Misplaced Pages

#313686

97-603: Sunil Babu Pant ( Nepali : सुनीलबाबु पन्त ; born 28 June 1971) is a Nepali human rights activist, monk, and former politician who served as a member of the Nepalese Constituent Assembly between 2008 and 2013. Pant's campaigning for LGBT rights led to the Supreme Court of Nepal giving legal recognition to Nepal's third gender in addition to decriminalising homosexuality and permitting same-sex marriage . In 2021, Pant converted to Buddhism and began training as

194-535: A lingua franca . Nepali has official status in the Indian state of Sikkim and in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration of West Bengal . It is spoken by about a quarter of Bhutan 's population. Nepali also has a significant number of speakers in the states of Arunachal Pradesh , Assam , Himachal Pradesh , Manipur , Meghalaya , Mizoram and Uttarakhand . In Myanmar it is spoken by

291-412: A closeted gay man living in rural Nepal who is forced to marry a woman. Pant was nominated by Anette Trettebergstuen and Håkon Haugli for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize . In 2016, The Guardian named Pant as one of their "#LGBTChange heroes". That same year, the documentary film Out Run premiered, directed by S. Leo Chiang and Johnny Simons. Documenting LGBT activist Bemz Benedito's bid to become

388-539: A conference for LGBTQ members and their supporters. A Buddhist temple in Salt Lake City connected with Jodo Shinshu , another Japanese school of Buddhism, also holds religious rites for same-sex couples. Another Buddhist organization founded in the West, Juniper Foundation, wrote an article A Buddhist Vote for Same Sex Marriage demonstrating how Buddhist thinking embraces same-sex marriage: The heart of Buddhist thought

485-622: A heterosexual male. We need to explore the intention of the teachings on sexual misconduct, which ultimately is to eliminate attachment, obsessive desire, and dissatisfaction. If a heterosexual male finds no bounds to these disturbing emotions, he might have sex with someone else's partner, as well as other men. We can apply the same logic and explore what constitutes boundless attachment and dissatisfaction for homosexual and bisexual males or females. For example, having sex with somebody else's partner and so on could be destructive for these types of person as well". The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche , holder of

582-663: A monk, going by the name Bhikshu Kashyap . Pant was born into a Brahmin family in Gorkha District , Gandaki Province , Nepal. He graduated from Laxmi Secondary School in Gorkha before obtaining a master's degree in computer science from the Belarusian State University in Minsk . He subsequently enrolled at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology but dropped out after six months, instead volunteering to help victims of

679-694: A possible indication that pandaka's inclusion in the Vinaya did not happen in the Buddha's lifetime but was added later. In the Lotus Sutra , it said Bodhisattva should not go near Paṇḍaka, as like what monk rules said in Vinaya. The Theravadin text Milinda Panha , claims that Paṇḍakas let out secrets through their imperfection. Some modern commentators interpret the word ubhatovyanjañaka as including those who are not physically intersex , but display behavioral and psychological characteristics of both sexes, such as

776-560: A pre-modern orthography. Few changes including changing Kari (करि) to Gari (गरि) and merging Hunu (हुनु) with cha (छ) to create huncha (हुन्छ) were done. The most prominent work written during this time was Bhanubhakta Acharya 's Bhanubhakta Ramayana , a translation of the epic Ramayana from Sanskrit to Nepali for the first time. Acharya's work led to which some describe as "cultural, emotional and linguistic unification" of Nepal, comparatively to Prithvi Narayan Shah who unified Nepal. The modern period of Nepali begins in

873-639: A short period of a hundred years in the 19th century. This literary explosion was fuelled by Adhyatma Ramayana ; Sundarananda Bara (1833); Birsikka, an anonymous collection of folk tales; and a version of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana by Bhanubhakta Acharya (d. 1868). The contribution of trio-laureates Lekhnath Paudyal , Laxmi Prasad Devkota , and Balkrishna Sama took Nepali to the level of other world languages. The contribution of expatriate writers outside Nepal, especially in Darjeeling and Varanasi in India,

970-474: A socially normative male and a pandaka." In other texts, the term paṇḍaka can include those born sexually indeterminate or with no sex, eunuchs , those whose impotence changes every half month, males who gain sexual potency by absorbing other men's semen, or spying on other people having sex. It sometimes includes males or females with any sexual dysfunction, such as impotence or irregular menstrual cycles . The common element seems to be those whose sexuality

1067-466: A view of accepting all peoples, but rejecting certain types of sexual acts is more predominant. LGBT people such as Issan Dorsey , Caitriona Reed , Pat Enkyo O'Hara and Soeng Hyang have been ordained as Buddhist monastics and clergy. A more anachronistic assessment comes from the western scholar Alexander Berzin , The texts in Buddhist traditions have been written from the point of view of

