@Puay Q Peroneus, do me a favour, call your isp and inform them about the false -ve flagging of my site. Give them my url buddhavacana.net … the bane of cheap virtual hosting.
Excellent post, but it is, unfortunately i think, not fully accurate.
I’ve been a devoted Buddhist for a long time now, I’ve read all the Nikayas as well as much of the Vinaya. I do believe in the main teachings of Buddhism, but I don’t see Siddhata as having been a perfect human.
There is talk of “pandakas” not being allowed in the Sangha, and not even allowed to donate! Pandakas are basically homosexuals, bisexuals, and transes. And also agendered/asexual people.
Also, the Buddha stupidly did not allow women into Sangha initially as well (in addition to completely forbidding pandakas around buddhism at all). Yet he allowed a murderer of hundreds to join the Sangha? As well as people from all different castes? It shows he was flawed and with prejudice still.
I still revere the Buddha and believe in the main teachings still nonetheless.
Ava, thank you for sharing what is in your mind and your personal opinion of the Buddha.
The Buddha’s teaching starts with the willingness and effort to change. Angulimala was allowed to join the Sangha because he was willing to change. From the Angulimala sutta (MN86), we can see clearly this premise when the Buddha asked King Pasenadi what he would do to Angulimala if the king were to see Angulimala ordained as a monk having given up unwholesome behaviour. It was about change and Ven. Angulimala has changed.
In reply, the king said that they honour and support Ven. Angulimala as they would a monk. But he also wondered “how could there be such virtue & restraint in an unvirtuous, evil character?”. (See http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.086.than.html for full sutta)
However it is not easy for people to change or to give up their identity. It is this very identification and our attachment to it,
that leads to much stress, fear, worry, agony and suffering. If one wishes to continue on all his or her ways without change, then how can one expect to suddenly become Enlightened (the purpose, aim and goal of the Buddhist monastic life). Much has to be given up, much to be transcended.
Killing has to be given up, has to be transcended. Stealing has to be given up, has to be transcended. Sexuality and its expression (the sexual act) has to be given up, has to be transcended. Lying has to be given up, has to be transcended. Agitation, distractedness and restlessness of the mind has to be given up, has to be transcended. Wrong views has to be given up, has to be transcended. Craving and clinging has to be given up, has to be transcended.
Whatever bodily (behaviour), verbal and mental tendencies that are obstructive to Nibbana should be given up, should be transcended if one were to attain Final Liberation, Nibbana.
But it is not a matter of forcing ourselves to do this or that, but through understanding and direct knowledge, that such tendencies are given up.
In this context, whether a person is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual, one has to change in order to join the Sangha and to progress on the Noble path.
Footnote 0: The Sangha is a community and not simply about individuals and our personal preferences or views. The Buddha emphasised on the Four-fold community, comprising the monks, nuns and the lay people. The Vinaya served to help the Sangha in their personal cultivation while protecting individuals from disturbances from individual Sangha members who may be disruptive to others’ practices. In addition, the precepts also took into consideration of how behaviour of the Sangha affected the lay community. As a whole, the Vinaya upheld the integrity of the Sangha so that the four fold community can support each other meaningfully in their practices.
Footnote 1: You may be having some issues with the Buddha being a perfect human or not, but that is not the subject or premise of this post. So I shan’t comment on your opinion here but I do not agree with your opinion on the Buddha.
what abt using it as an issue to smear? is it against Buddhism?
As in?
use the issue of Gay, Lesbian, Transexsual to smear another’s reputation
Venerable, this site is “Blocked by Parental Control”, with the heuristic analysis being “pornography, erotic materials”… errhmm…
Most would agree that smearing another’s reputation using anything is improper by any standards.
@Puay, you mean my blog? 😮 here is the link in the link … :p … https://www.facebook.com/theonlinecitizen/posts/195686930474191
Yes, apparently your blog has been black-listed on this end! *gasp*
lol
@Puay Q Peroneus, do me a favour, call your isp and inform them about the false -ve flagging of my site. Give them my url buddhavacana.net … the bane of cheap virtual hosting.
It’s the internet security blocking it; must be because I’m underaged, hahaha… done, un-flagged! 🙂
hahaha … you rated my site as ‘ahem’? …
Well, someone did!
Excellent post, but it is, unfortunately i think, not fully accurate.
I’ve been a devoted Buddhist for a long time now, I’ve read all the Nikayas as well as much of the Vinaya. I do believe in the main teachings of Buddhism, but I don’t see Siddhata as having been a perfect human.
There is talk of “pandakas” not being allowed in the Sangha, and not even allowed to donate! Pandakas are basically homosexuals, bisexuals, and transes. And also agendered/asexual people.
Also, the Buddha stupidly did not allow women into Sangha initially as well (in addition to completely forbidding pandakas around buddhism at all). Yet he allowed a murderer of hundreds to join the Sangha? As well as people from all different castes? It shows he was flawed and with prejudice still.
I still revere the Buddha and believe in the main teachings still nonetheless.
Ava, thank you for sharing what is in your mind and your personal opinion of the Buddha.
The Buddha’s teaching starts with the willingness and effort to change. Angulimala was allowed to join the Sangha because he was willing to change. From the Angulimala sutta (MN86), we can see clearly this premise when the Buddha asked King Pasenadi what he would do to Angulimala if the king were to see Angulimala ordained as a monk having given up unwholesome behaviour. It was about change and Ven. Angulimala has changed.
In reply, the king said that they honour and support Ven. Angulimala as they would a monk. But he also wondered “how could there be such virtue & restraint in an unvirtuous, evil character?”. (See http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.086.than.html for full sutta)
However it is not easy for people to change or to give up their identity. It is this very identification and our attachment to it,
that leads to much stress, fear, worry, agony and suffering. If one wishes to continue on all his or her ways without change, then how can one expect to suddenly become Enlightened (the purpose, aim and goal of the Buddhist monastic life). Much has to be given up, much to be transcended.
Killing has to be given up, has to be transcended. Stealing has to be given up, has to be transcended. Sexuality and its expression (the sexual act) has to be given up, has to be transcended. Lying has to be given up, has to be transcended. Agitation, distractedness and restlessness of the mind has to be given up, has to be transcended. Wrong views has to be given up, has to be transcended. Craving and clinging has to be given up, has to be transcended.
Whatever bodily (behaviour), verbal and mental tendencies that are obstructive to Nibbana should be given up, should be transcended if one were to attain Final Liberation, Nibbana.
But it is not a matter of forcing ourselves to do this or that, but through understanding and direct knowledge, that such tendencies are given up.
In this context, whether a person is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual, one has to change in order to join the Sangha and to progress on the Noble path.
Footnote 0: The Sangha is a community and not simply about individuals and our personal preferences or views. The Buddha emphasised on the Four-fold community, comprising the monks, nuns and the lay people. The Vinaya served to help the Sangha in their personal cultivation while protecting individuals from disturbances from individual Sangha members who may be disruptive to others’ practices. In addition, the precepts also took into consideration of how behaviour of the Sangha affected the lay community. As a whole, the Vinaya upheld the integrity of the Sangha so that the four fold community can support each other meaningfully in their practices.
Footnote 1: You may be having some issues with the Buddha being a perfect human or not, but that is not the subject or premise of this post. So I shan’t comment on your opinion here but I do not agree with your opinion on the Buddha.