My new home page

dear all

i moved my blog to http://mihisara.wordpress.com   

plese visit it and give me comments.

8:34 PM - 1 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment

Homosexuality, Buddhism and Srilankan Society
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Before we discuss what Theravada Buddhism says about homosexually, it is important to understand that in Buddhism people are encouraged to look into inwardly when seeking guidance or a solution to a problem. In the words of Lord Buddha himself "be a lamp to yourself" which simply means do not search for wisdom outside of yourself, rather you should let your conscience be your guide and it is here that the teachings and scripts of Lord Buddha can be of assistance.  ..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />

Generally speaking Lord Buddha did not say anything specifically about homosexuality because it has never being an issue, however this is not to say that there was no homosexual activity in the time of Lord Buddha.  The Tripitaka (Buddhist scripts) refer to incidents of homosexuality and transexuallity. Specifically the Tripitaka highlights the case of a bhikku (monk) Wakkali who became a monk purely because he was physically attracted to how handsome Lord Buddha was.  The Tripitaka also highlights a transsexual incident in which a married man with children was physically attracted to a monk, following this the man underwent metamorphosis and became a female and eventually married a man.  Another section of the Tripitaka refers to an incident where a novice monk masturbated a high ordinated monk

While Buddhism itself makes no moral claim on any form of sexual behaviour, regardless of orientation, the vinaya (monastic rules) for monks, does states that monks are not allowed to enter their sex organ to bodily orifices (vagina, mouth or anus). But it makes no distinction between homosexual or heterosexual sex. Essentially monks are expected to be celibate so they cannot engage sex with anyone, including themselves.  However it is important to note that the vinaya apply only to monks, there is nothing in the scripts that extend these rules to lay Buddhists. 

                The most important reference point lay practitioners of Buddhism have for homosexuality or sexual behaviour in Buddhism is contained within the third precept which refers to sexual misconduct.  However this precept in itself is insufficient a guide as it makes no distinction in relation to sexual orientation or practice.  In order to apply the principles within the third precept to homosexuality, one has to go back to the wider core Buddhist principle of "do no harm" and consider this precept in a holistic interpretation. 

When considering the precept of sexual misconduct one can draw some specifics as to what is allowable and not.  Issues of rape, adultery and paedophilia can be considered as incompatible with Buddhist teachings as they cause harm to others.  Outside of these specificities one has to go beyond both ourselves and the scriptures in seeking a solution as to what is right or wrong in homosexuality, or as the famous Kalama Sutta puts it, "Revelation (anussana), tradition (parampara), the authority of the scriptures (pitakasampada) and one's own point of view (ditthinijjhanakkhanti) are inadequate means of determining right and wrong. 

Whether homosexuality is right or wrong is essentially a question of private morality.  Having questioned the conventional basis of morality, the Buddha suggests criteria for making moral judgments. The criteria are what might be called the universalisability principle - to act towards others the way we would like them to act towards us. In the Samyutta Nikaya he uses this principle to advise against adultery. He says: "What sort of Dhamma practice leads to great good for oneself? A noble disciple should reflect like this: 'If someone were to have sexual intercourse with my spouse I would not like it. Likewise, if I were to have sexual intercourse with another's spouse they would not like that. For what is unpleasant to me must be unpleasant to another, and how could I burden someone with that?' As a result of such reflection one abstains from wrong sexual desire, encourages others to abstain from it, and speaks in praise of such abstinence."

So one must abstain from sexual practices which cause others harm.  Whether you are gay or straight the most important thing in life is not to create harm and respect others lifestyles without creating them harm, this is a basic foundation of Buddhism as is the philosophy of seeking inner contentment, happiness and ease.  Wherever you are and whatever you do, you must learn to accept and love yourself for what you are and feel at ease with yourself, and spread that ease across society.    

Conventional modern day Sri Lankan morality is non accepting of homosexuals and homosexuality.  The Dalai Lama recently stated that "if you want to be a Buddhist you cannot be a homosexual, full stop" surmises the modern day Sri Lankan approach to homosexuality.  However this statement by the Dali Lama is totally without justification as there is nothing in the Buddhist scriptures to support this statement

Sri Lankan morality imposes guilt on homosexuals and Sri Lankan Law punishes it.  The role of monks is to provide support to lay Buddhists in their day to day lives, yet currently monks live in fear of advising homosexuals because the may be labelled as homosexuals themselves.  ..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />Sri Lanka is a Buddhist society and there is no place in the teachings of Lord Buddha for guilt and punishment.  So how have we arrived today at the stage where the Dalai Lama can make such unjustified statements and Sri Lankan morality and legalisation opposes and punishes homosexuality? 

