Category: Dalai Lama

Many turn to their faith for guidance when it comes to sexual relationships, and Buddhists are no exception. A Buddhists ultimate aim is to escape suffering, and they believe that sex, homosexual or otherwise, should be approached with the Right Intention (BBC Bitesize 2020). A Buddhists perspective of Homosexuality is very flexible. Buddhism is considered incredibly diverse (more so than Christianity) and therefore, can be hard to come to conclusions on particular topics. The sociocultural factors that allow the expansion of beliefs and understandings within Buddhism is what creates said diversity. This essay explores the relevance of a variety of perspectives of homosexual relations within different types of Buddhism internationally, as well as investigating the impact that other religions, culture and scripture have (focusing mainly on Vajrayana/Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhism in Australia).

The Dalai Lama (His Holiness the Dalai Lama/HHDL), is the head monk and spiritual guru of Tibetan Buddhism, the Gelug School and traditionally has been responsible for the governing of Tibet. The Dalai Lama is widely recognised for his activism in human rights, which includes equal rights for homosexuals. According to an Office of Tibet spokesman, HHDL is firmly against violence and discrimination directed at the gay community. He stands for respect, tolerance, compassion, and recognition of human rights for everyone, regardless of sexuality (Buddhism on Homosexuality 2016) He significantly impacts the viewpoint regarding various ethical and moral situations or issues within Buddhism. His initial position on the morality of Homosexuality is heavily based on with-standing Religious traditions and previous teachings from patriarchs of the Gelug school. However, that has evolved by other media, cultural and religious sources. Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher and patriarch of the Gelug school. He wrote a commentary on sex which is considered authoritative within Tibetan Buddhism. This commentary is what the Dalai Lama refers to when he speaks of what is proper and what isn’t. At a press conference in June 1997, he commented: ‘From a Buddhist point of view [lesbian and gay sex]… is generally considered sexual misconduct’. This belief isn’t directed only at partners of the same-sex (Religion, 2005), (Simonthepilgrim 2005). The Dalai Lama mentioned that all monks are expected to refrain from sex or any other sexual. However, for laypeople, he commented that the purpose of sex is for procreation, so homosexual acts are viewed as slightly unnatural and unnecessary. Although, from a broader perspective of the entirety of Buddhism, Homosexual sex is not sexual misconduct, except for celibate clergy, and that only insofar as all sex is inappropriate (Zenmonk_genryu 2005). What the Dalai Lama was expressing was the idea of sexual misconduct according to Tibetan cultural norms. His understanding and attitude towards Homosexuality within (Tibetan) Buddhism has evolved, especially after meeting with a group of gay Buddhist practitioners. They made it clear to him how damaging his previous statements were (Simonthepilgrim 2005).

In his book ‘Beyond Dogma,’ he wrote: ‘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.’ (Robinson 2010). Simplified, Buddhism prohibits oral, manual and anal sex for everyone (both homosexuals and heterosexuals), although these are only binding on members of the Buddhist faith. His most recent statements, such as his appearance on the show Larry King Now, in a March 2014 segment is in no way inconsistent of it’s traditional and religious origins. Within the interview, King asked ‘What do you think of the whole emerging gay question?’ in which the Dalai Lama responded ‘That I think is a personal matter….so long as it is safe, OK, and if they fully agree, OK. But bullying, abuse, that is wrong. That’s a violation of human rights.’ He also reiterates his individual opinion on the matter, which is more or less alike, as well as declaring that same-sex marriage is similar, although they must also abide by the country’s law. It is understood that the Dalai Lama does not have the sole authority to override long-accepted teachings, and such change requires a consensus and approval of many senior lamas. The Dalai Lama may have no personal animus toward Homosexuality, but he takes his role as guardian of the tradition very seriously. Therefore, interpreting what the Dalai Lama states also requires understanding how Buddhists consider the precepts.

