Buddhist
Sexual Ethics - A Rejoinder
Buddhism means
many things to many people. To some, it offers wise and compassionate
advice on how to lessen the suffering of modern lay life. To others,
it is the path to Enlightenment which ends all suffering. Mr Higgins'
article in the November issue of Bodhi Leaf refers to the former
kind of Buddhism only. The Buddhism which leads to Enlightenment
is somewhat different, as we will now show.
The place of sexuality in Buddhism is made manifestly clear in the
Buddha's First Sermon in which the Great Teacher proclaimed the
famous Middle Way:
"One
should not pursue sensual pleasure (KÂMA-SUKHA),
which is low vulgar, coarse, ignoble and unbeneficial; and one
should not pursue self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble
and unbeneficial. So it was said. And with reference to what was
this said? The pursuit of the enjoyment of one whose pleasure
is linked to sensual desire - low, vulgar, coarse, ignoble and
unbeneficial - is a state beset by suffering, vexation, despair
and fever, and it is the wrong way. Disengage from the pursuit
of the enjoyment of one whose pleasure is linked to sensual desire
- low, vulgar, coarse, ignoble and unbeneficial - is a state without
suffering, vexation despair and fever, and it is the right way.
The pursuit of self-mortification… is the wrong way. Disengagement
from the pursuit of self-mortification… is the right way…
The Middle Way discovered by the Tathàgata avoids both
these extremes… it leads… to Nibbàna."
(Ven Bhikkhu
Bodhi's translation of the Buddha's words in The Middle Length
Discourses of the Buddha, p.1080f)
The Buddha's
declaration that the pursuit of sensual pleasures, which include
sex, lies outside the Middle Way is reinforced many times in the
Suttapitaka. For example, in the Simile of the Quail, Sutta No 66
of the Majjhima Nikàya, the Buddha declares:
"Now,
Udàyin, the pleasure and joy that arises dependent on these
five cords of sensual pleasure are called sensual pleasures -
a filthy pleasure, a coarse pleasure, an ignoble pleasure. I say
of this kind of pleasure that it should not be pursued, that it
should not be developed, that it should not be cultivated, that
it should be feared… (whereas the pleasure of the Four Jhànas).
This is called the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of enlightenment.
I say of this kind of pleasure that it should be pursued, that
it should be developed, that it should be cultivated, that it
should not be feared." (ibid p.557)
Even in the
time of the Buddha, some misguided people went around saying that
sexual practice was not an obstruction to Enlightenment. The Buddha
rebuked them strongly with the well known simile of the snake, comparing
their wrong grasp of the Teachings to a man who grasps a venomous
snake by the tail, out of stupidity, and suffers accordingly:
"Misguided
man, in many discourses have I not stated how obstructive things
are obstructive, and how they are able to obstruct one who engages
in them? I have stated how sensual pleasures provide little gratification,
much suffering, and much despair, and how great is the danger
in them. With the simile of skeleton… with the simile of
the piece of meat… with the simile of the grasstorch…
with the simile of the pit of coals… with the simile of the
dream… with the simile of the borrowed goods… with the
simile of the tree laden with fruit… with the simile of the
slaughterhouse… with the simile of the sword stake…
with the simile of the snake's head, I have stated how sensual
pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering, and much
despair, and how great is the danger in them. But you, misguided
man, have misrepresented us by your wrong grasp and injured yourself
and stored up much demerit; for this will lead to your harm and
suffering for a long time." (The Buddha in the simile
of the Snake; ibid p.225f)
Indeed, the
Buddha taught that sexual practises not only lie outside the Middle
Way, but also that they are part of craving (KÂMA-TANHA,
the craving for sensual pleasure) described in the Second Noble
Truth as the cause of suffering, they are attachments (KÂM'
UPÂDÂNA, 'the attachment to sensual pleasure'),
they are a hindrance to meditation (KÂMA-CCHANDA, the
first of the 5 NIVARANA), they are defilement (KILESA) of
the mind, they are a fetter obstructing liberation (the fourth fetter,
SAMYOJANA, is KÂMARÂGA 'lust') and they
have no part in the behaviour an Enlightened being is capable of).
The Buddha realised
that such Teachings would hardly be received enthusiastically by
most, for He said shortly after the Enlightenment:
"The world, however, is given to pleasure, delighted with pleasure,
enchanted with pleasure. Truly, such beings will hardly understand
the law of conditionality, the Dependent Origination. (PATICCA-SAMUPPÂDA)
of everything; incomprehensible to them will be the end of all formations,
the forsaking of every substratum of rebirth, the fading away of
craving, detachment, extinction, Nibbàna." (Ven.
Nànatiloka's translation in the Word of the Buddha, p.2)
But then, it
is better to be true than to be popular.
Ven. Ajahn Chah,
the teacher under whom we both trained for many years, similarly
taught that sexual practises had to be given up if one aspired for
Enlightenment. For example, I remember a Westerner coming to see
Ajahn Chah once and saying that he was sexually active but without
being attached to the sex. Ajahn Chah completely ridiculed the statement
as an impossibility, saying something like "Bah! that's like
saying there can be salt which isn't salty!" Ajahn Chah taught
all who came to him, monastic and lay, that sexual desire is KILESA
(defilement of the mind), it is a hindrance to success in meditation
and an obstruction to Enlightenment. He taught that sexual activity
should be abandoned if one wants to end suffering. He would never
speak in praise of sex. He would only speak in praise of letting
go.
by
Ajahn Brahmavamso
and
Ajahn Nanadhammo
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