The roots of this un-Buddhist approach to homosexuality can be traced back to the colonisation of Ceylon.  There are stark differences between the pre colonial Ceylon and post colonial Sri Lankan attitude to homosexuality.  The Ceylon attitude is illustrated in a 17^th century book by Robert Knox "An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon" where he draws attention to the then Kings homosexuality. The modern Sri Lankan attitude to homosexuality is reflected in "Funny Boy" by Shyam Selvadurei. 

The un-Buddhist excommunication and punishment of openly practising homosexuals in Sri Lanka has its roots in the colonisation and modernisation of Sri Lankan Buddhism.  As stated throughout this article the concept of what is right or wrong is based in morality which is directly derived from religion, or in the case in Buddhism, philosophy.  The colonial powers brought with them and externally induced to Sri Lanka their own sense of morality derived from their own religion, namely Christianity.  In relation to human biological reproduction practices (sex) contrasts can be drawn between the Christian religion and Buddhist philosophy.  While the Christian Bible specifically categorises the spilling (spoiling) of Gods seed (sperm) as a sin, the Buddhist Scriptures contain no such reference. 

As both Thailand and Sri Lanka share the same variety of Buddhism further analogies can be drawn here.  Currently Thailand does not legally or morally punish homosexuality and adopts a more Buddhist approach to the matter preferring to adopt a live and let live philosophy so long as the principle of do no harm is adhered to.  The main variable here the fact that Thailand was not subject to colonialism and therefore a purer and more traditional form of Buddhism has prevailed while the Sri Lankan form of Buddhism has been diluted, poisoned and rendered impure by its modernisation along the lines of western principles.  

In order for Sri Lankan's to be considered truly Buddhist they need to find inner ease and be happy with themselves and stop expecting others to live as they wish them to live.  In order for Sri Lankan society to truly consider itself a Buddhist nation it needs to stop forcing its people to live as it wishes them to live. 

The Buddhist theologians within Sri Lanka have a duty and an obligation to advocate for a return to the traditional and more tolerant teachings of Lord Buddha.  It is not only homosexuals who will benefit from this return, the entire Island of Ceylon and all its people will benefit from the tolerance, acceptance, openness and celebration of difference that the Lord Buddha envisioned. 

10:29 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

whether homosexuality is a choice or not
Category: Romance and Relationships

10:05 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Anger and disappointment
Current mood: calm
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

It's useless if you find a person who has not experienced anger. No matter how hard you try you will not be able to find someone like that; it's natural that you get angry. It's useful to discuss about anger, because it's common among us. What makes you angry?

Disappointment makes you angry. We all have dreams. We all have hopes and we expect our dreams and hopes to come true as we want and when we want. But unfortunately there is a difference between what we want and what we get. And that can make us angry. 

Anger is not good for us or for society. When you get angry it is you who suffers first. If you can, the next time you get angry, look at yourself in a mirror. You can see it for your self, it damages your nervous and blood circulation system. So by getting angry you damage your self before anyone else. We can all understand that anger is not good for our society; an angry person cannot understand what they are doing nor are they rational, and this makes people do many bad things, in some cases to the extent that they shoot everyone they meet.

What we can do about this, how we can control anger?

As I mentioned before, disappointment makes us angry. What I do is to let my hopes and dreams go. That doesn't mean that I don't have hopes and dreams. What I do is stop holding them too tight. I do have hopes and dreams as I had before, but I always keep in my mind that it is not going to come true when I want, and the way that I want.

I wanted to go to Thailand last year, at the time I did not even have a national identity card.  So I had to get an identity card first and then a passport second. Due to my circumstances it was not easy to get these, but I did it somehow, and then I bought the plane ticket (Well my friend bought that for me). We booked the tickets together on the same flight and then I went to Thai embassy to get visa. I filled the application and gave it to officer.  At that time I was a monk, and I was shocked when he told me that I needed a letter from the religious ministry to get a visa. So, I went to ministry, and they told me that I needed a letter from the chief monk of Sri Lanka. I was so disappointed. I could not go to Thailand with my friend. We had lots of hopes, we had planed where we will go and what we will do and everything. I thought I could kill the minister and the chief monk. And who the f—k is the chief monk to decide where and when I a go, I was so angry. But after some hours I understood that these things will not happened the way I want. So I went to my temple and arranged some letters, got the letter and got the visa. It took some time but finally I achieved it. From that day I understood and learned how to deal with disappointments.

