Expert: Laurie McLauglin - 4/3/2010

Question
Hi!  What is the Mahayana Buddhist teaching on homosexuality and homosexual sex acts?

Answer
Hello Holly -

Thank you for letting me answer your question.

Western Mahyana Buddhism has no teaching on homosexuality that I have come across.Since Mahayana Buddhism spread through many countries, there may be some places where there is specific mention about homosexuality or homosexual acts but I am not aware of them.

Buddha Shakyamuni taught that ALL sentient beings have a Buddha nature, that means all sentient beings have the capacity to become enlightened.

From what I have learned about the teachings so far, he also taught that in order to attain enlightenment one has to let go of labels. If someone is a homosexual and I disagree with it, the problem is not with it, it is indeed my problem as I am attaching negative connotations to something merely labeled homosexual.

Afterall, what part of a homosexual is the homosexual? If we determine it is the actions of the person that cause him to be a homosexual, actions come from the mind. Then from my understanding of Buddhism, from the mind every action comes with an intention, positive, negative or neutral. It is the intention of an act that creates most of the karma.

From what I have learned, if we are constantly doing things with negative intentions then we are letting our deluded mind run the show and we will incur negative karma from our negative intentions and if we continue to indulge our deluded mind, we will harm other sentient beings and it will be more and more difficult to make any headway on the Mahayana path, which supposedly we are on in order to be of benefit to all sentient beings.

On the other hand, if our actions are done with positive and loving intentions and are skillful and we work on letting go of our delusions then we will generate positive karma and gain realizations of how to be more compassionate and wise and more quickly make headway on the Mahayana path.

Buddha Shakyamuni also taught the Four Noble Truths. The fourth truth is the 8 fold path. And they are 1. Right view 2. Right intention 3. Right speech 4. Right action 5. Right livelihood 6. Right effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right concentration  

The Buddha taught and the Mahayana Buddhists believe that these 8 practices are important to do in order to keep away suffering in our lives and the lives of others. These have to do with non harm and positive intentions and learning to see the world as it really is and not be led by our deluded minds.

From what I have learned, if one can be a homosexual and can also honestly apply the Noble 8 fold path to their lives, then there is no problem.  If be being a homosexual one is in some way causing harm to ones self or another sentient being, then one should refrain from being a homosexual.

So from what I have learned, and from what I have observed in my nine years as a Mahayana Buddhist in Florida and California, if one can truly follow the Mahayana teachings, study with qualified Mahayana teachers and practice as the Buddha intended, then one is following the Mahayana teachings and whether you are a homosexual or not does not matter.

I am not sure that exactly answered your question but if it did not, don't hesitate to ask anything further.

Other Buddhist followers might answer you differently so if something I said works for you, fine if not, let it go and keep searching till you find the truth that is right for you.

Namaste - Laurie