Buddhism and homosexuality

Artistic representation of the intersection of Buddhism and LGBTQ people shown by the Buddhist flag and rainbow flag.

The relationship between Buddhism and sexual orientation varies by tradition and teacher. According to some scholars, early Buddhism appears to have placed no special stigma on homosexual relations, since the subject was not mentioned.<ref name="James William Coleman 2002, page 146">James William Coleman, The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition. Oxford University Press 2002, page 146.</ref>

Buddhism is more likely to accept homosexuality than Confucianism and marriage is largely considered to be a secular issue within Buddhism.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Buddhist texts

Early texts

Buddha is often portrayed as a male figure, such as in this painting from a monastery in Laos.

Within the earliest monastic texts such as the Vinaya (Template:Circa 4th century BCE), male monks are explicitly forbidden from having sexual relations with any of the four genders: male, female, ubhatovyañjanaka and paṇḍaka; various meanings of these words are given below. Later, the Buddha allowed the ordination of women, forbade ordination to these other types of people, with exceptions to a few particular types of paṇḍaka.<ref>See, for example, the Pandakavatthu section of the Mahavagga. 1:61, 68, 69.</ref> The Buddha's proscriptions against certain types of people joining the monastic sangha (ordained community) are often understood to reflect his concern with upholding the public image of the sangha as virtuous; in some cases, this is explicitly stated. Social acceptability was vital for the sangha, as it could not survive without material support from lay society.<ref name="Peter Harvey 2000, page 390">Peter Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics. Cambridge University Press, 2000, page 390. Quoting Sponberg 1992, 13–18.</ref>

Ubhatovyañjanakas

The word ubhatovyañjanaka is usually thought to describe people who have both male and female sexual characteristics: hermaphrodites<ref>The Pali Text Society Pali-English Dictionary defines ubhatobyanjanaka as "Having the characteristics of both sexes, hermaphrodite". Rhys Davids, T. W. & William Stede (eds.), Pali-English Dictionary, Oriental Books Reprint Corporation, New Delhi, 1975.</ref> (intersex). In the Vinaya, it is said that ubhatovyañjanaka should not be ordained, on account of the possibility that they would entice a fellow monk or nun into having sex.<ref>Harvey, op cit, pages 412–413; the bad can be found at Vin. I.89; Vin. II.271.</ref> It has been seen by some that the category of ubhatovyañjanaka is of later addition to the early Buddhist texts, since it does not appear in the early suttas, the Pāṭimokkhas, nor in the early parts of the Vinaya.<ref>Through the Yellow Gate

Ordination of Gender-Nonconforming People in the Buddhist Vinaya

by Ven. Vimala</ref>

Paṇḍakas

The paṇḍaka is a complex category that is variously defined in different Buddhist texts. In the earliest texts, the word seems to refer to a socially stigmatized class of trans-feminine and/or cross-dressing people, some of whom may have been sex workers.<ref name="Harvey, Peter 2000 p.416">Harvey, Peter (2000). An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: Foundations, Values and Issues, Cambridge press. p.416. Template:ISBN, Template:ISBN</ref><ref>Damien Keown, in Routledge Encyclopedia of Buddhism, page 683.</ref> Paisarn Likhitpreechakul argue that these people are grouped together with groups who are excluded from ordination as well; those with physical disabilities such as deafness or dwarfism, or those who have committed crimes.<ref>Vinaya: Mahavagga, 1:71, 76.</ref> "The Story of the Prohibition of the Ordination of Pandaka" from the Vinaya claims that the ban is a response to the example of a paṇḍaka monk with a desire to have sex. Being refused by other monks, he had sex with animal handlers, who then told the wider community and brought disgrace upon the sangha.<ref>Vinaya, Vol. 4, pp. 141–142</ref><ref>Harvey, Peter. An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics, Cambridge University Press, 2000, pages 415f.</ref> Since the word paṇḍaka does not appear in either of the early Suttas nor in the early parts of the Vinaya, it has been seen by some as a possible indication that pandaka's inclusion in the Vinaya did not happen in the Buddha's lifetime but was added later.<ref>Through the Yellow Gate Ordination of Gender-Nonconforming People in the Buddhist Vinaya by Ven. Vimala</ref>