Again this year I wanted to go to Vietnam. As we don't have a Vietnam embassy in Sri Lanka I went to Bangkok and applied for the visa in the same manner as most nationalities do.  But the visa officer didn't even look at my application, she just looked at the cover of my passport, and without even opening it informed me that Sri Lankan nationals cannot get a tourist visa to Vietnam. Again I was very disappointed, particularly as at the time I was having lots of problems in Sri Lanka and I wanted to get out of there.  I was so close and yet so far, my friend had to return to Vietnam and I returned empty handed and disappointed to Sri Lanka. 

At the time my friend was working in Vietnam and I wanted to go there, he wanted me to come also.  We were both very disappointed, but I didn't feel angry or sad because in my mind I knew that disappointments are natural. My friend however, got very angry and sad and was far les able to accept this disappointment because he held this dream and hope tighter than I did. 

As long as this life goes on there will be disappointments, no one can avoid that, and we all need to learn to accept and deal with this fact.  Sometimes my friend cries for me because of what happened to me but I can smile, because I know it is natural.  I remember a phrase in bible which says, please God, give me the strength to change what I can change and the courage to accept what I cannot.  When I am disappointed what I can do is I search for ways to overcome it, and not dwelling on it and cursing everyone I can. Still I couldn't get visa to Vietnam, but I will never give up, still my friend and I continue to try in many. Someday, someway I will get it. But cursing Vietnam authorities will not get me a visa, nor will getting angry achieve it. 

10:16 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Easy to say but not to do it
Category: Religion and Philosophy

It may seem very easy to say that I am going to disrobe (Leave the monetary); but actually doing it is not as easy or straight forward as moat would think.  In East Asian Buddhist countries it's a tradition to be a monk at least 3 months raining period, (pansa / vassana) After this short period of being a monk the vast majority return to being a lay man, this is both accepted and expected in their culture.

In countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia monks are well honored in the society and their culture. Monks never have to wait in queues; in public transportation they always have a seat. No one will sit when a monk is standing. There are lots of things like this, presidents, prime ministers or even a king has to bow to monks and respect them, even to a 7 years old novice monk. It is not only the monk who climbs to the top of the society, the position of his family will also rise in the social order.     

Because of this position a monk has they are always expected to be a kind of holy man by the society. This is not fair, Sri Lankan society cannot see this holy man wish to become a normal man again. 99.99 % of people in this cruel society are not mentally strong enough to become a monk, so society wants someone else to become who they can't be, and if that someone fails they think it's their failure. The anger goes to that someone else. The society treats men that disrobed as a piece of shit.

Seventy percent of Sri Lanka is Buddhist, but this is not Buddhism.  In Buddhism you are always encouraged to look into your self, look into your heart. Buddha told us not to believe anything just because society believes it, written in books, tradition or even because Buddha said it. We are expected to question everything.

If you want to disrobe you should be strong enough to challenge and tolerate all the disagreements and disapprovals of society and be ready to be treated like a piece of shit at least for a while, I hope it is only for a while, but I have no ides how long I will be treated like a piece of shit because all the monks who want to disrobe either do not, or do so in secret.   

I am ready to be treated as a piece of shit. Because I know I am strong and I have my best friend C. J. with me all the time. His friendship and love doesn't change according to the clothes I wear or my position in society. 

9:37 AM - 4 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

I am going to be free
Current mood: cheerful

I am a monk for two years. I became a monk in February of 2005. Many asked me why I became a monk. I simply answer because I like it. Why I became a monk I don't know but it was the most important experience in my life I ever had.

It gave me a new way; gave me a different view of the life and the world. It changed me, changed me completely. It helped me to understand me and to understand what I can do and what my duty is.

I became a monk in a small monastery located in a small village in kegalle named Meedenuya. I still can remember the date I became a monk. I was so happy that day even my parents and all relatives cried a lot. But I could not keep that happiness for a long time because of many reasons. Some reasons are mine and some are others. I felt that this is like a prison after some time. Still this was a great experience and I am going to end it. I am going to disrobe. Personally I don't think I am a monk now and have to end it "officially."  I will tell you about my experiences and the things I've learned little by little.

