GAY BUDDHISM: Maybe, but we're not sure yet....

So, as it turns out, the Buddha left out an important message from his teachings. Strange, considering how preoccupied the Bible is with sex. With 350,000,000 Buddhists worldwide, you'd think someone would have laid down a few ground rules, but the Buddha is surprisingly vague about any sort of laws concerning gender and marital life. The Buddha taught his followers the path to Enlightenment, and it appears that he didn't think homosexuality was worth mentioning.

So can a gay person reach Enlightenment?

Enlightenment in and of itself is a vague topic, something that us Western Coconuts tend to scoff at, despite our love of tofu and exotic tea. We think of Buddhism as a vague, wishy-washy sort of religion, that has something to do with yoga and sitting in a funny cross-legged position. Let's not forget that in a good portion of the world, Buddhism is a very serious practice. Buddhism is the fourth major religion in the world and predates Christianity and Islam by several centuries. However, the fact remains that most Westerners don't exactly know what Buddhism is.

Buddhism predates the coming of Christ, but tends to promote the same teachings. The main difference is that most Christians consider themselves “saved” by faith alone, while Buddhists live by a strict behavioral regiment. Instead of seeking to be “saved,” Buddhists seek Enlightenment. The Buddha prescribed specific meditation and fasting methods to purify the body as well as the mind. Buddhists rigorously practice mental control and humility, and cultivate specific traits such as compassion, generosity, and wisdom. One continues on this path until the force of one's “good karma” brings about Enlightenment, a moment of divine insight. After Enlightenment, one is said to know the truth in all things.

So can a gay person experience Enlightenment? This seems like a pretty important question. I don't want to hear twenty years from now that I've been meditating for nothing, because only straight people have the privilege of experiencing divine truth. Thankfully, the Buddha has left the answer delightfully ambiguous. The Buddha teaches against “sexual misconduct,” which is usually classified as rape, sexual harassment, molestation of one's children, and unfaithfulness, but all of these can apply to both homo and heterosexual couples.

This still hasn't stopped the Dalai Lama from inserting his personal opinion into the conversation: "From a Buddhist point of view, [gay sex] is generally considered sexual misconduct." Yet the Dalai Lama seems to be as ambiguous as the Buddha on this topic, and has also stated that gay sex can be "of mutual benefit, enjoyable, and harmless." In the end, not even the Dalai Lama knows if gays can reach Enlightenment. The religious and political worlds demand an answer, and Buddhists appear to be replying with a strong, self-assured “Maybe.”

Forgetfulness, or Divine Perspective?

So did the Buddha just forget about gay people? Maybe people weren't “gay enough” back in 563 BCE, or they weren't demanding any sort of recognition. But let's not forget that the Buddha was an Enlightened being who knew the Truth In All Things. Could it be that, in the face of ultimate truth, sexual orientation just didn't matter?

This may also come down to a fundamental difference between Judeo-Christian religions and Buddhism. Judeo-Christian religions focus a lot on politics, kings, divine favor and law. Buddhism, though based very heavily on morality and self restraint, is less concerned with the structure of government and the power struggles within society, and more concerned with attaining the Ultimate Perspective. Buddhism is not the religion of an invasive Empire bent on ruling the world, but of a man who spent his life dedicated to inward contemplation. Buddhism, therefore, strives to make no judgments, and rather supplies a practitioner with the tools needed for self liberation from suffering. To be quite honest, Buddhism appears to give us the tools to act more readily Christ-like.

Could it be that Judeo-Christian religions are preoccupied with sexuality because of an outdated kinship structure in Old Testament tribes? Life in the desert was a lot harder than in the luscious homeland of the Buddha; resources were scarce and birth rates were low. Having a tight family structure helped everyone's survival. Or could it be that the Buddha was a little gender confused himself? He did teach the path to Enlightenment as a Middle Way, to avoid any extremes, and to embrace “love and compassion for all sentient beings.” I can only imagine that an Enlightened being who practices flawless compassion would have trouble not loving everyone. Kinda like Christ. Right?
At least I can tell you one thing that Christ and the Buddha would agree on: that we should all be practicing unconditional love.