In the Lotus Sutra, it said Bodhisattva should not go near Paṇḍaka,<ref>Lotus Sutra: Leon Hurvitz, trans., Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma (New York: Columbia University Press, 1976), p. 209</ref><ref>Lotus Sutra: If he enters the house of another person, he should not engage in talk with the young girls, unmarried women or widows. Nor should he go near the five types of "unmanly males" or have any close dealings with them.</ref> as like what monk rules said in Vinaya. The Theravadin text Milinda Panha, claims that Paṇḍakas let out secrets through their imperfection.<ref name="Milinda Panha, 100 BC. p. 310">Milinda Panha, 100 BC. p. 310.</ref><ref>Milinda Panha: There are nine kinds of people, Nâgasena, who let out a secret that has been talked over with them, and treasure it not up in their hearts. And who are the nine? The lustful man reveals it in obedience to some lust, the ill-tempered man in consequence of some ill-will, the deluded man under some mistake. The timid man reveals it through fear, and the man greedy for gain to get something out of it. A woman reveals it through "infirmity", an alcoholic in his eagerness for drink, a eunuch (Paṇḍaka) because of their "imperfection", and a child through fickleness.</ref>

LGBTQ+ people in later traditions

Some modern commentators interpret the word ubhatovyanjañaka as including those who are not physically intersex, but display behavioral and psychological characteristics of both sexes, such as a woman who is attracted to other women.<ref>Bunmi Methangkun, head of the traditionalist Abhidhamma Foundation in Thailand, describes two types of hermaphrodites, namely, female (Pali: itthi-ubhatobyan janaka) and male (Pali: purisa-ubhatobyanjanaka). According to Bunmi, an itthi-ubhatobyanjanaka is physically female, including having normal female genitals, but when physically attracted to another woman, "her previously female mind disappears and changes instead into the mind of a man, and at the same time male genitals appear while her female genitals disappear and she is able to have sexual intercourse with that woman." (Bunmi Methangkun, Khon Pen Kathoey Dai Yang-rai (How Can People Be Kathoeys?), Abhidhamma Foundation, Bangkok, 2529 (1986).)</ref> 5th-century Buddhist writer Buddhaghosa describes ubhatobyanjanaka as people with the body of one sex but the "power", or gender of the other. Leonard Zwilling argues that in this account Buddhaghosa does not in fact describe "hermaphroditism" but rather bisexuality or homosexuality.<ref>Zwilling, Leonard (1992). "Homosexuality As Seen In Indian Buddhist Texts", in Cabezon, Jose Ignacio, Ed., Buddhism, Sexuality & Gender, State University of New York. p. 206.</ref> Janet Gyatso pointed out that Zwilling destroys his own argument that pandakas are homosexuals when he writes, "The Vinaya, in fact, goes so far as to distinguish sexual activity between normative males from sexual relations between a socially normative male and a pandaka."<ref name=Gyatso>Template:Cite book</ref>

In other texts, the term paṇḍaka can include those born sexually indeterminate or with no sex, eunuchs, those whose impotence changes every half month, males who gain sexual potency by absorbing other men's semen, or spying on other people having sex. It sometimes includes males or females with any sexual dysfunction, such as impotence or irregular menstrual cycles. The common element seems to be those whose sexuality is either limited physiologically, or those who are sexually impotent. Together these impotence types are almost always portrayed negatively as a pariah class, especially in the earliest texts. In modern contexts, paṇḍaka is sometimes alleged to include lesbians, gay men, and transgender and intersex people,<ref>Zwilling, Leonard (1992). "Homosexuality As Seen In Indian Buddhist Texts", in Cabezon, Jose Ignacio, Ed., Buddhism, Sexuality & Gender, State University of New York. Pp. 203–214.</ref><ref name=Semen>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=Gyatso/> although in ancient times, a man who sexually penetrated another man or a paṇḍaka was not himself considered a paṇḍaka.<ref name="Harvey, Peter 2000 p.416"/>

