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Re: hindu homosexuality
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To: alt-hindu@cis.ohio-state.edu
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Subject: Re: hindu homosexuality
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From: susarla@owlnet.rice.edu (Hari Krishna Susarla)
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Date: Wed, 12 Jul 95 02:32:51 GMT
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From news@larry.rice.edu Tue Jul 11 23: 22:40 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: Rice University, Houston, Texas
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References: <3tuj63$7cl@babbage.ece.uc.edu>
In article <3tuj63$7cl@babbage.ece.uc.edu>,
STLL25A@prodigy.com (Michael Farley) wrote:
>Can anyone give me information on how Hinduism percieves homosexuality?
>I was in India last year and was approached by a boy who said that
>homosexuality was tolerated but read articles in the Times of India that
>said it was illegal. I am particularly interested in the religious
>aspect of it, and whether the scriptures say anything about it. It seems
>like a lot of temples had themes of homosexuality portrayed in their
>carvings, and I wonder how values have changed in the traditions of India.
> Any relevant information would be greatly appreciated. Namaste
>
In our Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition (and, I would like to think, all
*authentic* Vedanta schools) sex is a bodily act. However, we are trying to
transcend this material body for something better. So, sex is best restricted
to procreation only, with the understanding that the children thus produced
will be brought up in the service of the Lord.
Any kind of sex outside the act of procreation simply lowers the consciousness
and makes self-realization more difficult. When there is such a beautful
spiritual world awaiting us, why should we want to indulge in sex here and
thus make it more difficult to reach the highest spiritual platform? When you
think about it, our bodies are nothing more than bags of flesh, blood, urine,
stool, and mucus, while our actual identity is as a minute spirit soul, which
has an eternal, spiritual body. So, when we hanker for sex in this material
world, we are simply desiring to rub our flesh, blood, urine, mucus, and stool
bodies against other flesh, blood, urine, mucus, and stool bodies, while
simultaneously denying the other persons' identity as spirit soul. Real love
comes when we help others realize their spiritual identity. Anything else
is simply exploitive-- we try to exploit other bodies for our own sense
gratification. This is lust, not love. But because the sex drive is strong, we
can harness it for the act of procreation (within marriage) without suffering
any major karmic consequences.
People generally want to hear that it is okay to engage in sex without
restriction, especially after they get married. This is one of the ways you
can tell the difference between a truly authentic guru and a bogus guru. A
bogus guru will tell disciples that sex is always fine after marriage
(sometimes even without marriage) while a real guru who wants to liberate his
disciples will tell them to restrict sex to procreation only. While many
people want sex, few want liberation. And as a result, you will probably hear
many Hindu 'gurus' taking a neutral stance on this, so that they will not lose
followers.
