word:
markatex wrote: Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:51 amPrecepts are guidelines, not commandments, and as Nichiren Buddhists, we are only concerned with the Diamond Chalice Precept of upholding the daimoku. The merit of keeping precepts is contained in that practice, guaranteeing that even us filthy homosexuals have Buddha Nature and will attain Buddhahood (indeed, we instantaneously become Buddhas when we chant the daimoku).
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Minobu
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Minobu »

I think if one's focus is on the worldly and mundane one detracts from the work at hand.
This form of sexual behaviour while being a distraction, is something that seems important to some.

Why is gay sex a focus of a practitioner's life .

We are striving to access the spiritual body and develop our life's focus around that.

Focusing on having any form of sex for anything other than procreation is a distraction from time spent on spiritual practice.

our real love is love of the spiritual body and the development there of.

If one really needs to ejaculate , masturbate , and be done with it , it puts off the distraction ,and carry on with the Great Work.

try to rid yourself of this worldly endeavour forever.
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Emmet »

I think if one's focus is on the worldly and mundane one detracts from the work at hand.
Those who think that everyday life is a hindrance to their Dharma practice haven't discovered that there is no Dharma outside of everyday life.
Eihei Dogen

A woman is enlightenment when you’re with her and the red thread
of both your passions flares inside you – and you see.
Ikkyu

If Lingyun can attain enlightenment from the sight of peach blossoms, and Xiangyan can attain enlightenment from the sound of a pebble striking bamboo, why couldn't someone attain enlightenment by orgasm?

Follow the rule of celibacy blindly, and you are no more than an ass;
Break it and you are only human.
The spirit of Zen is manifest in ways countless as the
sands of the Ganges.
Ikkyu
May all beings plagued with sufferings of the body or mind be quickly freed of their illnesses.
May the frightened cease to be afraid, and may the bound go free.
May the powerless find power,
And may people think of befriending each other.
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Minobu
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Minobu »

Emmet wrote: Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:08 pm
I think if one's focus is on the worldly and mundane one detracts from the work at hand.
Those who think that everyday life is a hindrance to their Dharma practice haven't discovered that there is no Dharma outside of everyday life.
Eihei Dogen

A woman is enlightenment when you’re with her and the red thread
of both your passions flares inside you – and you see.
Ikkyu

If Lingyun can attain enlightenment from the sight of peach blossoms, and Xiangyan can attain enlightenment from the sound of a pebble striking bamboo, why couldn't someone attain enlightenment by orgasm?

Follow the rule of celibacy blindly, and you are no more than an ass;
Break it and you are only human.
The spirit of Zen is manifest in ways countless as the
sands of the Ganges.
Ikkyu
hey joe ..i'm not asking anyone to do anything or follow celibacy or refrain from any form of sexual desire you wish to perform on one another...what ever the gender...you want oral sex go for it...missionary position too boring...read the joy of sex...buy a strap on what ever you want to do ...with what ever manner of literature you choose to quote...and use to justify

always remember the words of the Dali lama..When a monk takes on Karma Mudra he must be a really good monk...

you can justify your worldly wants...and i can justify my spiritual path toward the spiritual body we have and try to nurture it in the flesh.

sex is a distraction...
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Re: Question about homosexuality & life's experience...

Post by Queequeg »

No precepts. Neither observing them nor breaking them.

:shrug:
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
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