Some texts of the Abhidharma state that a paṇḍaka cannot achieve enlightenment in their own lifetime, but must wait for reincarnation as a man or woman. Ananda — Buddha's cousin and disciple — was said to be a paṇḍaka in one of his many previous lives, as was the Buddhist nun Isidāsī (from the Therigatha). Template:Citation needed In both cases, birth as a paṇḍaka was a result of poor karma, and the idea that being a paṇḍaka stems from bad behaviour in a previous life is common in Buddhist literature.<ref>For example, the Pravrajyantaraya Sutra, or the 7th century Ta-ch'eng tsao-hsiang kung-te sutra. In the latter, a man "with the lusts and desires of a woman, [who] enjoys being treated as a woman by other men" despised other men or enjoyed dressing as a woman in a previous life.</ref> Asanga and Vasubandhu discussed if a pandaka was able to be enlightened or not.

In the Samantapasadika, a work of the 5th century CE Theravadin commentator and scholar Buddhaghosa, paṇḍaka are described as being filled with defiling passions (ussanakilesa), unquenchable lusts (avapasantaparilaha) and are dominated by their libido (parilahavegabhibhuta). Nevertheless, Buddhaghosa did not forbid all Paṇḍakas from becoming ordained as monks; indeed, the "āsittapaṇḍaka" was allowed to join. Notably, the "āsittapaṇḍaka" was a male that gained "satisfaction from performing oral sex on another man". Hence, there does not appear to be a consistent exclusion of homosexual Paṇḍakas by Buddhaghosa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The 4th century Mahayana Buddhist writers Vasubandhu and Asanga contend that the paṇḍaka has no discipline for spiritual practice, due to their defiling passions of both male and female sexes. They lack the moral fortitude to counter these passions because they lack modesty and shame. Incapable of showing restraint, such a being is abandoned by their parents and lacking such ties are unable to hold strong views. Asanga, like Vasubandhu, refuses the pandaka recognition as a layman on the grounds that such persons are unfit to associate with or serve the Sangha. Asanga, however, considers them capable to practice the path of a layman individually if they so desire, but without receiving recognition as a layman or being introduced in the sangha. A position similar to Asanga view was also featured in the Lotus Sutra, where sangha members were advised to avoid the paṇḍaka.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Buddha's proscriptions against certain types of people joining the monastic sangha (ordained community) are often understood to reflect his concern with upholding the public image of the sangha as virtuous. Peter Jackson, the scholar of sexual politics and Buddhism in Thailand, speculates that the Buddha was initially reluctant to allow women to join the sangha for this reason. Jackson explains:

Buddhism, the middle path, has always been concerned with the maintenance of social order and since the Buddha's time the sangha has never claimed to provide a universal vehicle for the spiritual liberation of all individuals in society, explicitly excluding those who are considered to reflect badly on the monkhood in terms of prevailing social norms and attitudes.<ref name="Peter Harvey 2000, page 390"/><ref name="Jackson, Peter A. 1998">Jackson, Peter A. (1998). "Male Homosexuality and Transgenderism in the Thai Buddhist Tradition". In Queer Dharma: Voices of Gay Buddhists, edited by Winston Leyland. San Francisco : Gay Sunshine Press. Template:ISBN</ref>

Social acceptability was vital for the sangha, as it could not survive without material support from lay society.<ref name="Peter Harvey 2000, page 390"/>

Several Theravada Buddhist texts state that the members of the paṇḍaka are excluded from a variety of Buddhist practices (in addition to ordination):

