Interestingly the Vinaya mentions different kind of sexual orientations also weird ones for today societies like homosexuality,nekrofilia, bestiality, and I found forums discussing about consensual incestious relationships.In my country any of them are punishable but as a wise moralist how can we judge such a varied forms of sensuality? Does the person make bad kamma if he/she secretly enjoying such sexuality that are not tolerated by the society?Does kamma dependent on social rules and culture?
These are interesting and important questions. I won’t go into detail here, but will simply say that Early Buddhist sexual ethics is solely related to whether anyone gets hurt. There’s zero sense that certain kinds of sexual acts are “immoral” in and of themselves. There’s none of that (frankly disturbing) tendency we find in theistic religions where powerful old (often celibate) men are peering into everyone’s bedrooms and telling them not to have any fun.
The question of harm may, in some cases, be related to social expectations. For example, the kinds of sexuality that are considered appropriate to display in public. But in terms of private behavior between mature consenting individuals there is no judgement.
Obviously there is a strong emphasis on practicing restraint and moderation in sexuality, but this has nothing to do with the performance of different sexual preferences.
I find it very funny that “powerful old (often celibate) men” should be very interested in what happens behind closed curtains and what kind of sexual preference people should engage in.
A few weeks ago I discussed the issue of discrimination against the LBGT community with a person who would be labeled as a pagan by a theistic group not to be mentioned (very good person; experienced a lot of discrimination and abuse growing up because he is half white/black growing up in the southern US). He brought up a very interesting point. He said unless someone was in the brothel business, no one should be poking their noses into what happens between two people in their bedrooms and it shouldn’t matter if its between the same sex.
I would also like to bring to notice that unfortunately, that there are some Buddhists out there who would use their knowledge and learning of the suttas to back up their own screwed notions of how Buddhists should approach the “issue” of being an LGBT individual.
But more unfortunate is the people who are swayed by such individuals to go in the same direction.
