Jul 2, 2013

Getting Up & Real about Spirituality & Homosexuality!


In times ahead, homosexuality may well cease to bother many people.
And, except the ultra religious or the zealously spiritual, it may not rattle too many human cages. Homosexual relationships will probably become as common as French fries or McDonald burger. A neo-homo-spirituality too is being brought into play by vested interests to muddy the “godly” waters as if. The child-sex-abuse of Catholic priests, with the Vatican covering it shamefacedly but bull-headedly; is making it infinitely easier for non-spiritual practices taking roots among the disillusioned. One man’s dirty linen has found itself tethered into somebody else’s pristine white dress.
Historically, traditional religions either abhor or abjure homosexuality.
“If a man lies with a male as one lies with a woman, the two of them have done an abhorrent thing; they shall be put to death - their blood guilt is upon them.” - (Leviticus 20:13) 
“Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds."  - (Qur'an 7:80-81)
To the present, whether in the East or the West, there has never been any acceptability of homosexuality in the religious realm. It may be fashionable now in certain Western countries to find some sort of acceptance of homosexual relationships socially, but on the whole, except when pushed by a personal and profitable political agenda, religious people openly think of it and denounce it as an un-natural act; unacceptable to them, their faith or their this-that god.
“The man that lies with mankind as man lies with womankind, or as woman lies with mankind, is a man that is a demon; this man is a worshipper of the demons, a male paramour of the demons.” - (Vendidad, Zoroastrianism)
"Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." - (Romans 1:27)
The Abrahamic faiths are unambiguous in their condemnation of homosexuality in any form. However, modern thinking person finds much else obsolete and objectionable too in Bible, Torah and Quran; especially their retrograde views on women, slavery, killing of their own and people of differing faiths. And, even their concept of a personal, vengeful god who’s out to ruthlessly punish everyone for every little reason under the earth. Most of all, educated people find their 6000 year old creationistic belief not only unscientific but laughable, in today’s time. So, if the homosexual lobbyists find support among agnostics and atheists, it should not surprise anybody.
Yet, strangely but surely enough, even amongst religious traditions contrary and markedly different from Christianity, Judaism and Islam; at times, there are unambiguousness views on homosexuality. The ancient Hindu scripture, Narada Purana narrates:
“The great sinner who discharges semen in non-vaginas, in those who are destitute of vulva and uteruses of animals shall fall into the hell.. That man has semen for his diet. He becomes the despicable man in the world when reborn.”
Similarly, another well known, old Hindu text, Manu Smriti, pours scorn over female homosexuals, holding the view that:
“If a girl does it (has sex) with another girl.. receive ten whip-lashes. But if a (mature) woman does it to a girl, her head should be shaved immediately or two of her fingers should be cut off, and she should be made to ride on a donkey.”
And, about male homosexuals, Manu Smriti tersely says:
“Sexual Union with a man are traditionally said to cause loss of (high) caste.”
However, despite disdain and disgust for such acts, unlike Judeo-Christian-Islamic-Zoroastrian faiths, there’s no “eternal damnation” for homosexuals or lesbians in Eastern, especially Indian spirituality. For, Bhagavatam (4.29.29) states:
The Self which is enveloped by ignorance, is sometimes embodied as a man, sometimes as a woman, sometimes as a homosexual. According to its deeds and the nature one acquires thereby, one may be born as a god, a human or a beast.”
This rather easy going approach is owing to the fact that the sages, yogis and free mystics of ancient India have never been bound to one centralized religious order or ordinance as such. From the beginning of time, seekers in India have been encouraged to seek and find The “Sanatan” (Eternal) Truth, for and by their own-self; a la any Buddha.
"The pleasures that are born out of sensory contacts are sources of pain. They certainly are transient, having a beginning and an end. The intelligent man is wise enough not to indulge in them." - (Bhagavad Gita)
The emphasis herein has been to “overcome” this hold of sensory, therefore, illusory world, we find ourselves in. Over the ages, realized beings of India discovered The Natural Order of Things That Be. They found that essentially, appearance of phenomenal world becomes the seeming reality for us only as far our normal sensory perceptions are concerned. It is possible for any “son” born of The Heavenly “Father” and Our Divine “Mother”; that is, a manifest physical entity here; namely, a human being, to “meet” The Primordial Parent Source - God, of the less metaphysically versed. These seekers, by any name, spiritual or scientific, yet are free mystics – by any way and means, open-mindedly searching for The First Principle.
And, what’s “That” Eternal Principle which governs All Which Is?
It is The Natural Order of What Is. It permeates all, as each and every-thing-ness. There is no “thing” as such and nothing in much, that exists without or outside it. It’s the life “matter” of everything, latent or manifest.
Because Judeo-Christian-Islamic faiths think of IT as a physical entity, the god of their ancestors; they are unable to rise above a limited vision of reality. Others view IT as a spirit and some otherworldly being; but even this is a conceptual entity than the eternal reality.
Cutting to the chase, this “Eternity” of Godliness in us, yogis find, is a “virginal” sentient immanence, unto and as whatsoever there be.  From “It” emanates phenomena “seen” and unseen. This “Father-Mother’, Alpha-Omega of Root Principle of All That Is, cannot be reached if naturally flowing mystical and karmic forces within our being are perversely disturbed. These ill-advised adverse actions include anal and oral sex; with the latter is meant intake of semen in one’s mouth. The mouth is given to eat and take the Name of “That” Divineness which mothers all. Yogis call this divine energy “living and breathing” in us, as “Serpent” Power within – “Kundalini”. If this serpentine energy is ill-treated, it may boomerang; rendering a person psychically damaged, sometimes beyond repair. In other words, thus being the case, one would not become self-realized or enlightened; and, hence, would remain bereft of Salvation or Nirvana – as one would be perpetually engaged in these “nether” activities that would bother or block all attempts to reach “There”.
It is from this Universal Self that homosexuality is found to be unacceptable and contrary to natural order, and, plain-simply, unnatural by even the most mystically evolved beings; though they may prefer to remain, maybe uneasily, silent about it. But most do come forth clearly about it, if pushed.
Homosexuality is abhorred by many faithful and religious people because they find unpalatable the idea of man mating with man or a woman with her own sex. They think of it as an unholy alliance. It would not only breakdown the traditional social structure but could well lead to dissolution of age-old system of marriage, lead to considering sanctioned sex with animals, even with children in future. Some perverts may even advocate incest as an “internal l family” matter. Where does it end?
However, without beating around the bush, it is clear that spiritual beings, whether of a “lower” faith and religion as such or of an evolved philosophy, are somehow, deeply and devastatingly but “naturally” appalled by homosexuality. They consider homosexuality a devious, political gain obtained by its proponents in today’s time.
As far as a-religious but secular mystics are concerned, homosexuality may be a preferred lifestyle of some, but even they find nothing spiritual in it. It’s a sexual orientation that has no sanction in mystical spheres. That’s the sad truth. Let there be no doubt about it.
As long as homosexuality is kept up as their personal lifestyle and not claimed as an acceptable spiritual living too, it’s a state of affairs of other people, which, a law abiding but God-fearing citizen may well have to bear with; grinding one’s teeth, maybe: or, smiling it away sagaciously.
After all, everybody has the right to go to hell in one’s own way.

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