Essay about A Life of Celibacy; Buddhism and Sex - 1910 Words

A Life of Celibacy; Buddhism and Sex Buddhism which just may be the most tolerant religion in the world, constitutes teachings that can coexist with almost any other religions. Buddhism began with Siddhartha Gautama who lived in northern India in the sixth or fifth century B.C.E. The religion has guidelines in two forms in which Buddhist followers must follow. These are the Four Noble Truths and the Eight fold Path. Buddha taught that man is a slave to his ego and that the cause of suffering is desire, essentially the way to end suffering is to overcome desire. Buddhist views toward sex are those constituting that it is a natural part of human life, but also something that is associated with craving. As the Buddhist path involves†¦show more content†¦In fact, the Buddhist name for monastic celibacy is brahmachariya in Sanskrit that means ‘Godly conduct . This kind of spiritual pride further devalues both the men and women outside of monastic life. Ironically, the nega tive attitude towards sexuality associated with the brahmachariya life style might actually be viewed as a kind of reversed attachment to sexuality. After all, arent we as attached to that which we try to suppress as we are to that in which we favor? But before evaluating the celibate life style in totally negative terms, we must remember that it is not the only side. The Buddha taught that as long as one is absorbed in sexual activity, one could not be interested in a practicing spiritual life. But when he gave his gradual enlightenment teaching, he also said that the sensation of lust, of sexuality, has pleasure. In this way he did not deny the pleasure. But then, that very pleasure turns into displeasure, and gradually, slowly, as the lust wears out, people begin to fight. Because out of lust arises fear, then greed, and soon anger, hatred, confusion and fighting; all these negative things arise from lust. And therefore these negative things are inherent in lust. Which is somethi ng any human being can confess to, there is a fine line between love and hate, and the same goes for lust. Whether you are heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, is indifferent. As long as you are in it, you will inevitably have theseShow MoreRelatedThe Noble Eightfold Path1926 Words   |  8 PagesBuddhism began with a man named Siddhartha Gautama who had lived in northern India in the sixth or fifth century B.C.E. The religion has its teachings in two forms; these are the Four Noble Truths and the eight fold Path. The four noble truths teach that life is full disappointment and suffering; that suffering is a result of one s desires for pleasure; that in order to stop ones suffering one must stop desiring; and finally the way to stop desiring and thus suffering is through Noble EightfoldRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Of Sexuality Among Major Religions1231 Words   |  5 Pagesdivorce but the woman would be beaten, killed and feed to the dogs. Although, that is merely one set of culture standards, in other parts woman were the ones in power because their ability for reproduction was viewed positively. The ability to give life to a child and procreate was seen as the ultimate gift from â€Å"God†. In early religions the procreating power is worshipped in god regarded as its embodiment. Virginity is sacrificed to gods in order to secure their favor. 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