• acting as preceptors in ordination ceremonies<ref name="mahavagga">Mahavagga 1.69, 38.5.</ref>
• making donations to begging monks<ref name="mahavagga"/>
• meditating and<ref>Ref from Gyatso (2003): For example, Visuddhimagga 5.40–42 (translated in Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa, The Path of Purification, trans. Bhikkhu Nyanamoli, 2 vols. [Berkeley: Shambhala, 1976]) avers that both hermaphrodites and pandakas are among those who cannot develop kasina concentration, of indeed any kind of meditation at all, due to their defilement and bad kamma. Abhidharmakosabhasya 4.43 also asserts that neither pandakas or sandahas are subject to any of the three disciplines (from verse 13: those of monasticism, meditation, and the pure path), nor indeed the absence thereof.</ref>
• ability to understand the Dharma.<ref name="Milinda Panha, 100 BC. p. 310"/>

The Mahakala Ma Ning, a wrathful deity revered in Tibetan Buddhism, especially the Nyingma school, as a defender of the Dharma. The term ma ning has been translated as "genderless" or "eunuch", and equates to paṇḍaka. In this macabre 19th-century image the Ma Ning holds a human heart in their hand, and also a garland of hearts around their waist.

Classical Mahayana scholars like Shantideva and Aśvaghoṣa considered non-vaginal sex (including sex between men) to be sexual misconduct. Shantideva based his views on quotes from the Saddharma-smrtyupasthana Sutra.<ref name="harvey 2000 421">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Newland p.220">Cutler/Newland The Great Treatise On The Stages Of The Path To Enlightenment p.220</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to Mizuno Kōgen's study, Saddharma-smrtyupasthana Sutra is related to Ghoṣa's Abhidharmāmṛtarasaśāstra, and is compiled by Sarvastivada sect (possibly from someone related to Ghoṣa after the 2nd century).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal（There are forty mental factors (caitasika) in these four Sarvastivada Abhidharma texts: Prakaranapada, Mahavibhasa, Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya, and Abhidharmāmṛtarasaśāstra....and only in the Saddharma-smrtyupasthana Sutra, there are the same forty Mental factors corresponding with Abhidharmāmṛtarasaśāstra）</ref> In the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (Sanskrit: Mahā-prajñāpāramitā-śāstra), the Madhyamaka scholar Nagarjuna mentioned the non-vagina sex restriction as based on coerced action toward one's own spouse.<ref name="coerced">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Mahā-prajñāpāramitā-śāstra">《Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom》（Sanskrit: Mahā-prajñāpāramitā-śāstra; 中文: 大智度論）卷13：非道之處，則非女根，女心不樂，強以非理，故名邪婬。（The wrong orifice is not through the female organ, the lady does not like this, and so forcing it [upon her] is inappropriate, therefore it is said to be "sexual misconduct）</ref>

In contrast, later texts, particularly Tibetan Buddhist writings, occasionally value paṇḍaka positively for their "middleness" and balance. The paṇḍaka in these Tibetan works is translated with the term ma ning — "genderless" or "without genitals".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The 13th-century Tibetan monk Gyalwa Yang Gönpa, who was one of the significant figures in the early Drukpa Kagyu sect,<ref>Yang Gönpa is also known as rgyal ba yang dgon pa, rgyal mtshan dpal Template:Webarchive</ref> writes about ma ning as a balanced state between maleness and femaleness. Yang Gönpa describes ma ning as "the abiding breath between male exhalation and female inhalation" and "the balanced yogic channel, as opposed to the too tight male channel, and the too loose female one".<ref>The Collected Works (Gsun 'bum) of Yan-dgon-pa Rgyal-mtshan-dpal (Thimphu: Kunsang Topgey, 1976), volume 2 pp. 454 and 457 (cited in Gyatso 2003).</ref>

Most Mahayana teachings assert that all beings who correctly practice the dharma may reach enlightenment, since all possess innate Buddha nature, enlightenment being achievable even in a single life.<ref>Padma, Sree. Barber, Anthony W. Buddhism in the Krishna River Valley of Andhra. 2008. pp. 152</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Tibetan Buddhism

There are different views among Tibetan Buddhist teachers on acceptable expressions of sexuality.

Historically, Gampopa (12th century), one of the main early masters of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, followed the Indian Buddhist tradition, starting with the 3rd-century Hinayana texts of Vasubandhu, and stated that oral and anal sex, whether with a man or a woman, are violations of the third precept regarding inappropriate sexual behavior. Longchenpa, the 13th-century founder of the Nyingma school, citing the 3rd-century Mahayana texts of the Indian master Asanga, elaborated that inappropriate sexual behavior also include using hands to stimulate inappropriate parts of the body for sexual activity. In the same way, Gelug predecessor Je Tsongkhapa also adheres to such rules in his studies.<ref name="Newland p.220" /><ref>The Great Chariot: A Treatise on the Great Perfection by Longchenpa (1308–1363), chapter 5. Text online: 1 Template:Webarchive, 2.</ref>

Various contemporary teachers of Tibetan Buddhist lineages, including the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, have offered understanding towards LGBTQ people while noting that same-sex relationships do not necessarily constitute misconduct for lay people. The Dalai Lama has maintained the views of Je Tsongkhapa.

The 14th Dalai Lama has "voiced his support for the full recognition of human rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation," while noting that from a Buddhist point of view, lesbian and gay sex is "generally considered sexual misconduct."<ref name="REFDennisConkin" /> In the most recent interview with the Dalai Lama on this topic (March 10, 2014), the Dalai Lama said same-gender marriage is permissible provided it is not in contradiction with the values of one's chosen religion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

The Dalai Lama has also stated that any sex other than penis-vagina intercourse with one's own monogamous partner, including oral sex, anal sex, and masturbation is improper from the Buddhist perspective.<ref name="REFDonLattin">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="REFDennisConkin">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="REFJackNichols">Template:Cite web</ref> In his 1996 book Beyond Dogma, he states, "A sexual act is deemed proper when the couples use the organs intended for sexual intercourse and nothing else... homosexuality, whether it is between men or between women, is not improper in itself. What is improper is the use of organs already defined as inappropriate for sexual contact."<ref name="REFDonLattin" /><ref name="REFDennisConkin" /><ref name="REFJackNichols" />

The Dalai Lama cited the Indian Buddhist texts of Vasubandhu, Asanga, and Ashvaghosha as his sources concerning what constitutes inappropriate sexual behavior.<ref name="REFWTNN08-27-1997">See full transcript of interview: On Homosexuality and Sex in General, World Tibet Network News, Wednesday, August 27, 1997.</ref> In 1997 he stated: "Sexual organs were created for reproduction between the male element and the female element — and everything that deviates from that is not acceptable from a Buddhist point of view."<ref name="WhatUp">Template:Cite web</ref> The Dalai Lama has repeatedly said to LGBT groups that he can't rewrite the texts. He thinks that this is the type of issue that would need to be discussed by a council of Buddhist elders from all Buddhist traditions.<ref name="Issues in Buddhist sexual ethics">Template:Cite web</ref>

Theravada Buddhism

Peter Jackson, an Australian scholar of sexual politics and Buddhism in Thailand, writes that "Buddhism is a complex tradition and there is no single canonical or scripturally sanctioned position on homosexuality."<ref name="jackson95" /> Thailand is one of several countries with a large population of Theravada Buddhists.

In traditional Thai Buddhist accounts of sexuality, "[sexual] actions and desires have an involuntary cause [and] do not themselves accrue any future karmic consequences. They are the outworking of past karma, not sources for the accumulation of future karma. According to Bunmi, homosexual activity and the desire to engage in homosexual activity fall into this category and are not sinful and do not accrue karmic consequences."<ref name="jackson95" /> Jackson writes that this understanding of homosexuality "prevailed in Thailand until recent decades."<ref name="jackson95" />

In the 1980s in Thailand, during the AIDS epidemic, there was "a shift in Buddhist attitudes from relative tolerance of homosexuality to condemnation." These views were "unprecedented in recent Thai history."<ref name="jackson95" /> During this time there were two ways Buddhists viewed homosexuality: in the sympathetic view, it was said that homosexuality arose from the karma of previous lifetimes; in the intolerant view, it was seen as arising from immoral conduct in one's present life.<ref name="jackson95">Template:Cite journal</ref>

