Buddhism, gender and sexuality

Thailand tourism after the 1980s

• Thailand became a tourist hotspot for US soldiers and veterans.

• The number of women working in the sex business grew and tourism flourished

• From 1980-1987, the number of visitors increased by more than 10% a year

• Thai government saw tourism as a way to earn foreign exchange and thus boost the economy

• During 1980s the Thai government began vigorously promoting tourism and poured substantial amounts of government funds to fuel this industry

• Out of all the tourists that visit Thailand each year, approximately 60% are male and estimated that 70% of male tourists in Thailand are sex tourists

Thailand encounter with western lifestyles and values

Thailand has encountered western lifestyles and values in several ways:

• By providing bases for US troops during the Vietnam War

• Through its enormously successful tourism industry (including sex tourism)

These values include:

• Coming to take a more individualist attitude

• Coming to accept more materialist values

• Coming to take a more pragmatic and less spiritual approach

Education rights given to women by secular Thai governments

• A century ago there were no schools for girls.

• Thai ladies were educated at home, learning embroidery and cookery, and parents with good connections sought to enrol their daughters at one of the royal courts, so that they could be properly educated and trained by female royals.

• Still less girls than boys attending primary school but the gender gap has decreased considerably

• With regards to secondary school enrolment, the gender gap had been eliminated by at least 1990

Political/ employment rights given to women by secular Thai governments

• In 1997 women only held 6% of the Thai parliament seats, increased to 10% in mid 2000s

• 20th century - women make up 44% of the workforce

Prajapati

• First to argue for a woman’s order but the Buddha initially refused, stating that it would half the life expectancy of pure Buddhism

• The Buddha agreed when asked by ananda whether women could achieve the same spiritual feats as men, but added that women must observe 8 additional rules (garudhammas)

Possible reasons Buddha refused to ordain women

• Risk to the ordained women

• Risk of cultural and social backlash

• Negative view of women

• Risk of schism within sangha

• Possibility of rival sangha

8 garudhammas - ‘rules of respect’

1. To respect as a senior any monk no matter how young

2. To keep the rains retreat (vassa) only where monks are present

3. To wait for the monks to appoint the upostha day and preach the patimokka sermon

4. The ceremony at the end of the retreat can only be undertaken in the presence of monks

5. Penance for lesser offences must be given by both orders

6. Full ordination can only be given by the presence of monks as well as nuns

7. No nuns can criticise a mon

8. No nun can officially admonish a monk

For women’s ordination

• Buddha allows women to be ordained

• Buddha ordained Prajapati so sets a precedent that 6th garudhamma is not always necessary

Against women’s ordination

• Bikkhuni order has died out so ordaining new nuns would violate 6th garudhamma

• Thailand only recognises lineages dating back to the Buddha

Maechi

• The Maechi are a community of white- cloaked nuns who do not take full ordination but choose to voluntarily follow additional precepts.

• There are pros and cons to the Maechi: they are able to practice without being caught up in the ordination debate, but do not receive the benefits that ordained bhikkhus do (full freedom of practice, ability to accept alms, etc.).

The dragon king’s daughter

• The dragon king’s daughter achieves enlightenment by hearing bodhisattva manjushri’s teachings on the lotus sutra

• She offers the most precious jewel in the universe to Shakyamuni Buddha which shows that she lets go of worldly attachments

• Message of the story

  • Both men and women can attain enlightenment

  • Lotus sutra enables all people equally to attain Buddha hood

  • Enlightenment can be achieved quicker than we think

The Sakyadhita organisation

• Since 1987 Sakyadhita has been working to benefit Buddhist women around the world

• Nearly 2000 members in 45 countries worldwide

• Laywomen and monastics from around the world come together every 2 years to share their experiences and encourage projects that improve conditions for buddhist women

Sakyadhita objectives

• To establish an international alliance or Buddhist women

• To advance the spiritual and secular welfare of the worlds women

• To work for gender equality in Buddhist education, training and ordination

• To promote harmony and dialogue among the Buddhist traditions and other religions

• To encourage research and publications on topics of interest to Buddhist women

• To foster compassionate social action for the benefit of humanity

• To promote world peace through the teachings of the Buddha

Dhammananda Bikkhuni

• Received full ordination on 28 February 2003 in Sri Lanka

• Her mother was ordained in 1971 as the first modern Thai Bikkhuni in Taiwan lineage

• She is the first Theravada nun to achieve full ordination in modern times

• She works to reestablish the Theravada Bikkhuni lineage in Thailand

Quotes of dhammananda bikkhuni

• “I did not choose to be ordained because I want people to recognise me. I did it because I want to carry on the heritage of the lord buddha.”