SECTION 10

#1732858775314

1164-566: A woman who is attracted to other women. 5th-century Buddhist writer Buddhaghosa describes ubhatobyanjanaka as people with the body of one sex but the "power", or gender of the other. Leonard Zwilling argues that in this account Buddhaghosa does not in fact describe "hermaphroditism" but rather bisexuality or homosexuality. Janet Gyatso pointed out that Zwilling destroys his own argument that pandakas are homosexuals when he writes, "The Vinaya, in fact, goes so far as to distinguish sexual activity between normative males from sexual relations between

1261-528: Is a best-selling author throughout the Sinosphere , as well as an advocate of Humanistic Buddhism , an approach to reform Chinese Buddhism to match the needs of contemporary laypeople. As such, his views may not be wholly reflective of the older Buddhist views in China. However, at an earlier point (1998), he is quoted as remarking that "according to Buddhism, any emotional involvement, whether homosexual or heterosexual,

1358-423: Is a complex tradition and there is no single canonical or scripturally sanctioned position on homosexuality." Thailand is one of several countries with a large population of Theravada Buddhist. In traditional Thai Buddhist accounts of sexuality, "[sexual] actions and desires have an involuntary cause [and] do not themselves accrue any future karmic consequences. They are the outworking of past karma, not sources for

1455-505: Is a form of attachment ... and, therefore, is a source of suffering," and when the topic of homosexuality, in particular, came up "the master spoke more strongly, calling homosexuality a perverted view ( xiejian )." An example of an older view in opposition to homosexuality is given by the traditional master, Hsuan Hua , an important figure for Buddhism in both China and the United States . Master Hsuan Hua stated that homosexuality "plants

1552-405: Is also a separate highest level honorific, which was used to refer to members of the royal family, and by the royals among themselves. Like all modern Indo-Aryan languages, Nepali grammar has syncretised heavily, losing much of the complex declensional system present in the older languages. Instead, it relies heavily on periphrasis , a marginal verbal feature of older Indo-Aryan languages. Nepali

1649-667: Is also notable. Nepali-language speakers are rapidly migrating around the globe in last a couple of decades and many books of Nepali language literature are published from different corners of the world. Diasporic literature has developed new ways of thinking and created a new branch in Nepali language literature. Dialects of Nepali include Acchami, Baitadeli, Bajhangi, Bajurali, Bheri, Dadeldhuri, Dailekhi, Darchulali, Darchuli, Gandakeli, Humli, Purbeli, and Soradi. These dialects can be distinct from Standard Nepali. Mutual intelligibility between Baitadeli, Bajhangi, Bajurali (Bajura), Humli and Acchami

1746-452: Is an institution that reflects the values of the society that supports it. If the people of a society no longer believe that it is important to be married, then there is no reason why they cannot change the institution of marriage. Marriage is a custom. Customs can always be changed. We can find the same core point in this question as we have in others — the ultimate truth of the matter is that individuals can and should decide for themselves what

1843-474: Is between men or between women, is not improper in itself. What is improper is the use of organs already defined as inappropriate for sexual contact." The Dalai Lama cited the Indian Buddhist texts of Vasubandhu , Asanga , and Ashvaghosha as his sources concerning what constitutes inappropriate sexual behavior. In 1997 he stated: "Sexual organs were created for reproduction between the male element and

1940-582: Is considered to be a Golden Age for the language. In West Bengal , Nepali language was recognised by West Bengal Government in 1961 as the official language for the Darjeeling district , and Kalimpong and Kurseong . The Nepali Language Movement took place in India around 1980s to include Nepali language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India . In 1977, Nepali was officially accepted by Sahitya Academy , an organisation dedicated to

2037-416: Is currently known as Sajha Prakashan . Conversely, the term Gorkhali in the former national anthem entitled " Shriman Gambhir " was changed to Nepali in 1951. However, the term Nepali was used before the official adoption notably by Jaya Prithvi Bahadur Singh , now considered one of the national heroes of Nepal , who advocated for the embracement of the term. The initial name of Nepali language

SECTION 20

#1732858775314

2134-401: Is either limited physiologically, or those who are sexually impotent. Together these impotence types are almost always portrayed negatively as a pariah class, especially in the earliest texts. In modern contexts, paṇḍaka is sometimes alleged to include lesbians , gay men, and transgender and intersex people, although in ancient times, a man who sexually penetrated another man or a paṇḍaka

2231-754: Is generally written in Devanagari script. In certain regions, the Tibetan script was also used in regions with predominantly Tibetic population, with common Tibetan expressions and pronunciation. In the section below Nepali is represented in Latin transliteration using the IAST scheme and IPA . The chief features are: subscript dots for retroflex consonants ; macrons for etymologically, contrastively long vowels ; h denoting aspirated plosives . Tildes denote nasalised vowels . Nepali developed significant literature within

2328-437: Is it right, is it wrong? The answer is, it is neither right nor wrong. It is just something that people do. If people are not harming each other, their private lives are their own business; we should be tolerant of them and not reject them. However, it will still take some time for the world to fully accept homosexuality. All of us must learn to tolerate the behavior of others. Just as we hope to expand our minds to include all of

