Buddha knows : Buddhist View on Sex

Buddha knows - An interview with Abbot Dhammajayo on Buddhism
by Monica Øien

“Premarital sex is considered the result of a person’s weak and unhealthy mind”

Monica :          What do Buddhist scriptures say about sexual life for the Buddhists?

Luang Por :     Buddhism suggests that intercourse should be treated as a commitment rather  than an entertainment. This means that a couple should have intercourse only when they wish to have offspring who will reincarnate to this world for the pursuit of perfections.
This makes a human birth different from the birth of animals such as cats or birds which are driven by lust and instinct only. Moreover, this kind of relationship is regarded as a means to enhance a person’s roles and status. It makes husbands and wives become parents who are the first teachers, the selfless givers, and the spiritual guide for their children. Parents have to perform the duty of a good virtue-mentor by presenting the gateway leading to heaven or nirvana. They are comparable to the noble ones of the family. Thus, all couples should realize this issue and never be obsessed
by sexual intercourse. They should contemplate that intercourse offers only  temporary pleasure which also has negative effects. Therefore, intercourse should be valued and engaged in with the awareness that overindulgence could lead to suffering as well.

Monica :          Is it, according to the Buddhist Laws, acceptable to have sexual relationships  

                        before marriage?

Luang Por :     There is no direct teaching about premarital sex. However, the Lord Buddha  taught that a sexual relationship should take place only when a couple is ready to be husband and wife who are responsible for offspring in order to continue their clan. Premarital sex is considered the result of a person’s weak and unhealthy mind. It can be compared with an unripe fruit that is taken before its time. There is no exact teaching or restriction about premarital sex, but most Buddhists regard it as a disgrace and a violation of Buddhist tradition. As a matter of fact, this kind of relationship will cause many problems. The people who have sex before marriage will devalue the meaning of both a sexual relationship and marriage. They will prefer sexual pleasure to a meaningful relationship with someone. The heart will lose its innocence as it is filled with passion and lust. Also, abortion is one of a series of problems caused by premarital sex. Expressing love between husbands and wives is a normal activity unless we transgress any restrictions, social values or morality. Sexual pleasure is viewed as temporary satisfaction that brings about some disadvantages if we do not know how to control ourselves. Sometimes jealousy, lust, anxiety and conflict are the result. Buddhism teaches people to treat it as a meaningful relationship that will have a positive effect on a complete family life. Sexual activity thus connotes the sense of sacredness, not promiscuity.

Monica :          Celibacy is a norm in temples all over the world. I wonder why monks, Buddhist  monks, have to live in celibacy.

Luang Por :     One thing you have to bear in mind is that before leading a life in priesthood,
all  Buddhist monks were once ordinary laypeople. But they consider the lives of

laypeople full of burdens and responsibilities which prevent them from gaining  insights about the truth of life and Dhamma. Laypeople busy their lives with earning money, family matters and daily problems. To avoid all these life fetters,
one needs to get ordained which will help them achieve the goal of enlightenment. Sensual pleasure is considered temporary happiness which lasts for a short period.
This kind of pleasure is compared with having a meal. Our hunger will be relieved
for a short while and we have to satisfy our needs again in the next meal.
Buddhist monks consider happiness from meditation to exceed worldly happiness.
Meditation generates true happiness which cannot be found elsewhere.
For the sake of this true happiness,
monks choose to turn their back on worldly pleasures and practice celibacy.
Prince Siddharta is an example of a person who deserted all blessing in his life in order to seek the happiness of the mind. Buddhist monks follow His path in search of true happiness as well because they believe that celibacy is a means to liberate themselves from suffering and become enlightened like the Lord Buddha.

Buddha knows : Preface & Background

          While Buddhism was born and has prospered in the Orientalworld, 

blessing people with the teachings that guide them towards happy lives and both mental 

and physical wellbeing, people from the Occidental world have recently become 

increasingly moreinterested in Buddhist philosophy as a way to find the answers for their lives that cannot be explained by science and technology.

            This book was derived from an introductory interview between

Monica Øien, the hostess of a number of Norwegian TV programs, 

and  Luang Por Dhammajayo, the abbot of the Dhammakaya Temple and

president of the Dhammakaya Foundation, who sacrificed his valuable

time from the duties of promoting world-peace through inner-peace,

to answer all the challenging questions from western people who lack

a background knowledge in Buddhism. His answers, which contain a

lot of Buddhist wisdom, have given light to the interviewer who has

spread this knowledge to a Norwegian audience via her television show.

            The publisher considers this interview to be beneficial

for all people who wish to access the Lord Buddha’s teachings

through simple, conversational language. For all non-Buddhists

who are curious about Buddhism, this book is a quick guide that

provides the fundamentals of Buddhist views. We have obtained

permission from Luang Por Dhammajayo to publish this book.