• “A monastic path is not a comfortable lifestyle. I am thinking of a small religious community which helps women develop their own spirituality and contribute something to society.”

• “I know there is some resistance out there. It is not my intention to stick out and provoke anybody. I will try to honour everyone.”

Buddhist views on celibacy

• In Buddhas first discourse he identifies craving (tanha) and suffering (dukkha)

• Craving sexual pleasures causes suffering

• It is one of the five moral precepts to not commit any sexual misconduct

• The ordained are strictly celibate according to the Vinaya code

• Sex is seen as a serious monastic transgression which lead to expulsion from the monastic order

• The Buddha says to a monk who has broken his celibate vows: “Worthless man, it would be better that your penis be stuck into the mouth of a poisonous snake than into a woman’s vagina”

• Lay people are encouraged to avoid sexual misconduct through the 3rd precept and eightfold path. Should not be attached or crave sexual pleasure.

• Includes masturbation, fornication, sex outside of marriage, adultery

• The majority of Buddhist nuns in scripture are motivated by grief over the death of their children (e.g. Kiso Gotami), showing the benefits of celibate life, though motherhood is also celebrated in Buddhist scripture (e.g. Queen Maya)

Buddhist views on marriage

• In general, while Buddhism regards the celibate monastic life as the higher ideal, it is also recognises the importance of marriage as a social institution

• Romantic love is generally perceived as part of attachment to samsara

• From the Buddhist viewpoint, being married with children is regarded as generally positive, but not compulsory

• Gautama Buddha never spoke against marriage but instead pointed out some of the difficulties of marriage

• Partnership allows development of 6 perfections

• How skilful is the marriage?

• The Dalai Lama has said that “Too many people in the West have given up on marriage”, showing support for committed long-term relationships rather than “easy-come, easy-go relationships”

Buddhist views on homosexuality

• Samantapasadika (theravadin) - “pandaka are described as being filled with defiling passions, unquenchable lusts and are dominated by their libido”

• Mahayana Buddhist writers - pandaka has no discipline for spiritual practice, due to their defiling passions of both male and female sexes

• Asanga (Mahayana) however considers them capable to practice the path of a layman individually if they so desire, but without receiving recognition as a layman or being introduced in the sangha

• Peter Jackson - those who take a liberal stance maintain that it is a condition which is outside the conscious control of homosexual men and women and has its origins in past misdeeds, whereas those who maintain that homosexuality is a wilful violation of ethical and natural principles takes an antagonist position.

• Peter Jackson argues that AIDS in the 1980s brought about a shift of perception in Thailand regarding kathoeys, “placing homosexuality rather than gender at the focus of the concept”, which was associated with “a shift in Buddhist attitudes from relative tolerance of homosexuality to condemnation”

• In 1989, the supreme governing body of the Thai sangha affirmed that “gays” are prohibited from being ordained

Buddhist views on transgender issues

• The notion of individual “personality” is false because a being different upon each incarnation

• Thai men and women accept gender identities as important yet temporary

• Due to a belief in the three universal truths (dukkha, anatta and anicca), Buddhist teachings vary on transgender issues

• If a persons identity is causing them suffering, it would be common sense to support a person in living a life according to the gender they identity as

• According to the four noble truths, craving and desire needs to be overcome to achieve nirvana, therefore if transitioning would cure the craving, it would be supported

• However anicca would suggest that nothing is permanent and sunyata suggests everything is empty and therefore any attachment to gender would need to be let go

• The teaching of anatta can cause some difficulty as attachment to any gender would be in contradiction of traditional teachings as any attachment to the self or I would

• Some might consider this a consequence of bad karma from a past live and therefore the requirement for future rebirths

• Gender identity leads to an attachment to the idea of a self, as ‘identity’ implies there is a real ‘me’ beyond the skandhas. Craving for a new identity could only lead to further suffering.

• Anatta teaches that there’s no permanent self and so should accept that everyone is constantly changing from one moment to the next, in which case a search for truth and an authentic self can only help on the journey to enlightenment

• As everyone has Buddhanature, everyone can work towards enlightenment and must be treated with loving kindness and compassion (meta and karuna) and supported on their individual journey to enlightenment

• No official rules prohibiting transgender people from becoming bikkhu and the 2015 US transgender survey found that 6% of transgender Americans identify as a Buddhist

• In Thailand, kathoey are still not allowed to legally become female or marry a man