2425-430: Is its insight philosophy, which uses critical inquiry to challenge dogma and to reveal how seemingly fixed ideas are more arbitrary than we might think. Applying this philosophy, we see that social customs are not fixed laws but evolving conventions that serve a purpose in a particular culture and time. Marriage is one of these conventions. It is not a rigid law but a social custom that evolves. In western traditions, there

2522-554: Is likely that Chinese Buddhism was influenced by Confucian norms prohibiting homosexual marriage. Marriage is largely considered to be a secular issue within Buddhism. Within the earliest monastic texts such as the Vinaya ( c. 4th century BCE), male monks are explicitly forbidden from having sexual relations with any of the four genders : male, female, ubhatovyañjanaka and paṇḍaka ; various meanings of these words are given below. Later,

2619-572: Is low. The dialect of the Nepali language spoken in Karnali Province is not mutually intelligible with Standard Nepali. The language is known by its old name as Khas Bhasa in Karnali. The following is a sample text in Nepali, of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , with a transliteration (IAST) and transcription ( IPA ). Buddhism and sexual orientation It

2716-824: Is often in free variation with [õ]. Nepali has ten diphthongs : /ui̯/, /iu̯/, /ei̯/, /eu̯/, /oi̯/, /ou̯/, /ʌi̯/, /ʌu̯/, /ai̯/, and /au̯/. [j] and [w] are nonsyllabic allophones of [i] and [u], respectively. Every consonant except [j], [w], and /ɦ/ has a geminate counterpart between vowels. /ɳ/ and /ʃ/ also exist in some loanwords such as /baɳ/ बाण "arrow" and /nareʃ/ नरेश "king", but these sounds are sometimes replaced with native Nepali phonemes. The murmured stops may lose their breathy-voice between vowels and word-finally. Non-geminate aspirated and murmured stops may also become fricatives, with /pʰ/ as [ ɸ ], /bʱ/ as [ β ], /kʰ/ as [ x ], and /ɡʱ/ as [ ɣ ]. Examples of this are /sʌpʰa/ 'clean' becoming [sʌɸa] and /ʌɡʱaɖi/ 'before' becoming [ʌɣaɽi]. Typically, sounds transcribed with

2813-433: Is right. As long as they are not violating others or breaking the laws of the society in which they are living, then they are free to do what they believe is right. It is not for me or anyone else to tell them that they must get married if they want to live together. That is their choice and their choice alone. The same analysis can be applied to homosexuality. People often ask me what I think about homosexuality. They wonder,

2910-510: Is the official language of the state of Sikkim and of Gorkhaland , West Bengal . Despite being spoken by about a quarter of the population, Nepalese has no official status in Bhutan. According to the 2011 national census , 44.6% of the population of Nepal speaks Nepali as its first language . and 32.8% speak Nepali as a second language. Ethnologue reports 12,300,000 speakers within Nepal (from

3007-526: Is the second most commonly spoken language other than English. Allawah and Hurstville have third most Nepali speaking population in New South Wales . There are regular Nepali language News papers and Magazines in Australia. Vowels and consonants are outlined in the tables below. Nepali distinguishes six oral vowels and five nasal vowels . /o/ does not have a phonemic nasal counterpart, although it

Sunil Babu Pant - Misplaced Pages Continue

3104-426: Is translated with the term ma ning — "genderless" or "without genitals". The 13th-century Tibetan monk Gyalwa Yang Gönpa , who was one of the significant figures in the early Drukpa Kagyu sect, writes about ma ning as a balanced state between maleness and femaleness. Yang Gönpa describes ma ning as "the abiding breath between male exhalation and female inhalation" and "the balanced yogic channel, as opposed to

3201-598: Is widescale support for LGBT rights including the European Buddhist Union, the Buddhist Churches of America, many Shin Buddhist groups, and Zen leaders such as Thich Nhat Hanh , founder of the Plum Village Tradition. In a PEW research poll, 88% of American Buddhists stated that homosexuality should be accepted. This was a higher level of support than any other religious group studied. On 2012,

3298-546: The 1999 Odisha cyclone . Pant came out publicly at the age of 29, and in 2001 formed the Blue Diamond Society , Nepal's first LGBT organisation. Its initial focus was on preventative work concerning HIV/AIDS , but it has since progressed into monitoring and reporting on human rights abuses. As of 2009, the Blue Diamond Society had 120,000 members and offices in 29 locations across Nepal. In November 2006, Pant

3395-682: The Burmese Gurkhas . The Nepali diaspora in the Middle East , Brunei , Australia and worldwide also use the language. Nepali is spoken by approximately 19 million native speakers and another 14 million as a second language . Nepali is commonly classified within the Eastern Pahari group of the Northern zone of Indo-Aryan. The language originated from the Sinja Valley , Karnali Province then

3492-510: The Gandaki basin. During the times of Sena dynasty , who ruled a vast area in Terai and central hills of Nepal, Nepali language became influenced by the Indian languages including Awadhi , Bhojpuri , Braj Bhasha and Maithili . Nepali speakers and Senas had a close connect, subsequently, the language became the lingua franca in the area. As a result, the grammar became simplified, vocabulary

