I've attended three different Zen centers, and I don't believe there
would be any bias against gay people whatsoever. So why there would
need to be a center specifically for gays, I can't see. That would
seem like reinforcing separation based on differences, instead of
simply being with them. I agree with Bill, such a place would be
contrary to Zen.
Ian
>
> What I wrote was indeed simplistic, but that's because it's a very
simple
> distinction.
>
>
>
> I know of course that many Christians are homophobic. Some are
racist.
> There are probably many Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists that
are also
> homophobic and/or racist. That's not the point.
>
>
>
> All zen sanghas are open to all people. If there are groups that
call
> themselves sanghas but limit or focus their membership on a
specific group
> and are not open to all people, then they are not a zen sangha. If
you find
> such a sangha - like a gay/lesbian zen sangha or a
White/Black/Asian zen
> sangha or women/men-only sangha you should run away, run away.
>
>
>
> It's as simple as that.
>
>
>
> .Bill!
>
>
>
> Curt Wrote:
>
> This is overly simplistic. In theory what is said here should also
apply
>
> to Christians - and yet many Christian individuals and many
Christian
>
> churches are extremely homophobic.
>
> - Curt
>
>
>
> Bill Smart wrote:
>
> All zen sanghas are for all people. I have never heard of any zen
>
> group that restricts or focuses its membership on any specific
>
> classification of people. To do so would be to reinforce the
erroneous
>
> idea that Buddha nature or the way to realize it is not the same in
>
> all people. Like all communities, there are some that have a larger
>
> percentage of certain types of people. Maybe there are some sanghas
>
> that have a higher percentage of gays/lesbians than others. I don't
>
> know. Hopefully someone else on the Forum will have some more
specific
>
> information.
>
>
>
> Wanghualia_5 wrote:
>
> I am Gay, and I practice zazen. Is there any sangha or Zen Temple
for
>
> Gay/lesbians?
>
Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are
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