In 1989, the supreme governing body of the Thai sangha affirmed that "gays" (here translated from Thai kathoey) are prohibited from being ordained.<ref>Khamhuno. 1989 (B.E. 2532). Gay Praakot Nai Wongkaan Song ("Gays Appear in Sangha Circles"). Sangkhom Saatsanaa (Religion and Society Column). Siam Rath Sut-sapdaa (Siam Rath Weekly), November 18, 1989 (B.E. 2532). 36 (22):37–38.</ref> Their declaration has apparently gone unheeded in some quarters, as Phra Pisarn Thammapatee (AKA Phra Payom Kalayano), one of the most eminent monks in the country, demanded in 2003 that 1,000 gay monks be ousted from the sangha, and that better screening processes are put in place to keep out any gay postulants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Recently, Phra Payom Kalayano, an eminent monk and abbot, affirmed the rights of gay monks to join the Sangha: "In the past, katoey had no hope of being ordained because the rules were stricter and society was less open minded. But they have just as much right as anyone else to join the monkhood."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This view has been affirmed by other Thai Theravada monks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> But it's not known if that statement given by Phra Payom was supported only by some monks of his sangha or by official structures of his Theravada school. There is no information if any other Thai branches of Theravada has changed their attitude towards LGBT ordination because other Theravada branches does not seem to have changed their attitude on this issue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Japanese Buddhism

Template:See also Several writers have noted the strong historical tradition of open bisexuality and homosexuality among male Buddhist institutions in Japan.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> When the Tendai priest Genshin harshly criticised homosexuality as immoral, others mistook his criticism as having been because the acolyte wasn't one's own.<ref>Leupp, Gary (1995). Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan. p. 31</ref><ref>Faure, Bernard (1998). The Red Thread: Buddhist approaches to sexuality p. 209</ref> Chigo Monogatari (稚児物語), "acolyte stories" of love between monks and their chigo were popular, and such relationships appear to have been commonplace, alongside sex with women.

Western Christian travellers to Japan from the 16th century have noted (with distaste) the prevalence and acceptance of forms of homosexuality among Japanese Buddhists<ref>Boxer, C.R. The Christian Century in Japan 1549–1650. University of Californian Press, Berkeley, 1951. p 69.</ref>—Jesuit priest Francis Cabral wrote in 1596 that "abominations of the flesh" and "vicious habits" were "regarded in Japan as quite honourable; men of standing entrust their sons to the bonzes to be instructed in such things, and at the same time to serve their lust".<ref>Spence, Jonathan, D. (1985). The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci, Faber and Faber, London. p. 225</ref>

A 17th-century Japanese Buddhist scholar, Kitamura Kigin (北村季吟,Template:Lang), wrote that Buddha explained the pursuit of homosexuality over heterosexuality among priests:

It has been the nature of men's hearts to take pleasure in a beautiful woman since the age of male and female gods, but to become intoxicated by the blossom of a handsome youth... would seem to be both wrong and unusual. Nevertheless, the Buddha preached that [Mount] Imose<ref>Mount Imose is traditionally associated with heterosexuality.</ref> was a place to be avoided and the priests of the law entered this Way<ref>Wakashudo, "the Way of Youth", i.e. homosexuality</ref> as an outlet for their feelings, since their hearts were, after all, made of neither stone nor wood.<ref>Paul Gordon Schalow, trans. 1996, Kitamura Kigin, "Wild Azaleas" (Iwatsutsuji) in Partings at Dawn, an Anthology of Japanese Gay Literature, San Francisco, Gay Sunshine Press p. 103. Template:ISBN</ref> Like water that plunges from the peak of Tsukubane to form the deep pools of the Minano River, this love has surpassed in depth the love between women and men in these latter days. It plagues the heart not only of courtier and aristocrat but also of brave warriors. Even the mountain dwellers who cut brush for fuel have learned to take pleasure in the shade of young saplings." — Wild Azaleas (1676)