3589-587: The Gay Games . Following Pant's successful campaigning and his subsequent popularity among LGBT voters, the Communist Party of Nepal (United) offered him one of the five proportional support seats it had secured in the constituent assembly following its 2008 establishment. As a politician, Pant served as a member of the Fundamental Rights Committee, and was successful in securing full protection for

3686-557: The Jesuit missionary who lived in China for 27 years from 1583, expressed horror at the open and tolerant attitude that the Chinese took to homosexuality and naturally enough saw this as proof of the degeneracy of Chinese society." Venerable Hsing Yun , one of the premier figures in contemporary Taiwanese Buddhism , has stated that Buddhism should never teach intolerance toward homosexuality, and that people should expand their minds. Marriage

3783-617: The Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages, in a 2008 talk delivered to LGBTQ Dharma practitioners at the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York , stressed that for vajrayana lay practitioners, homosexual relationships are no better or worse than heterosexual relationships and that only unhealthy relationships, in general, are to be avoided. Both the Nalandabodhi sangha , which was founded by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and

3880-622: The Shambhala sanghas founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche have stated that they are welcoming of all sexual orientations. The Shambhala Meditation Center of New York hosts a weekly practice group, Queer Dharma, specifically catering to the needs of the LGBTQ Buddhist community. According to the Danish Karma Kagyu Lama Ole Nydahl , Buddha saw homosexuality as circumstances making life more difficult, but also explained

3977-646: The capital city of the Khasa Kingdom around the 10th and 14th centuries. It developed proximity to a number of Indo-Aryan languages , most significantly to other Pahari languages . Nepali was originally spoken by the Khas people , an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the Himalayan region of South Asia . The earliest inscription in the Nepali language is believed to be an inscription in Dullu , Dailekh District which

Sunil Babu Pant - Misplaced Pages Continue

4074-453: The "āsittapaṇḍaka" was allowed to join. Notably, the "āsittapaṇḍaka" was a male that gained "satisfaction from performing oral sex on another man". Hence, there does not appear to be a consistent exclusion of homosexual Paṇḍakas by Buddhaghosa. The 4th century Mahayana Buddhist writers Vasubandhu and Asanga contend that the paṇḍaka has no discipline for spiritual practice, due to their defiling passions of both male and female sexes. They lack

4171-554: The 16th century have noted (with distaste) the prevalence and acceptance of forms of homosexuality among Japanese Buddhists — Jesuit priest Francis Cabral wrote in 1596 that "abominations of the flesh" and "vicious habits" were "regarded in Japan as quite honourable; men of standing entrust their sons to the bonzes to be instructed in such things, and at the same time to serve their lust". A 17th-century Japanese Buddhist scholar, Kitamura Kigin (北村季吟, きたむら きぎん ), wrote that Buddha explained

4268-533: The 175 seats they won in the subsequent election, due to their policy not to permit parliamentarians who had served in the previous assembly. Pant said he had already intended to leave parliament due to his caring commitments for his partner. Pant founded the Peace Environment Development NGO, a non-governmental agency working to address climate change . He also established Pink Mountain, Nepal's first gay travel agency. In June 2011, Pant conducted

4365-491: The 2011 census). It is spoken by 20,250,952, about 77.20% of the population, as their first language and second language . Total number of Nepali speakers in India by state (2011 census) According to the 2011 census of India , there were a total of 2,926,168 Nepali language speakers in India. In Bhutan , native Nepali speakers, known as Lhotshampa , are estimated at 35% of the population. This number includes displaced Bhutanese refugees , with unofficial estimates of

4462-423: The Buddha allowed the ordination of women, forbade ordination to these other types of people, with exceptions to a few particular types of paṇḍaka. The Buddha's proscriptions against certain types of people joining the monastic sangha (ordained community) are often understood to reflect his concern with upholding the public image of the sangha as virtuous; in some cases, this is explicitly stated. Social acceptability

4559-535: The Indian master Asanga , elaborated that inappropriate sexual behavior also include using hands to stimulate inappropriate parts of the body for sexual activity. In the same way, Gelug predecessor Je Tsongkhapa also adheres to such rules in his studies. Various contemporary teachers of Tibetan Buddhist lineages, including the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, have offered understanding towards LGBTQ people while noting that same-sex relationships do not necessarily constitute misconduct for lay people. The Dalai Lama has maintained

4656-542: The LGBT community in Nepal's draft constitution . In 2013, Pant was criticised for receiving two salaries, one for his work as a parliamentarian, and another for serving as the director of the Blue Diamond Society; he resigned from the latter role in June 2013. That same year, Pant defected to the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) , though he was not ultimately granted one of

4753-741: The Nepali language is believed to have started with the Shah kings of Gorkha Kingdom , in the modern day Gorkha District of Nepal. Following the Unification of Nepal , the language moved to the court of the Kingdom of Nepal in the 18th century, where it became the state language. One of the earliest works in the Middile Nepali is written during the reign of Ram Shah , King of Gorkha, a book by unknown writer called Ram Shah ko Jivani (A Biography of Ram Shah). Prithvi Narayan Shah 's Divyopadesh , written toward

