Esoteric Buddhists of China-Japan-Mongolia-Nepal-Tibet practice sexuality of a cross between Taoism and Buddhism. Which is to say, they practice for longevity. As for other facets of the subject - they are merely cultural. The basic tenet however is to use sex for its purpose of procreation or as an adjunct to raising consciousness.
If nothing, this kind of pernicious thinking has taught me a very valuable lesson ... not to believe everything everyone says ... HTML:
Sex could be considered as being a deviation from meditation. It is through meditation that ones finds the end of the road, so a choice has to be made. If you have a wife or husband, then there is obligation to them and their views on things. Another choice. Another possible fork in the road. x
The Buddha's teaching was concerned with suffering, its cause and its eradication. His teachings are a pointer to the way of release from conditioned existence and was never to be entangeled in any of the conflicting views that originate in misinterpretation of phenomena. The Second Noble Truth, which is the origin of suffering, clearly indicates that craving is the beginning of clinging, and clinging is the beginning of becoming, and that greed, ill-will, and delusion is the motivating factor for craving and clinging. Craving what? Craving for feelings, craving for contact, craving for the six base senses, craving for mental and physical formations, craving for consciousness, craving for actions which lead to clinging, becoming, birth, old-age, sickness and death. There are no principles, dogmas, beliefs or doctrines in Buddhism relating to sex specifically. There are precepts, instructions for conduct, relating to sensual pleasure, of which sexual pleasure is definately a result. The fourth path in the Fourth Noble Truth (p: samma kammanto), Right Action, states to abstain from misconduct in sensual pleasure (p: kamesumicchacara) for the lay person, and abstaining completely from sensual pleasure (p: abrahmacariya) for the ascetic. The Second Noble Truth states that action results in consciousness (p: sankhara paccaya vinnanam), and that consciousness results in (named) formations (p: vinnana paccaya nama-rupam). If you want to "... raise consciousness" the best way is to eliminate as much action as possible which leads one to continuously cycle through uncountable realms of suffering (Samsara). Yes, even pleasure is suffering, in the human sense, because one must continuously work at pleasing the senses, and actions which bring about pleasing or pleasant results are motivated by greed. Where actions which bring about unpleasing or unpleasant results are motivated by ill-will. And actions which bring about craving for becoming and non-becoming are motivated by delusion (ignorance, confusion). And everything we do, speak, or think is an action motivated out of greed, ill-will or delusion. Perpetuating ideas and views such as using "... sex for its purpose of procreation or as an adjunct to raising consciousness" is action which results in suffering. And the most surprising thing is that these are not my views or thoughts, but the views and thoughts of the teachings of the Tatagatha, the Blessed One, the Arahat, the Fully Enlightened, endowed with Knowledge and Conduct, the Happy One, Knower of the world, Peerless charioteer of men to be tamed, Teacher of gods and men ... the Buddha. The precept of abstaining from misconduct in sensual plasure for the lay person, is to become mindful of ones actions in such a way as to act responsibly so as not to become harmful to other beings, whether human or non-human. This particular precept for the lay person mainly pertains to a husband and wife, or wife and husband who engage in sensual pleasure with each other with or without the intent to "procreate". When it comes down to it, the ultimate intent of a Buddhist, or practitioner of Buddhism is definately NOT to procreate, not to engage in actions which PLEASE the senses or "raising consciousness", but rather to eliminate the ACTIONS necessary to perpetuate cyclic existence ... to eliminate GREED ... eliminate ILL-WILL ... eliminate DELUSION. How can one eliminate greed when one is constantly indulging in desires which please or perpetuate pleasure? How can one eliminate ill-will when one is constantly indulging in hatred and anger which perpetuate ill-will? How can one eliminate delusion when one is constantly desiring becoming or desiring non-becoming which perpetuate delusion? With the elimination of greed one does not ACT with intent or inclination for desire or pleasure. With the elimination of ill-will one does not ACT with intent or inclination for impatience, anger or hatred. And, with the elimination of delusion one does not ACT with intent or inclination to extremes which pertain to becoming or non-becoming (eternalist views or nihilistic views). With the elimination of greed, ill-will and delusion one is not inclined to act in such a way as to perpetuate ideas or views in relation to existence, clinging, craving, feelings, ... ignorance. There are THREE basic tenents in Buddhism ... count them ... three ... Anicca, Dukkha, Annata ... 1) Anicca: all things are impermanent, subject to change, arising and falling, appearing and disappearing, never the same from one moment to the next. 2) Dukkha: there is suffering; sorrow, grief, lamentation and despair, this is suffering. Loving the unloved, this is suffering. Loosing the loved, this is suffering. Not getting what one wants, this is suffering. In short, the five aggregates of clinging is suffering. The First Noble Truth, the truth of suffering. 3) Annata: there is no self to be found in or of things, or involved in or of things resulting in or related to craving. That self is not found in forms, feelings, perceptions, fabrications or consciousness (ideas or views), that self is not a part of forms, feelings, perceptions, fabrications or consciousness (ideas or views), and that forms, feelings, perceptions, fabrications and consciousness (ideas and views) are not self. Clinging is the conditioned result of craving. Continuous craving. Non-stop craving. Forever craving. Craving for forms. Craving for feelings. Craving for perceptions. Craving for mental formations, ideas, fabrications. Craving for consciousness. Craving for existence. Consequently, craving for existence results in craving for birth, craving for sickness, craving for old-age, and craving for death. Like I said one time before, you can engage in all the things you want and still practice Buddhism. The result will always be setting ones self up for suffering, grief, sorrow, lamentation and despair when the thing one desires is taken away while one is still craving or clinging to it. This includes VIEWS, IDEAS and OPINIONS. HTML:
It's easy to parrot the Pali Cannon and act like you know what 'Buddhism says' but there's more to Buddhism than the 'First Turning of The Wheel.' 84,000 methods.
Frankly, I don't know what BUDDHISM says, and I seriously didn't know that "heavy projectiles" (cannon's) had anything to be parroted, but I do know what Buddha said according to the PALI CANON. No, it's not parroting, it's considered "theory" in the Theravada tradition to translate pali-english/english-pali, and "practice" to explain the translation according to the "theory". Pali is continuously recited during the daily chanting ... and it must be understood what the translation is. So no, I am not ACTing LIKE I know what I'm saying because I know exactly what I'm saying. It may be you were a bit confused on using the word "parrot" in this context? Tantra was never taught by the Buddha. And like I said before, the Buddha's teachings were concerned with suffering, the cause and its eradication. He never once in the PALI CANON taught to USE craving as a means of EXTINGUISH in order to attain a state of enlightenment. Could be Tantra was fabricated by those who wanted to justify their craving for greed, ill-will and delusion. Certainly your quote of 1/8 (quote: You're still an asshole. /quote) would demonstrate this craving for ill-will. I fail to see how such craving would lead anyone to any state of liberation. HTML:
Yes of course you're right. You basically said no sex except for procreation. Buddhists lead some retreat life and nothing else will do. Or sexless life, like old flagging men, but from youth. Good for you. Nothing left to be said I guess. How sad it would be though to get old and never have then had sex. Never touch the Earth, swim a wave, or feel the sky. Some of you pundits have forgotten what it means to live, not even just being a Buddhist. You think that Buddhism brings wisdom. Age brings wisdom. Stay around to learn it. This is wisdom: Make hay while the sun shines. There's no time like the present. You say the Buddha never taught tantra. So you would be no expert on it. So leave it alone. That's why I called you an asshole. Self righteous know it all. I'm not wrong. You quote all that Pali cannon shit but you can't let Christians to it in their own subforum. There's no mind like the mind of pernicious self righteousness.
No, I don't THINK such a thing. Buddhism does NOT bring wisdom, neither does age. Practicing Morality leads to Concentration. Practicing Concentration leads to Wisdom. Cease any one of these, morality or concentration, and it will bring an end to Wisdom. No one has forgotten what it means to live. Some who practice, used to practice, or pretend to practice the teachings of Buddha have forgotten what it is he taught, or worse have thought themselves to be more clever than the Buddha. Buddha NEVER taught Tantra. That was introduced into the Buddhist teachings many hundred years after his parinibbana. No one is an expert except to their own views and ideas. I don't quote by opening a book in front of me and typing word-for-word what I read. And certainly not in a manner to beat people over the head and disparage them their own views and ideas. What I do quote are directly from memory. I never wrote that rule in the Christian sub-forum, Chodpa. Perhaps you should go back and see who did. Being moderator of the P&R forum and all its sub-forums, I can enforce/moderate what rules are there. If it's Skip you have your "beef" with about rules in the Christian forum, then you may need to take it up with him. HTML:
Yeah ... Right ... This coming from a man wearing womens clothing, sporting a sausage from his panties ... HTML:
It's easy to see how one would think that living without sex would be sad and a waste of a perfectly good human act. But try to tell His Holiness that he's sad because he has NEVER had sex. My point being it can't be done. Only when you've reached a certain stage in your path to total liberation of mind do you begin to realize the truth about sex. Of course sex is fun and it feels good. But with sex comes attachment and suffering. I have always loved Ajahn Chah's opinion of sex he say's " Sex to me is like picking your nose". When you meditate on the human body and begin to see how truly disgusting it is you begin to lose all desire to participate in it. Although Lord Buddha never got too specific on the issue of sex, he did make it clear if you read the scripture. Lay people are more than welcome to participate in the act of sex, as long as they realize it will prevent them from reaching Nibbana. Atleast in this life or as long as they continue to participate.
The Buddha did teach Tantra cause all that means is technique, all forms of meditation are tantra. i agree that he did not teach tantric sex which most people think tantra is. Tantric sex makes up less than one percent of tantric yoga.