            A survey in Norway has revealed that there are many things

people still wonder about in their lives, like human birth, how to

raise children and lead a wholesome family life, the practice of a

monk’s celibacy, death and the afterlife, effective time management,

and the Buddhist engagement in religious ceremonies. All these

questions inspired the Norwegian producers from TV2,
who have tried to provide some answers to these questions that will help
the audience solve their problems and maximize their lives. This program

is called “Gudene Vet” which means “God Knows” in Norwegian,

where different religious leaders are interviewed for TV broadcast.

            The presenter of this chat show is Ms. Monica Øien,
a well  established hostess and TV producer, who has traveled around
the world in search of answers to the mysteries of life. She has met and

interviewed many people from various religions, with different beliefs

and from diverse backgrounds, who have given her various perspectives

of their worldviews that form the foundation of her program.

             The producers’ team was very interested to hear the Buddhist

worldview, so they researched the Buddhist countries and found 

a prominent organization that has become internationally successful 

in spreading the wisdom of Buddhism. The team asked for permission

from the Dhammakaya temple to interview the abbot, Luang Por

Dhammajayo (The Most Venerable Dhammajayo Bhikkhu), 

and record the Kathina ceremony, an annual offering of robes for

Buddhist monks at the temple. After the sacred Kathina ceremony

on 5th November 2006, there was an interview with the abbot the

next day at the Tusita Pavilion of Dhammakaya temple. 

The interview ran from 2:00 – 5:30 pm. Apart from giving an interview, 

Luang Por Dhammajayo also taught the production team how to meditate,

which brought each of them a unique experience of inner peace.

                The program “God Knows” which is on TV2, one of

Norway’s most popular channels, broadcasted the conversation

between the abbot of the Dhammakaya temple and Ms. Monica

Øien from 11th February to 18th March 2007. This program

was on the air during Sunday prime time, from 6 pm onward.

Buddha knows : Contents : Easy Conversation on Practical Buddhist Wisdom.

Buddha Knows

Copyright © 2010

Copyrighted by

Dhammakaya Foundation

40 Mu 8, Khlong Song

Khlong Luang District

Pathumthani Province

Thailand 12120

www.dhammakaya.net

Download electronic version of this book at

www.tawandhamma.org

All rights reserved.

No part of this document may be reproduced

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic

or mechanical, including photocopying and recording,

or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-616-7200-13-2

Printed in Thailand

by O.S. Printing House Co., Ltd.

Contents

Preface
Background
Interview
Rebirth & Incarnation
Monastic V.S. Secular Life
Buddhist Congregation
Buddhist View on Sex
Death & Afterlife
Daily Life of Buddhists Meditation
A Successful Marriage
Death and Rebirth
How to Meditate ?
About the Interviewer
About Luang Por Dhammajayo
Basic Meditation Practice
Contributors

Buddha knows

Dhammakaya Méditation Technique

        Dans la société moderne avec les attentes
de la haute technologie, la plupart des gens essait de travailler dur et longtemps tentant d'accomplir leur responsabilités. 

       Il y a beaucoup de styles de vie différents,
de plus, chacun a ses attentes et personne ne peut échapper 

aux stress d'aujourd'hui. 

       Nous vivons dans un monde où tout le monde est pressé 

et ne prend pas forcément le temps de se reposer.

Nous croyons que le désir de la plupart des gens est le bonheur
et la paix intérieure, 

mais ils se dissipent toujours et essaient de faire de leur mieux
pour atteindre leurs buts par de nombreux moyens.

Combien d'entre eux savent où les trouver? 

Combien d'entre eux savent comment les atteindre?

       En fait, le véritable bonheur ou la véritable paix intérieure
a toujours été présent en nous. 

       En aidant les autres a trouver ces capacités inhérentes
par la pratique de la méditation, le but final peut-être atteint plutôt facilement.

      Certains penseront peut-être à la méditation comme
une pratique religieuse. 

      Cependant, nous pouvons pratiquer la méditation
sans attacher d'importance à la nationalité, 

la religion, la race ou l'âge, même les enfants peuvent méditer. 

      

      La méditation est un moyen de développer la clarté mentale, c'est un moyen d'entraîner son esprit à être mieux concentré
et c'est aussi un moyen efficace de relaxer et le corps et l'esprit.

Il existe plusieurs types de technique de méditation. 

Mais je voudrais vous présenter 

la technique de méditation Dhammakaya 

qui s'avère être efficace et approuvée  

par de nombreux étudiants, 

        elle est facile à suivre et adaptée aux personnes de tout âge. Lorsque les gens pratiquent la méditation Dhammakaya régulièrement, ils trouvent qu'ils ont une meilleure conscience, concentration et relaxation.

        Dans cet état d'esprit optimal, ils sont capable d'être plus efficace dans la vie de tous les jours. 

       La pratique de la méditation developpe également un esprit pur et en paix, permettant aux pratiquants d'avoir les pensées
plus claires.

      En essayant de méditer régulièrement, vous découvrirez comment la méditation peut vous aider a acquérir plus de sagesse pour améliorer votre vie.