4850-538: The Prohibition of the Ordination of Pandaka" from the Vinaya claims that the ban is a response to the example of a paṇḍaka monk with a desire to have sex. Being refused by other monks, he had sex with animal handlers, who then told the wider community and brought disgrace upon the sangha. Since the word paṇḍaka does not appear in either of the early Suttas nor in the early parts of the Vinaya, it has been seen by some as

4947-895: The Saddharma-smrtyupasthana Sutra. According to Mizuno Kōgen's study, Saddharma-smrtyupasthana Sutra is related to Ghoṣa's Abhidharmāmṛtarasaśāstra, and is compiled by Sarvastivada sect (possibly from someone related to Ghoṣa after the 2nd century). In the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (Sanskrit: Mahā-prajñāpāramitā-śāstra), the Madhyamaka scholar Nagarjuna mentioned the non-vagina sex restriction as based on coerced action toward one's own spouse. In contrast, later texts, particularly Tibetan Buddhist writings, occasionally value paṇḍaka positively for their "middleness" and balance. The paṇḍaka in these Tibetan works

SECTION 50

#1732858775314

5044-469: The Western world ( European Union , United States of America , Canada , Australia and New Zealand ) is typically associated with a concern for social equality —partly as a result of its largely middle-class intellectual membership base, and its philosophical roots in freethought and secular humanism . When applying Buddhist philosophy to the question of homosexuality, western Buddhists often emphasize

5141-690: The accumulation of future karma. According to Bunmi, homosexual activity and the desire to engage in homosexual activity fall into this category and are not sinful and do not accrue karmic consequences." Jackson writes that this understanding of homosexuality "prevailed in Thailand until recent decades." In the 1980s in Thailand, during the AIDS epidemic, there was "a shift in Buddhist attitudes from relative tolerance of homosexuality to condemnation." These views were "unprecedented in recent Thai history." During this time there were two ways Buddhists viewed homosexuality: in

5238-745: The category of ubhatovyañjanaka is of later addition to the early buddhist texts, since it does not appear in the early suttas, the Pāṭimokkhas , nor in the early parts of the Vinaya. The paṇḍaka is a complex category that is variously defined in different Buddhist texts. In the earliest texts, the word seems to refer to a socially stigmatized class of trans-feminine and/or cross-dressing people, some of whom may have been sex workers. Paisarn Likhitpreechakul argue that these people are grouped together with groups who are excluded from ordination as well; those with physical disabilities such as deafness or dwarfism , or those who have committed crimes. "The Story of

5335-549: The colloquial flavour of its language, its religious sincerity, and its realistic natural descriptions". The term Nepali derived from Nepal was officially adopted by the Government of Nepal in 1933, when Gorkha Bhasa Prakashini Samiti (Gorkha Language Publishing Committee), a government institution established in 1913 ( B.S. 1970) for advancement of Gorkha Bhasa, renamed itself as Nepali Bhasa Prakashini Samiti (Nepali Language Publishing Committee) in 1933 (B.S. 1990), which

5432-562: The complex declensional system present in the older languages. Nepali developed significant literature within a short period of a hundred years in the 19th century. Around 1830, several Nepali poets wrote on themes from the Sanskrit epics Ramayana and the Bhagavata Purana , which was followed by Bhanubhakta Acharya translating the Ramayana in Nepali which received "great popularity for

5529-553: The current-day Nepal and Uttarakhand, making Nepali the lingua franca . Nepali is a highly fusional language with a relatively free word order , although the dominant arrangement is subject–object–verb word order (SOV). There are three major levels or gradations of honorific : low, medium and high. Low honorific is used where no respect is due, medium honorific is used to signify equal status or neutrality, and high honorific signifies respect. Like all modern Indo-Aryan languages, Nepali grammar has syncretised heavily, losing much of

5626-519: The decline of the Khasa Kingdom, it was divided into Baise Rajya (22 principalities) in Karnali - Bheri region and Chaubise rajya (24 principalities) in Gandaki region. The currently popular variant of Nepali is believed to have originated around 500 years ago with the mass migration of a branch of Khas people from the Karnali - Bheri - Seti eastward to settle in lower valleys of the Karnali and

5723-550: The early 20th century. During this time the ruling Rana dynasty made various attempts to make Nepali the language of education, notably, by Dev Shumsher and Chandra Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana , who established Gorkhapatra , and the Gorkha Bhasa Prakashini Samiti respectively. At this time, Nepali had limited literature compared to Hindi and Bengali languages , a movement notably in Banaras , and Darjeeling

5820-543: The end of his life, around 1774–75, contains old Nepali dialect of the era, is considered as the first work of essay of Nepali literature. During this time Nepali developed a standardised prose in the Lal mohar (royal charter)—documents related to the Nepalese Kingdom dealing with diplomatic writings, tax, and administrative records. The language of the Lal mohar is nearly modern with some minor differences in grammar and with

5917-649: The ethnic Bhutanese refugee population as high as 30 to 40%, constituting a majority in the south (about 242,000 people). Nepali is the third-most spoken language in the Australian state of Tasmania , where it is spoken by 1.3% of its population, and fifth-most spoken language in the Northern Territory , Australia, spoken by 1.3% of its population. Nepali is the most spoken language other than English in Rockdale and Kogarah . In Granville , Campsie and Ashfield it

SECTION 60

#1732858775314

6014-437: The female element — and everything that deviates from that is not acceptable from a Buddhist point of view." The Dalai Lama has repeatedly said to LGBT groups that he can't rewrite the texts. He thinks that this is the type of issue that would need to be discussed by a council of Buddhist elders from all Buddhist traditions. Peter Jackson , an Australian scholar of sexual politics and Buddhism in Thailand, writes that "Buddhism

6111-485: The final schwa: Note: Schwas are often retained in music and poetry to add extra syllables when needed. Nepali is a highly fusional language with relatively free word order , although the dominant arrangement is SOV (subject–object–verb). There are three major levels or gradations of honorifics : low, medium and high. Low honorific is used where no respect is due, medium honorific is used to signify equal status or neutrality, and high honorific signifies respect. There

6208-536: The first public gay marriage ceremony in Nepal. In 2020, Pant ended his political career and converted to Buddhism, training as a monk in Sri Lanka and choosing the name Bhikshu Kashyap. As a monk, Pant has been critical of the stance among some Buddhists that intersex people should not be included within the religion . In 2023, Pant's short film Blue Flower premiered at the Kashish Film Festival. It follows

6305-621: The first transgender women elected to the Congress of the Philippines , the directors said they had been inspired to make the film after reading an article about Pant. Nepali language Nepali ( English: / n ɪ ˈ p ɔː l i / ; Devanagari : नेपाली , [ˈnepali] ) is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Himalayas region of South Asia . It is the official, and most widely spoken, language of Nepal , where it also serves as

6402-576: The idea that being a paṇḍaka stems from bad behaviour in a previous life is common in Buddhist literature. Asanga and Vasubandhu discussed if a pandaka was able to be enlightened or not. In the Samantapasadika , a work of the 5th century CE Theravadin commentator and scholar Buddhaghosa , paṇḍaka are described as being filled with defiling passions ( ussanakilesa ), unquenchable lusts ( avapasantaparilaha ) and are dominated by their libido ( parilahavegabhibhuta ). Nevertheless, Buddhaghosa did not forbid all Paṇḍakas from becoming ordained as monks; indeed,

6499-409: The importance the Buddha placed on tolerance, compassion, and seeking answers within one's self. They stress these overarching values rather than examining specific passages or texts. As a result, western Buddhism is often relatively gay-friendly, especially since the 1990s. As an interpretation of what is sexual misconduct is an individual decision and not subject to judgment by any central authority,

6596-442: The introduction of monastic homosexuality to Japan to Shingon founder Kukai , although scholars now dismiss the veracity of this assertion, pointing out his strict adherence to the Vinaya. Nonetheless, the legend served to "affirm same-sex relation between men and boys in 17th century Japan." About Buddhism and homosexuality in China , scholar A. L. De Silva writes, "Generally the attitude has been one of tolerance. Matteo Ricci ,

6693-419: The main early masters of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, followed the Indian Buddhist tradition, starting with the 3rd-century Hinayana texts of Vasubandhu , and stated that oral and anal sex , whether with a man or a woman, are violations of the third precept regarding inappropriate sexual behavior. Longchenpa , the 13th-century founder of the Nyingma school, citing the 3rd-century Mahayana texts of

6790-415: The moral fortitude to counter these passions because they lack modesty and shame. Incapable of showing restraint, such a being is abandoned by their parents and lacking such ties are unable to hold strong views. Asanga, like Vasubandhu, refuses the pandaka recognition as a layman on the grounds that such persons are unfit to associate with or serve the Sangha. Asanga, however, considers them capable to practice

6887-399: The most eminent monks in the country, demanded in 2003 that 1,000 gay monks be ousted from the sangha, and that better screening processes are put in place to keep out any gay postulants . Recently, Phra Payom Kalayano, an eminent monk and abbot, affirmed the rights of gay monks to join the Sangha: "In the past, katoey had no hope of being ordained because the rules were stricter and society

6984-431: The path of a layman individually if they so desire, but without receiving recognition as a layman or being introduced in the sangha. A position similar to Asanga view was also featured in the Lotus Sutra , where sangha members were advised to avoid the paṇḍaka. Buddha's proscriptions against certain types of people joining the monastic sangha (ordained community) are often understood to reflect his concern with upholding

7081-466: The peak of Tsukubane to form the deep pools of the Minano River, this love has surpassed in depth the love between women and men in these latter days. It plagues the heart not only of courtier and aristocrat but also of brave warriors. Even the mountain dwellers who cut brush for fuel have learned to take pleasure in the shade of young saplings." — Wild Azaleas (1676) A later Japanese legend attributed