5:23 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Places that god forgot
Category: Religion and Philosophy

My best friend CJ once told me that he have being in places that god forgot. "If we assume there is a almighty" I added. "Yes podi if we assume so." He said. "May be its not he forgot, may be he don't want to care about them because they are not Christians, Catholics or Muslims. I said with a laugh but soon my laugh drowns in tears when he showed me some photos. My friend has being in many countries of Africa and Asia as a social worker and he have seen many things that I haven't seen. Sometimes he is telling me some stories even he don't want to talk about it because it hurts him. And then I am beginning to feel how lucky I am. Here are some photos he showed me.

2:28 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Why I believe Reincarnation
Current mood: awake
Category: Religion and Philosophy

I am a Buddhist, and as such accept and teach the concepts of reincarnation.  However this is not blind faith and acceptance, for within Buddhism we are also taught to accept nothing blindly and to question everything.  We examine and analyse religious theories and beliefs and on the basis of this analysis we believe and accept.  There is nothing stopping anyone from questioning Buddhism, in fact such enquiry is expected. That's how we learn and understand Buddhism. So, besides the fact that I am a Buddhist and reincarnation is a part of Buddhism, what makes me believe in reincarnation?

The works of Lord Buddha contain many references and analysis of the concept of reincarnation.  Among 57 books of Theravada Buddhist scripts there is one book that is dedicated entirely to the previous life stories of Lord Buddha.[1]

There are many documented incidents and cases that support the concept of reincarnation.  The famous Pythagoras of Samos  once saw a shield in a Greek shrine and he remembered that that he was the owner of that shield at the time that the city of Troy was being captured.[2] 

In many countries in Asia where people believe in reincarnation people have sought assistance and understanding from psychologists and scientists.  These professionals have sought out places, times and incidents that support the individual's former life stories and confirmed the details provide by them to be true and accurate.  In addition psychologists have attributed trans-personality and multi personality disorders to an individuals recall of a former life.  Many of these individuals have clear recollections of their previous lives. 

In a hypnotic state people often regress into and speak of their former life.  In rare cases some can speak of others former lives. One example of this tapping into others former lives comes from Edgar Cayce[3].  Here Cayce has been presented with patients with disease that conventional medical science has failed to find a cause and cure for their condition.  In a state of hypnosis Cayce delves into the patients' former life and identified causes for their disease and in many cases this has led to the cure of these diseases. 

Last but not least, many people have experienced déjà vu (unexplained memory recall); have you ever felt on meeting someone for the first time that you know him or her from somewhere else but cannot place that memory? Have you ever been in a place for the first time and instantly remember that place from somewhere, but again cannot place that memory? One explanation for these déjà vu experiences is that you are remembering a former life.    

Those are the reasons that made me believe in reincarnation.

Sukhee Dheegayuko Bhawa (may everyone be happy and live long)

I would like to thank my best friend CJ for his editorial assistance

10:05 AM - 3 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Happy St. Patric's Day

happy st patrics day to all irish people; a nation who had the streanght to stand against powerful enemy next to them. a nation that could protect their language and culture even british baned their language. a nation ful of crazy, mad and nice people. this is my bow and respect to the whole nation.

i am glad that i have a crazy and mad irish guy as my best friend 

10:04 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Comment
Category: Religion and Philosophy

The world, we are told, was created by a God who is all good, all powerful and everywhere.  Before He created the world He foresaw all the pain, misery, suffering and evil that it would contain.  He is therefore, responsible for all of it.  It is useless to argue that the pain, suffering and evil in the world is due to sin.  If God knew in advance the sins of which man would be guilty, He is therefore responsible for all the consequences of these sins when he decided to created man. 

If this being (God) is everywhere and all powerful, then every incident, every occurrence, including every human action (and inaction), every human thought, and every human feeling, dream and aspiration is also His work.  How is it possible to think of holding men responsible for their deeds and thoughts before such an almighty being? 

Extracted from; Ven. Narady, Thera.  (1933) "Buddhism In a Nutshell" Sukhi Hotu Sdn Bhd.  Penang Malaysia.

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/nutshell.pdf

comment by my best friend Cecil Dunne(cecildunne@yahoo.com) to my e mail

8:57 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment