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.