7178-681: The promotion of Indian literature . After Sikkim was annexed by India, the Sikkim Official Languages Act, 1977, made Nepali as one of the official languages of state. On 20 August 1992, the Lok Sabha passed a motion to add the Nepali language to the Eighth Schedule. Nepali written in the Devanagari script is the official language of Nepal. On 31 August 1992, Nepali was added to the list of scheduled languages of India . Nepali

7275-421: The public image of the sangha as virtuous. Peter Jackson , the scholar of sexual politics and Buddhism in Thailand, speculates that the Buddha was initially reluctant to allow women to join the sangha for this reason. Jackson explains: Buddhism, the middle path, has always been concerned with the maintenance of social order and since the Buddha's time the sangha has never claimed to provide a universal vehicle for

7372-595: The pursuit of homosexuality over heterosexuality among priests: It has been the nature of men's hearts to take pleasure in a beautiful woman since the age of male and female gods, but to become intoxicated by the blossom of a handsome youth... would seem to be both wrong and unusual. Nevertheless, the Buddha preached that [Mount] Imose was a place to be avoided and the priests of the law entered this Way as an outlet for their feelings, since their hearts were, after all, made of neither stone nor wood. Like water that plunges from

7469-412: The reason for homosexuality could be aversion against the opposite sex in a former life. Nydahl says however that sexual orientation is not really important in order to practice Buddhism. Well known Zen Buddhist, Thích Nhất Hạnh ( Plum Village Tradition ), notes the spirit of Buddhism is inclusiveness and states "when you look at the ocean, you see different kinds of waves, many sizes and shapes, but all

7566-445: The retroflex symbols ⟨ ʈ , ʈʰ, ɖ , ɖʱ, ɽ, ɳ, ɽ̃⟩ are not purely retroflex [ ʈ , ʈʰ, ɖ , ɖʱ, ɽ , ɳ , ɽ̃] but apical postalveolar [ t̠ , t̠ʰ, d̠ , d̠ʱ, ɾ̠ , n̠ , ɾ̠̃]. Some speakers may use purely retroflex sounds after /u/ and /a/, but other speakers use the apical articulation in all positions. Final schwas may or may not be preserved in speech. The following rules can be followed to figure out whether or not Nepali words retain

7663-566: The seeds that lead to rebirth in the lower realms of existence". In his commentary on the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters , he described homosexuality as behavior caused by confusion, as the product of sexual desires. Some Mahayana Buddhist leaders were active in the movement for same-sex marriage rights in Taiwan which legalized same-sex marriages in 2019. In contrast to Buddhism in Asia, modern Buddhism in

7760-641: The spiritual liberation of all individuals in society, explicitly excluding those who are considered to reflect badly on the monkhood in terms of prevailing social norms and attitudes. Social acceptability was vital for the sangha, as it could not survive without material support from lay society. Several Theravada Buddhist texts state that the members of the paṇḍaka are excluded from a variety of Buddhist practices (in addition to ordination): Classical Mahayana scholars like Shantideva and Aśvaghoṣa considered non-vaginal sex (including sex between men) to be sexual misconduct. Shantideva based his views on quotes from

7857-551: The strong historical tradition of open bisexuality and homosexuality among male Buddhist institutions in Japan. When the Tendai priest Genshin harshly criticised homosexuality as immoral, others mistook his criticism as having been because the acolyte wasn't one's own. Chigo Monogatari (稚児物語), "acolyte stories" of love between monks and their chigo were popular, and such relationships appear to have been commonplace, alongside sex with women. Western Christian travellers to Japan from

7954-514: The sympathetic view, it was said that homosexuality arose from the karma of previous lifetimes; in the intolerant view, it was seen as arising from immoral conduct in one's present life. In 1989, the supreme governing body of the Thai sangha affirmed that "gays" (here translated from Thai kathoey ) are prohibited from being ordained. Their declaration has apparently gone unheeded in some quarters, as Phra Pisarn Thammapatee (AKA Phra Payom Kalayano), one of

8051-412: The too tight male channel, and the too loose female one". Most Mahayana teachings assert that all beings who correctly practice the dharma may reach enlightenment, since all possess innate Buddha nature. Enlightenment being achievable even in a single life. There are different views among Tibetan Buddhist teachers on acceptable expressions of sexuality. Historically, Gampopa (12th century), one of

8148-479: The universe, so we should also seek to expand our minds to include all of the many forms of human behavior. Tolerance is a form of generosity and it is a form of wisdom. There is nothing anywhere in the Dharma that should ever lead anyone to become intolerant. Our goal as Buddhists is to learn to accept all kinds of people and to help all kinds of people discover the wisdom of the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. Hsing Yun

8245-433: The values of one's chosen religion. The Dalai Lama has also stated that any sex other than penis-vagina intercourse with one's own monogamous partner, including oral sex, anal sex, and masturbation is improper from the Buddhist perspective. In his 1996 book Beyond Dogma , he states, "A sexual act is deemed proper when the couples use the organs intended for sexual intercourse and nothing else... homosexuality, whether it

