Homosexuality and Buddhism

Just as I was getting curious about Theravada Buddhism, Bunny sent me this article:

Homosexuality is the tendency to be sexually attracted to persons of the same rather than the opposite gender. According to the ancient Indian understanding, homosexuals were thought of simply as being `the third nature' (trtiya prakti), rather than as perverted, deviant or sick. With its emphasis on psychology and cause and effect, Buddhism judges acts, including sexual acts, primarily by the intention (cetana) behind them and the effect they have. A sexual act motivated
by love, mutuality and the desire to give and share would be judged positive no matter what the gender of the two persons involved. Therefore, homosexuality as such is not considered immoral in Buddhism or against the third Precept, although this is not always understood in traditional Buddhist countries. If a homosexual avoids the sensuality and licence of the so-called `gay scene' and enters into a loving relationship with another person, there is no reason why he or she cannot be a sincere practising Buddhist and enjoy all the blessings of the Buddhist life.

None of the legal codes of traditional Buddhist countries criminalized homosexuality per se, although of course there were penalties against homosexual rape and homosexual acts with minors just as there were for similar offences committed by heterosexuals. In most Buddhist
countries today, homosexuality is usually considered strange and laughable although not wicked or evil. Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Mongolia, Japan and South Korea have no laws against homosexuality between consenting adults. Homosexuality is illegal in Burma and Sri Lanka mainly because their legal codes were in part drawn up during the colonial era. Recently in Sri Lanka, the penalty for homosexuality was increased in an ill-considered response to the
growing problem of sex tourism in the country.

This is an excerpt from http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/2008/08/homosexuality.html (which I think I came across while researching on homosexuality and Buddhism).

It went on to talk about Dalai Lama and homosexuality:
At a press conference in 1997 the Dalai Lama said; `From a Buddhist point of view (lesbian and gay sex)...is generally considered sexual misconduct.' He very soon found that he had stumbled into a pink minefield when some Western Buddhists, a significant number of who are
gay, loudly expressed their outrage....

Ahh, "pink minefield". I like that term already. The article's quite long and more of it can be read from the link above.

There are always two schools of thought when it comes to homosexuality and religion, occasionally with the country's and people's culture taking precedence over the religion's actual teachings and perceptions of homosexuality. To many, homosexuality is a perversion and hence should be condemned in religious books. Religion is also used as a form of political power and so it's easy to say, "It's a sin in the (insert title of religious book), hence it's illegal by law too." In a warped way, religion equates to the law.

Well, I'm at work now so I can't write one whole essay on my musings of sexuality and religion but just to conclude, thank goodness I'm an atheist or else I'll have a difficult time coming to terms with my "sins".