The Buddhist Precepts include precautions against ‘sexual misconduct,’ or ‘misusing’ sex. Sexual misconduct as described by the Venerable S. Dhammika is if one uses emotional blackmail, trickery or force someone to have sex. It’s believed that sex should be an expression of intimacy and love between two people (Higgins 2012). This also goes into detail about how adultery is another example of sexual misconduct, regardless of sexual orientation, if you give yourself to others, but you’re married, then the adherent has broken the promise of loyalty to their spouse and betray that trust (Jason 2005). In the Vinaya, the rules for the monastic orders, forbid monks and nuns from having any sexual relations (O’Brien 2019). Although, this still created confusion about how to comply with utilising sex in an ‘acceptable’ way if you are a non-celibate layperson. The Buddhist Precepts, unlike the Ten Commandments, are considered a personal commitment, so they are only enforced on those who have taken vows to keep them, rather than being universal moral rules to be imposed on everyone. With this information in mind, it suggests that the majority of Buddhists have no problem with Homosexuality or homosexual sex unless it violates a Religious vow one has taken.

Buddhist attitudes towards Homosexuality reflects the society they’re situated. Therefore, this creates a diverse range of approaches to Homosexuality in Buddhist countries (BBC Bitesize, 2020). Buddhism teaches that sensual enjoyment and desire in general, and sexual pleasure in particular, are hindrances to enlightenment, and inferior to the kinds of pleasure that are integral to the practice of jhāna (Buddhism and Sexual Orientation, 2020). Temples and monasteries standpoint on various ideas are derived from local conclusions and ideologies of what’s considered ‘proper.’ This is also relevant to Religious Teachers separated by distance. For example, some Teachers in Asia decided Homosexuality was sexual misconduct, but other parts of Asia accepted it as no big deal. Different schools of Buddhism – Zen, for example – are very accepting of homosexual relations, so there is no concern for identifying as gay and a Buddhist (O’Brien 2019). The differences among schools are so diverse that some scholars consider them different religions, and note that because of this, Buddhism may be more varied than Christianity (Robinson 2010). Theravada Buddhist countries are not entirely open and accepting of homosexual practice which has much to do with cultural norms, as well as the notion of karma, especially in countries such as Thailand. Homosexuality and other alternative forms of sexuality can be seen as karmic punishments for heterosexual misconduct in a past life (Buddhism on Homosexuality 2016). Homosexuality in Vajrayana/Tibetan Buddhism, as mentioned before, recognises homosexual relations to be regarded the same way as heterosexual relations. According to the Pāli Canon and Āgama (the early Buddhist scriptures), there is no saying that same or opposite gender relations have anything to do with sexual misconduct (Buddhism and Sexual Orientation, 2020).

Australia is one of the most LGBTQ+ accepting countries in the world, so that conventional understanding is reflected in the vast religions practised across Australia. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and more (LGBTQ+) rights in Australia have advanced since the late-twentieth century. Australia’s states and territories can be autonomous, and so most laws affecting LGBTQ+ rights differ slightly (Massola 2015). Buddhist support for LGBTQ+ rights such as same-sex marriage was confirmed in 2012 by the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils, which represents laypeople, (Stiles 2015) and the Australian Sangha Association, which represents religious leaders (Potts 2012). Bodhinyana Monastery abbot Ajahn Brahm wrote to the Parliament in support of same-sex marriage (Potts 2012). Buddhism in Australia is widely accepted because it’s believed that legalisation would alleviate human suffering, which follows the guidelines and foundations of Buddhism; the eightfold path and four noble truths. Buddhism has undergone substantial growth in both Australia and New Zealand in the last 20 years, as it has in many Western countries. The sociocultural factors that allow the expansion of beliefs and understandings within Buddhism is not limited to Australia. As mentioned before, it’s developed to reflect the cultures in which they reside. Buddhism first reached Australia in 1848 through Chinese immigration when they arrived to work in the goldfields. This early influence was slight and had no dramatic impact on the Religious census figure at the time (which was dominated by Christianity). The first organisation formed in Australia was the ‘Little Circle of Dharma,’ founded in Melbourne in 1925; the second was the ‘Buddhist Study Group’ in 1938. While early versions of Buddhism followed the pattern of being secular in orientation, focusing on Buddhist texts or philosophy, which is a prominent feature in most Western developments. However, this began to change as more and more teachers from multiple traditions visited. (Spuler 2002). Therefore, because Law in Australia accepts LGBT+ sex, marriage and rights, there is no concern for gay Buddhists (or otherwise) unless they infringe the Five Precepts which are essential for all Buddhists when considering their outlook to sex. The Third Precept states that no Buddhist should actively engage in sexual misconduct (including adultery, abuse and promiscuity). Overall, it’s agreed that Australian Buddhists can use contraception as long as they have the right intention and are encouraged to enjoy sex responsibly. Chastity is not a requirement of commencing a Buddhist life, and neither is marriage. If neither partner suffers, then a Buddhist can enjoy a healthy sexual relationship (BBC Bitesize 2020).