8342-495: The views of Je Tsongkhapa. The 14th Dalai Lama has "voiced his support for the full recognition of human rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation," while noting that from a Buddhist point of view, lesbian and gay sex is "generally considered sexual misconduct." In the most recent interview with the Dalai Lama on this topic (March 10, 2014), the Dalai Lama said gay marriage is OK provided it's not in contradiction with

8439-455: The waves have water as their foundation and substance. If you are born gay or lesbian, your ground of being in the same as mine. We are different, but we share the same ground of being." The U.S. branch of Soka Gakkai International , a Japan-based new religious movement ( Japanese new religion ) influenced by Nichiren Buddhism , announced in 1995 that they would start holding wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples , and in 2001 established

8536-468: Was " Khas Kura " ( खस कुरा ), meaning language or speech of the Khas people , who are descended from the ancient Khasas of Mahabharata , as the language developed during the rule of the Khasa Kingdom in the western Nepal . Following the Unification of Nepal led by Shah dynasty 's Prithvi Narayan Shah , Nepali language became known as Gorakhā Bhāṣā ( गोरखा भाषा ; language of the Gorkhas ) as it

8633-746: Was among 29 human rights campaigners who signed the Yogyakarta Principles , a document concerning human rights in the areas of sexual orientation and gender identity; he has said that he feels that while Nepal is progressive in terms of its understanding of gender, that it lacks similar understanding when it comes to sexuality. In 2008, the Supreme Court of Nepal, in Sunil Babu Pant and Others v. Government of Nepal and Others , granted legal recognition to Nepal's third gender, in addition to decriminalising homosexuality and permitting same-sex marriage. Pant

8730-555: Was expanded, and its phonology was softened, after it was syncretised, Nepali lost much of the complex declensional system present in the older languages. In the Kathmandu Valley (then known as Nepal Mandala ), Nepali language inscriptions can be seen during the reigns of Lakshmi Narasimha Malla and Pratap Malla , which indicates the significant increment of Nepali speakers in Kathmandu Valley. The institutionalisation of

8827-551: Was less open minded. But they have just as much right as anyone else to join the monkhood." This view has been affirmed by other Thai Theravada monks. But it's not known if that statement given by Phra Payom was supported only by some monks of his sangha or by official structures of his Theravada school. There is no information if any other Thai branches of Theravada has changed their attitude towards LGBT ordination because other Theravada branches does not seem to have changed their attitude on this issue. Several writers have noted

8924-530: Was not himself considered a paṇḍaka. Some texts of the Abhidharma state that a paṇḍaka cannot achieve enlightenment in their own lifetime, but must wait for reincarnation as a man or woman. Ananda — Buddha's cousin and disciple — was said to be a paṇḍaka in one of his many previous lives, as was the Buddhist nun Isidāsī (from the Therigatha ). In both cases, birth as a paṇḍaka was a result of poor karma , and

9021-540: Was noted during his campaigning prior to the decision for promoting the idea that same-sex marriage would boost Nepal's economy due to the impact of wedding tourism. For two years, Pant hosted Pahichaan , a television programme where he explained concepts pertaining to the LGBT community, in addition to the issues facing them. In 2012, Pant wrote an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg and Chris Hughes , urging them to allow Facebook users to list their gender as "other". He also led an ultimately unsuccessful bid for Nepal to host

9118-606: Was spoken by Gorkhas . The people living in the Pahad or the hilly region, where it does not generally contain snow, called the language Parvate Kurā ( पर्वते कुरा ), meaning "the speech of the hills". Early forms of present-day Nepali developed from the Middle Indo-Aryan apabhraṃśa Vernaculars of present-day western Nepal in the 10th–14th centuries, during the times of the Khasa Kingdom . The language evolved from Sanskrit , Prakrit , and Apabhraṃśa . Following

9215-518: Was started to create uniformed Nepali identity, which was later adopted in Nepal following the 1951 Nepalese revolution and during the Panchayat system. In 1957, Royal Nepal Academy was established with the objectives of developing and promoting Nepali literature, culture, art and science. During Panchayat, Nepal adopted a " One King, One Dress, One Language, One Nation " ideology, which promoted Nepali language as basis for Nepali nationalism, this time

9312-443: Was vital for the sangha, as it could not survive without material support from lay society. The word ubhatovyañjanaka is usually thought to describe people who have both male and female sexual characteristics: hermaphrodites ( intersex ). In the Vinaya, it is said that ubhatovyañjanaka should not be ordained, on account of the possibility that they would entice a fellow monk or nun into having sex. It has been seen by some that

9409-435: Was written around the reign of King Bhupal Damupal around the year 981. The institutionalisation of the Nepali language arose during the rule of the Kingdom of Gorkha (later became known as the Kingdom of Nepal ) in the 16th century. Over the centuries, different dialects of the Nepali language with distinct influences from Sanskrit , Maithili , Hindi , and Bengali are believed to have emerged across different regions of

#313686