Religion and L G B T Q + - Thoughts of an Ally

I felt a bit awkward writing this – as I was not sure on how it will be received. For starters – who will care about my small personal experiences? However, I have come to realise that these small experiences help defeat the big monster of “unconscious bias”. Therefore, here is my story.

A very interesting thing happened some time ago I was asked by a colleague to share my thoughts on how the idea of L.G.B.T.Q.+ struggles to find ground and acceptance based on religion.

Instead of debating with him, I decided to enlighten him and courteously informed him that in my religion (Hinduism) the attainment of peace and bliss is never based upon your gender or sexuality, it is merely dependent on the theory of Karma and your inner purity of soul.

Just to dwell on it a little bit, it is essential to understand the essence of the religion. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev – Yogi and a philosopher beautifully explains it. He says that instead of pitching for or against the idea and formulating an (any sort of) opinion; just looking at the issue itself.

Sexuality is something that nature has put in us due to the idea of perpetuation. If any individual chooses, or feels that, they need to choose a certain form of sexuality or feel inclined towards a gender that they are not born as; then it makes them different in nature to some people. However, it must be noted that nature itself is beautiful due to the principle of variation. Therefore there is, religiously according to the Hinduism, nothing wrong with it.

According to Hindu teachings - God does not interfere with anybody’s metaphysical independence. The Bhagvad Gita (one of the most revered Hindu scriptures) states that

yada bhuta-prthag-bhavam eka-stham anupasyati

tata eva ca vistaram brahma sampadyate tada

-ch13:sh31

This means that in the material conception of life, we see different types of living being. We identify them with different names, someone as demigod, someone as human being, as dog, as cat, etc. All these different identities are a material vision, which arises due to material conception of life, our material understanding. This is not the true vision.

In reality, the material bodies of all living being or even non-living materials arise from single source, and that is the Prakriti (material nature). When one sees different identities and different material bodies arise from single source material nature, one attains Brahman (eternal bliss).

This very notion is grounds (At least for me) for speaking out and up against any form of discrimination happening in the society. Hence, if I ever see any form of discrimination (however light-hearted it may seem to be) I stand up against it.