Buddhism and Being Gay?
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I'm interested in learning Buddhism and its values. Is anyone here part of the Buddhism religion? If so, how does Buddhism view LGBT? Furthermore, is there is any advice about the religion itself?
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I'm a Buddhist and gay. I was raised as a Hindu but I started practicing Buddhism in my high school years (in India). I have practiced in two traditions, Burmese Theravada and now Japanese Zen. I live in Australia now.
I have never heard a Buddhist teacher say anything against gay people. In fact, when I went on a Vipassana meditation retreat in my late teens, one of the main reasons I went was to try to "control" my sexuality. I had not really come to terms with being gay, but ironically during that retreat, I did finally accept myself. It was a very emotional time for me and I had private teaching sessions with the Burmese monk leading the retreat. I was very open with him and told him everything I was going through. He was completely accepting and didn't seem surprised at all when I told him I was gay. He seemed to think it was completely normal. He just told me how to let go of negative ideas about myself. He was actually the first person I told I was gay. (Sort of. I'd already had casual sex with guys so I guess they knew).
The Buddhism I know from Burmese Vipassana to Japanese Zen is very meditation focussed. It isn't doctrinal or belief based. For someone external to try to tell me that being gay is bad would make absolutely no sense. What I experience here and now in my mediation and in my daily life is the primary source of truth. Not what a teacher says or certainly not what a book says. There is no higher authority than the truth of your own experience in Buddhism.
This brown skinned gay boy sitting here now typing on my laptop is Buddha too. This is Nirmanakaya Buddha.
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Outside the tradition but I work in Religious Studies.
Buddhism is one of the universalist traditions. In contrast to Ethnic religions like Judaism or Shinto where the practice requires being immersed in a specific culture; Buddhism adapts to the culture of the people who practice it.
Be aware that a Japanese form of Buddhist practice is going to be radically different from a Russian form. If you're living in a Western country there's a good chance that there are organizations dedicated to developing Western Buddhism in your country. You might try out Shamballa, Diamond Way, Triratna, Zen or Vipassana.
Other organizations may be focused on maintaining the traditional cultures that their expression of Buddhism developed in. Outsiders are less likely to be welcome. The study will require learning the language and manners of that particular ethnicity.
But be aware that Buddhism in general requires a community. The Three Jewels or Three Refuges are: Buddha, Dharma (Teachings), and Sangha (community). The practice of Compassion is to help every sentient being to recieve enlightenmnt.
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Tergar.org has a non-religious sequence of meditation classes and retreats (Joy of Living) and also Buddhist classes and retreats. I only have experience of the non-religious aspects but found it very accessible and good. In terms of openness, they have demonstrated sensitivity to concerns raised by gay participants. Opportunities for me to meditate in the rural Midwestern US tend to be with Buddhist groups and in my experience all have been very welcoming. The only odd experience I had was going to a retreat day and being shocked to discover everyone but me was Sri Lankan. It was actually a Buddhist church and all families with kids and a potluck and everything. Everyone was really nice, but I felt like a complete fish out of water-a lovely experience, actually.
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generally speaking, buddhism views all forms of love/addiction (Upādāna) as one of the 12 sources of pain & suffering (Pratītyasamutpāda)
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我是一个佛教徒，也是G，在我接触到的佛陀教法中，佛教并没有独立看待异性或者同性爱恋。佛教的戒律甚至有禁止人与动物的性行为戒律，不过不是针对物种，而是行为本身。佛教是讲究禁欲的，虽然佛陀并没有明确的提到G或者异性，但是我觉得应该是一样对待的，佛教反对的是邪淫，就是说不乱交。在家人的单一伴侣制度是佛教认同的。