To summarise, there is a range of attitudes towards Homosexuality in Buddhist countries which implies the belief overall is flexible. Buddhism in different locations are heavily influenced by various ideas derived from an extensive range of sources such as the impact other existing religions, cultures and scriptures have. The Dalai Lama’s perspective is a prime example of how much outside influences can assist in evolving different ideas and understandings of somewhat controversial subjects’ overtime. This same structure can be seen in the development of LGBT+ rights which determine the karmic affect sexual relations have for gay (or otherwise) Buddhists.

In Western society, happiness is widely regarded in the lens of activities that bring us immediate, temporary pleasure, such as the desire to acquire material possessions or physical/sexual gratification. Although these things are not inherently negative, viewing long-term happiness in a pleasure-driven perspective is not only a mischaracterization of happiness, but also detrimental to a person’s wellbeing. The Dalai Lama states that true happiness is cultivated by having a calm state of mind that is rooted in affection, gentleness, and compassion, something that, according to the Dalai Lama, is fundamentally human nature (The Art of Happiness, pg. 22). In order for an individual to fully utilize themselves towards the goal of enjoying a happy and fulfilled life, your state of mind is key (AH, pg. 21). Following pleasure-driven impulses can often lead to an unstable, harmful, and regressive perspective on life; under a pleasure-oriented disposition, you will never be able to achieve true happiness because the desires you crave are unstable and waning by nature.

We can see how an affectionate, calm, and wholesome state of mind has beneficial effects not only for our health and physical well-being, but for society as a whole. Conversely, we can see how feelings of frustration, fear, agitation, and anger can be destructive to our health and society (AH, pg. 39). The greater your ability to understand the beneficial effects, the greater your peace of mind, and the greater your ability to enjoy a long-term, happy life (AH, pg. 22).

This is a virtuous pursuit that I believe is a worthwhile goal for a good life, as it promotes time to reflect on our own sentience from a global perspective, and opens our minds to patience, humility, and wholesomeness. However, it’s important to recognize that this goal can be wishful thinking for some people, especially in Western society. In the United States, happiness is sold to us on a television set and on billboards in the form of advertisements; society tells us what will make us happy, and how much it’ll cost us. The idea that happiness and profit margins are one in the same has been a staple of Western culture for decades, and it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. The ability to shift perspective can be one of the most powerful and effective tools we have to help us cope with life’s daily problems, but some people do not have the time nor energy to change their perspective (AH pg. 144).

Suffering is part of our human existence. As the Dalai Lama puts it, the body is the very basis of suffering (The Art of Happiness, pg. 94). Throughout history, life has been characterized by sudden, unexpected, and sometimes violent change; society is very much the same today as it was centuries ago in that regard (AH, pg. 125). It’s important for us to reflect on how we deal with suffering, as it often affects how we cope with it when it arises. Unfortunately, many people have unhealthy coping mechanisms when it comes to these events, and for expected reasons — suffering often occurs at random, and is seemingly senseless in nature (AH, pg. 131). In these moments, we are focused on getting away from it as soon as possible.

This reaction reinforces the idea that suffering is something intrinsically negative and inescapable, and our relationship with the world and, by extension, society becomes characterized by fear, unhappiness, and animosity. Reflection is of utmost importance. Accepting that suffering is a part of your human experience, and acknowledging that nothing in life exists in a permanent condition, will make you more tolerant to the adversities in life (AH, pg. 108). When you are aware of your pain and suffering, it encourages you to develop your capacity for empathy, which will allow you to relate to other people’s feelings and suffering at a personal level. This enhances your capacity for compassion towards others as well (AH, pg.135). Recognizing that suffering is part of your existence, but being aware that how much you suffer depends on how you respond to a given situation, will lead to a more perspicuous, fulfilling life.

Happiness is found through love, affection, closeness, and compassion. The first step of seeking happiness, according to the Dalai Lama, is learning how negative emotions and behaviors are damaging to us, and how positive emotions are helpful; it is important to recognize how negative emotions (anger, hatred, and jealousy) are not only bad to one personally, but also harmful to society and the future of society as well (The Art of Happiness, pg. 30). Cultivating positive mental states, such as kindness and compassion, often leads to better psychological health and happiness (AH, pg. 32). Achieving genuine happiness requires bringing about an alteration in your outlook on life and satisfaction, which is not always an easy matter.