A later Japanese legend attributed the introduction of monastic homosexuality to Japan to Shingon founder Kukai, although scholars now dismiss the veracity of this assertion, pointing out his strict adherence to the Vinaya.<ref name="Schalow, Paul Gordon p. 215">Schalow, Paul Gordon. "Kukai and the Tradition of Male Love in Japanese Buddhism," in Cabezon, Jose Ignacio, Ed., Buddhism, Sexuality & Gender, State University of New York. p. 215.</ref> Nonetheless, the legend served to "affirm same-sex relation between men and boys in 17th century Japan."<ref name="Schalow, Paul Gordon p. 215"/>

Chinese Buddhism

About Buddhism and homosexuality in China, scholar A. L. De Silva writes, "Generally the attitude has been one of tolerance. Matteo Ricci, the Jesuit missionary who lived in China for 27 years from 1583, expressed horror at the open and tolerant attitude that the Chinese took to homosexuality and naturally enough saw this as proof of the degeneracy of Chinese society."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Importance inline

Venerable Hsing Yun, one of the premier figures in contemporary Taiwanese Buddhism, has stated that Buddhism should never teach intolerance toward homosexuality, and that people should expand their minds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Hsing Yun is a best-selling author throughout the Sinosphere, as well as an advocate of Humanistic Buddhism, an approach to reform Chinese Buddhism to match the needs of contemporary laypeople. As such, his views may not be wholly reflective of the older Buddhist views in China. However, at an earlier point (1998), he is quoted as remarking that "according to Buddhism, any emotional involvement, whether homosexual or heterosexual, is a form of attachment ... and, therefore, is a source of suffering," and when the topic of homosexuality, in particular, came up "the master spoke more strongly, calling homosexuality a perverted view (xiejian)."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

An example of an older view in opposition to homosexuality is given by the traditional master, Hsuan Hua, an important figure for Buddhism in both China and the United States. Master Hsuan Hua stated that homosexuality "plants the seeds that lead to rebirth in the lower realms of existence".<ref>Prebish, Charles: The Faces of Buddhism in America, page 255. University of California Press, 1998.</ref> In his commentary on the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters, he described homosexuality as behavior caused by confusion, as the product of sexual desires.<ref>Hua, Hsuan: The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections Spoken by Buddha, page 221. Buddhist Text Translation Society, 1994.</ref>

Some Mahayana Buddhist leaders were active in the movement for same-sex marriage rights in Taiwan which legalized same-sex marriages in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Buddhism in the West

Soeng Hyang, current headmaster of the Kwan Um School of Zen

In contrast to Buddhism in Asia, modern Buddhism in the Western world (European Union, United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) is typically associated with a concern for social equality—partly as a result of its largely middle-class intellectual membership base, and its philosophical roots in freethought and secular humanism.<ref>Coleman, James William (2002). The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition. Oxford University Press. Template:ISBN. See chapter 2, "Sex, Power, and Conflict." Review online.</ref> When applying Buddhist philosophy to the question of homosexuality, western BuddhistsTemplate:Such as often emphasize the importance the Buddha placed on tolerance, compassion, and seeking answers within one's self. They stress these overarching values rather than examining specific passages or texts,especially since the 1990s. As an interpretation of what is an individual decision and not subject to judgment by any central authority, a view of accepting all peoples, but rejecting certain types of is more predominant. people such as Issan Dorsey,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Caitriona Reed,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pat Enkyo O'Hara<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Soeng Hyang<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> have been ordained as Buddhist monastics and clergy.

