Buddhist teachers sometimes say the darndest things when the third precept (against sexual misconduct) comes up!
Well, I thought I’d take this occasion to remind everyone that sexual assault and nonconsensual sex is, in fact, immoral!
I didn’t just hear a stupid dhamma talk, nor was I recently assaulted. No! The occasion for this post is to celebrate Milena Popova’s 2019 book Sexual Consent being recently made available by MIT Open Access!
A part of their “Essential Knowledge” series, Sexual Consent gives a complex but clear, concise yet comprehensive treatment of its difficult subject. Written without the heteronormative or angry tones of less rigerous work, this straightforward and informed book has chapters covering culture, power, negotiation, activism, and more.
Any Buddhist who is sexually active (or who teaches sexually active Buddhists!) has a duty to consider carefully the nuances and obligations around consent and misconduct: an inquiry this monograph will surely aid.
You can get a merged PDF or epub file at these links and stay safe out there, everyone! 