Not only do humans have the capability of being happy, but the Dalai Lama also believes that each human naturally has an altruistic quality within them (AH, pg. 36). Having a flexible approach to life and learning how to develop patience and tolerance toward these situations makes it much easier to maintain your composure in the most restless and tempestuous conditions, as it requires the ability to process problems from various levels: the individual level, the community level, and the international level (AH, pg. 117).

Emphasizing and relating the common ground we share with others, realizing that every phenomenon has a different aspect, results in a feeling of comradery with our fellow man and leads us to the ability to look at events from different perspectives. Using this framework, we can use certain experiences and tragedies to develop tranquility within the mind. By broadening our perspectives to other people’s pain and suffering, we open ourselves to discovering new and equally satisfying ways of connecting with others through the cultivation of intimacy, love, and compassion.

An examined life is a life when one opens themselves to examination of the world, society, and (especially) themself. Thinking critically about the world around you, whether that be through questioning authority or questioning life’s meaning itself, involves being highly cognizant of not only other people’s actions and reasonings, but of yours as well. This can be an extremely difficult task to accomplish, as this kind of examination can sometimes be extremely uncomfortable. Living an examined life is a call to constant self-evaluation and awareness of your immediate environment, challenges in life, society, and all aspects of life that affects an individual both positively or negatively.

The Dalai Lama has made it his goal to personally connect with each and every individual he encounters (The Art of Happiness, pg. 7). He not only encourages us to think critically about our actions and emotions, but he actively evaluates his own reasoning as well. It’s important to note, however, that the Dalai Lama never states that he knows the answer to true happiness, or that his methods are one hundred percent failsafe; he only offers the lessons and advice that has helped him personally achieve true happiness. He is not only able to recognize when certain dilemmas are extremely complicated, but even admits when he doesn’t have a definitive answer for these instances (AH, pg. 92).

That isn’t to say that I don’t have any quarrel with the Dalai Lama’s methods. Throughout the book, Cutler asks a wide variety of questions about Western culture and philosophy, ranging from our ideas of materialism and intimacy, to our sense of human nature (AH pg. 22, pg. 41, pg. 57). The Dalai Lama offers his viewpoints on these topics and his reasoning for his beliefs, but he doesn’t seem to question or assess why Western culture has these beliefs in the first place. This leads me to believe that, although the Dalai Lama encourages us to examine the underlying basis of our ideas, he doesn’t seem to critically analyze our reasonings for these ideas.

In conclusion, although I do find the investigation and evaluation of other people’s beliefs to be lackluster on the Dalai Lama’s part, I do believe that he fairly judges his own moral character and values. His ability to sympathize with a multitude of different situations shows that he is willing to listen and understand the disposition of others, despite his own beliefs and practices. I do believe that the Dalai Lama is leading an examined life, one focused on personal growth and the understanding of people as a whole.

What is happiness? This is often a question many of us ponder on and can’t seem to wrap our head around it. There are multiple ways of defining happiness but one way of describing it would be; the state of accomplishment that encourages us to gravitate towards higher thinking, ambitions, nonsecular values and most significantly what the true purpose of our existence is. But what corresponds to the meaning of happiness? Being wealthy, healthy, or educated? Many of us believe that these are the things that correlate with happiness but many studies have proven us wrong and shown us otherwise. Some people could be wealthy and have all the money in the world but still, be unsatisfied. In chapter 2 of “The Source of Happiness”, Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler highlight how happiness depends little on the external events and more on the person’s state of mind and how content they are with life. Lama and Cutler use rhetoric to prove this by giving several examples of studies and real-life experiences. In general, happiness is a state of notable well being and it is a very influential emotion. Happiness is a very complex word with specific aspects that heavenly depends on how people understand it. What makes happiness very fascinating is that everyone’s form of happiness is unique. Finally, the last key to know about happiness is that it is a feeling and not something that can easily be found by chasing.