A more anachronistic assessment comes from the western scholar Alexander Berzin, Template:Blockquote

The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, holder of the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages, in a 2008 talk delivered to LGBTQ Dharma practitioners at the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York, stressed that for vajrayana lay practitioners, homosexual relationships are no better or worse than heterosexual relationships and that only unhealthy relationships, in general, are to be avoided.<ref name="hearttoheart">Template:Cite web</ref> Both the Nalandabodhi sangha, which was founded by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and the Shambhala sanghas founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche have stated that they are welcoming of all sexual orientations.<ref name="hearttoheart"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Shambhala Meditation Center of New York hosts a weekly practice group, Queer Dharma, specifically catering to the needs of the LGBTQ Buddhist community.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to the Danish Karma Kagyu Lama Ole Nydahl, Buddha saw homosexuality as circumstances making life more difficult, but also explained the reason for homosexuality could be aversion against the opposite sex in a former life.<ref name=OLE>Nydahl, Ole: "Buddha og Kærligheden – Parforholdets muligheder" in Buddha and Love – The possibilities of the relationship (2006) Borgen, Denmark. Template:ISBN</ref> Nydahl says however that sexual orientation is not really important in order to practice Buddhism.<ref name=OLE/> Well known Zen Buddhist, Thích Nhất Hạnh (Plum Village Tradition), notes the spirit of Buddhism is inclusiveness and states "when you look at the ocean, you see different kinds of waves, many sizes and shapes, but all the waves have water as their foundation and substance. If you are born gay or lesbian, your ground of being in the same as mine. We are different, but we share the same ground of being."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=AnswersFromHeart/>

The U.S. branch of Soka Gakkai International, a Japan-based new religious movement (Japanese new religion) influenced by Nichiren Buddhism, announced in 1995 that they would start holding wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples,<ref>World Tribune, May 5, 1995, p.5. (Soka Gakkai International's weekly newspaper)</ref> and in 2001 established a conference for LGBTQ members and their supporters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A Buddhist temple in Salt Lake City connected with Jodo Shinshu, another Japanese school of Buddhism, also holds religious rites for same-sex couples.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Another Buddhist organization founded in the West, Juniper Foundation, wrote an article A Buddhist Vote for Same Sex Marriage demonstrating how Buddhist thinking embraces same-sex marriage:

The heart of Buddhist thought is its insight philosophy, which uses critical inquiry to challenge dogma and to reveal how seemingly fixed ideas are more arbitrary than we might think. Applying this philosophy, we see that social customs are not fixed laws but evolving conventions that serve a purpose in a particular culture and time. Marriage is one of these conventions. It is not a rigid law but a social custom that evolves.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In western traditions, there is widescale support for LGBT rights including the European Buddhist Union,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Buddhist Churches of America,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> many Shin Buddhist groups,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Zen leaders such as Thich Nhat Hanh, founder of the Plum Village Tradition.<ref name=AnswersFromHeart>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a PEW research poll, 88% of American Buddhists stated that homosexuality should be accepted.<ref name="pewforum.org">Template:Cite web</ref> This was a higher level of support than any other religious group studied.<ref name="pewforum.org" /> On 2012, the Australian branch of Buddhism voiced its support for same-sex marriage in a hearing of the Australian Parliament that sought to gather views on whether to legalize same-sex marriage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Queer Engaged Buddhism (2025), Kody Muncaster explores a queer, trans, and intersex approach to socially engaged Buddhism that discusses both histories of queerness within Buddhism and contemporary practices. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Buddhism and sexuality
• Buddhist view of marriage
• Buddhism and romantic relationships
• LGBTQ rights in Myanmar
• LGBTQ rights in Sri Lanka
• Tamil sexual minorities
• Hinduism and LGBT topics

External links

• Buddhist Sexual Ethics: Main Issues. Includes a discussion about what would be destructive or constructive sexual behavior for male and female homosexuals and bisexuals.
• Thinking through Texts: Toward a Critical Buddhist Theology of Sexuality José Ignacio Cabezón

Articles

• Homosexuality and Theravada Buddhism
• Same Sex Marriage, a short essay by a Theravada monk
• A Buddhist view of homosexuality K Sri Dhammananda
• A Buddhist Vote for Same Sex Marriage Juniper Foundation
• Semen, Viagra and Pandaka: Ancient Endocrinology and Modern Day Discrimination