The practice life of sexual minorities in the Vinaya Pitaka

ABSTRACT

In South Korean society, sexual minorities live under discrimination and hatred against them, and being ostracized, they are not protected by institution. The majority of people in South Korea have idea that the sexual minorities deserve respect and equal treatment, yet Discrimination Act has not been legislated. Buddhist sexual minorities have wanted Buddhism community in S.Korea to conduct a study on sexual minorities in Buddhism scriptures, hoping that the research presents merciful logic about sexual minorities, as opposed to Christian community’s violent way of approach. This research, trying to shed light on practice of sexual minorities, categorizes and presents the case of sexual minorities from Vinaya Pitaka, which is the world’s first fully-restored, translated and published by Jaeseong Jeon. In Vinaya Pitaka, there are cases of male homosexuality, female homosexuality, bisexuality, male Pantaka, female Pantaka, masculine female, intersexual, Gender transformation. This represents Buddha embraced all of monks and nuns without discriminating based on their sexual orientation, sexuality, sexual characteristics, place of origin, social status, disability, job, color of skin and etc. Among Pantakas, there is one who practiced enough to become a teacher. Back then, it showed that people revealed their sexual identities for themselves. This represents relative difference to present day where sexual minorities would(or could) not able to come out of closet. In terms of human right, present day seems to have been regressing than the era of Buddha, making discrimination and hatred towards sexual minorities. This research provides information in order to prompt understating of sexual minorities so that it helps to correct the bias among our society towards sexual minorities.