Since external events don’t play much of a significant role in happiness how does the state of our minds do? Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler thoroughly explain this through“The Source of Happiness”, Lama and Cutler give examples of experiences that two of their friends had gone through. One of the friends they mentioned was a woman who was blessed with an unexpected windfall after she quit her nurse job to work at another friend’s business that was just starting. The company got lucky and was bought out by a larger company for a huge sum. All the employees of that small company were taken care of. When Cutler spoke to the woman he asked her how she was enjoying her life now that she is better off financially. She said “it’s great being able to travel and do the things that I have always wanted to do.

But,” she added, “it’s strange; after I got over all the excitement of making all that money, things kinda returned to normal. I mean things are different—I bought a new house and stuff—but overall I don’t think I’m much happier than I was before (Lama & Howard 2002)”. This woman’s financial status has changed and she can do things that she was not able to do in her past but yet her level of happiness seems to remain the same. You would think that since one is presented with opportunities that they did not have before that they would be happier but it appears that it’s not always the case. The other friend he talks about is a man around the same age as the woman who has recently found out he was HIV positive. The man explains his experience by stating “of course, I was devastated at first,” he said. “And it took me almost a year just to come to terms with the fact that I had the virus. But over the past year, things have changed. I seem to get more out of each day than I ever did before, and on a moment-to-moment basis, I feel happier than I ever have. I just seem to appreciate everyday things more, and I’m grateful that so far I haven’t developed any severe AIDS symptoms and I can really enjoy the things I have. And even though I’d rather not be HIV positive, I have to admit that in some ways it has transformed my life … in positive ways …(Lama & Howard 2002)”.

This man has unfortunately been given the worst possible news about the status of his health and it has brought many changes to his life. But instead of this unfortunate event leading to more unhappiness in life, it caused the opposite effect. He did suffer a little because it took some time to come to terms with his current condition but after he got past all of that he was able to see life differently. He began to take a liking to things that he would never once pay attention to and have somehow developed some sort of contentment or even happiness with his new life despite his struggles. These two experiences are similar to what we may go through in our everyday lives like for instance finally getting something that you wanted for so long but now that you finally acquired it, it didn’t make you as happy as you thought it would or when you family suddenly hit hard times in some point in time and through that experience of suffering your outlook on things were forever changed, you learn to appreciate little the things. These examples of what those two people have undergone have pointed out how happiness is based more on the condition of the mindless than by external occurrences. Lama and Cutler also use logos to further their claim by bringing up studies that were conducted. One study conducted was a survey of Illinois state lottery winners and British pool winners.

In this study, they discovered that high feelings of happiness will eventually wear off and winners went back to their normal level of happiness which is considered moment to moment happiness. It shows that events like winning the lottery have some effect on people’s level of happiness but not a very long-lasting effect because people go back to having the same amount of happiness before they won the money. Another study they mention is that people who are struck with catastrophes such as being diagnosed with a long term illnesses typically recover to having their average level of day to day happiness after they have come terms with their situation. This leads people to ponder this; “since we tend to return to our characteristic baseline level of happiness no matter what our external conditions are, what determines this baseline?” Lama and Cutler attempt to address this question by giving possible reasons. One reason he gives is that genetic makeup could play a role in happiness. They also discuss the fact that many psychologists believe there are steps you can take to enhance the feeling or level of happiness you were endowed with by nature. According to “The Source of Happiness,” the reason for this is because “our moment-to-moment happiness is largely determined by our outlook…Whether we are feeling happy or unhappy at any given moment often has very little to do with our absolute conditions but, rather it is a function of how we perceive our situation, how satisfied we are with what we have (Lama & Howard 2002)”. In other words, happiness depends a lot on our perception of life and little on our circumstances. Some people may argue that happiness does not depend on the state of mind because our emotional state is hard to chronically maintain. This may be true that it is hard to but there may be ways in which we can improve our levels of happiness by improving our outlook of life.

Many people have always been chased after the idea of happiness but never really were able to comprehend what happiness is. External sources such as wealth, health, spiritual values may play some of a role in achieving happiness but it is more to it than just that. Many people have the ideology that happiness in life is a life overflowed with success, satisfaction, and pleasure without going through any pain. Many people misunderstand the correlation between happiness and pain. Through pain, many people undergo changes that impact their state of mind in a way that causes them to perceive things differently. This different outlook on life may cause someone to be satisfied or content with one’s life. Your state of mind is essential to unlocking the true meaning of happiness.