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Chapter 6: The Decree of Lord Yama, King of the Netherworld I visited the netherworld once in my deep meditation. Lord Yama greeted me respectfully. He was extremely humble, and invited me to enjoy the best food there, which was rare to encounter in the mundane world. I was surprised and I smiled at Lord Yama: "There must be a conspiracy for there to be so much courtesy." Lord Yama said: "Oh, no! This is something serious!" "What is it that is serious?" Lord Yama replied: "The most important thing for maintaining a good health and a virtuous nature is to refrain from the temptation and abuse of sex. Otherwise, internally, one's essence is harmed; outwardly, one's behavior is corrupted. Lust and the abuse of sex are like a sharp knife that can scrape one's essence and carve one's bone. One's primal energy will be exhausted, by which one cannot accomplish anything if one wishes to cultivate. One may degrade further to commit immoral acts, thus creating more negative karma. How can one not be cautious about lust?" "I know." I said in agreement. Lord Yama said: "The heavenly realm has issued a decree, and this decree has been given to me. Now, I would like to hand this decree over to you, so please promulgate it and inform everyone!" "Why would you want to give me the decree of the king of the netherworld?" Lord Yama explained: "In this entire world, there are few who can enter deep meditation. Similarly, in this entire world, there are few who can traverse the Ten Dharma-realms. Even more true is that there are few who write everyday without resting for one single day. Finally, there are even fewer who can converse with me - the king of the netherworld!" "This is why you have chosen me?" "Right," affirmed the king of the netherworld. I asserted: "Decrees have existed since ancient times!" Lord Yama clarified: "This present decree is more detailed." Lord Yama handed me the decree, and I was startled upon reading it. The offence of carnality and adultery includes the following:
This decree of the king of the netherworld deals mainly with carnality committed through the eyes, ears, hands, speech, body, and mind. Besides these fifteen items, there are also many footnotes explaining these items in detail. The text is inclusive and detailed, completely and comprehensively dealing with karmic offences. I remember that a student once asked me: "Can carnality be an offence if I trade it for money?" "Yes, it's an offence!" "The other party needs money, and so I offer money. It is fair that both of us get what we want." I replied: "This offence is mentioned in item seven: trading and marketing in sex. Another female student once asked me: "Is it offensive to offer what the other party needs?" "Yes, it's offensive!" "Grand Master, didn't you teach us to offer pleasure to others? I give him pleasure and do not require anything in return. Is it really offensive? With regard to the Four Immeasurables of kindness, compassion, rejoicing, and giving, what I am doing should be considered kindness and giving. "This." I did not know how to answer her. Now, my reply: this is the offence item eight: committing adultery and making love randomly - projecting one's sexuality whenever and wherever one wishes. Once, a man privately asked me: "Can I take refuge in you?" "Of course. I do not abandon one single sentient being!" I assured him. "But, I have a sexual perversion." "Do you prefer other men?" I thought he was a homosexual. "No." He said: "I'm ashamed to mention that my perversion is to steal women's underwear that they have worn, so that I myself can wear them, and so that I can also add them to my own collection. Is it offensive?" "Really?" I was surprised. He lowered his head. I said: "This belongs to the offence of sexual fantasy, indulging one's mind and imagination in lust and carnality . When the devious condition has not arisen, one's mind generates false and illusory thoughts. Nevertheless, you can still take refuge first. Let me find a solution to help you diminish your sexual perversion." In my view, homosexuality is an important issue in contemporary society. The cause of homosexuality is related to one's constitution as well as from psychological conditions. From a religious viewpoint, homosexuality cannot escape the item: contradicting morality-- having abnormal sex. However, from the Buddhist point of view of cause and effect, all worldly sexual desire among men and women, men and men, and women and women contain causes and conditions. The value of the Buddha's teaching is that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas understand causality very well. For a great Bodhisattva, he is mindful and compassionate of understanding causality and conditionality. In dealing with the sexual desire of men and women, regardless of whether it is normal or abnormal, the bodhisattva only continuously teaches sentient beings to cut off evil and to practice virtue, so that their own causes and conditions, and the effects and retributions that endlessly bind them can be changed. For homosexuals, my teaching is that they are allowed to practice yoga with the condition of not contradicting the principle of causality, from which they will gradually be able to decrease their sexual desire. Sexual desire and causality are related to each other. The partner of one's sexual desire is derived from an infinite cycle of transmigrations. This continuous entanglement among beings becomes a complication of hatred and dispute: some love each other, and others hate and harm one another. For a great practitioner, only by contemplating causes and effects with concentration and wisdom can he or she completely dissolve the arising of sexual thoughts, and overcome complications and difficulties. With infinite compassion and sympathy, a great practitioner sees through the causes of sexual desire that are derived from confusion and ignorance, and thereby frees himself or herself from worldly binds. I knew of one writer who described his life in his writing. He liked to masturbate in front of Buddha statues. When he was young, he studied in a Buddhist temple in order to concentrate. At night when no one was around, he masturbated in front of Buddha statues for the purpose of being seen by Buddhas. He said that it was a stimulating and carefree experience. This kind of behavior was due to a psychological complex of rebellion, and of course he committed the offence of engaging in sexual acts in the midst of deities and Buddha statues - improper place. I asked Lord Yama, "What about so many people in contemporary society who take viagra in order to be potent and to increase carnal pleasure." Lord Yama replied, "Regarding sex, there are several precepts of prohibition. For instance, one is forbidden to have sex when one is angry, when one is exercising, upon having too much drink and food, when one is hungry, after a serious illness, before labor, after labor, during menstruation, when one has a cold, and if one takes aphrodisiacs and devious drugs." "Is viagra counted as an aphrodisiac and devious drug?" I asked. Lord Yama answered, "If one is impotent, and relies on it to recover, then it is legitimate. If one isn't impotent, but due to old age and a weak physical condition, one only wants to indulge in carnal pleasure by being stimulated by this drug, then one should definitely avoid taking it, for thereby it is an aphrodisiac and a devious drug." Upon hearing him, I was shocked. Lord Yama said, "People in general break two types of taboo. One is the eclipse of the sun, and another is the eclipse of the moon." "Why?" "During these two events, magnetic fields will change greatly, and yin and yang will conflict with each other." "What will happen?" "One will reproduce a deformed fetus." Lord Yama told me, "I expect that after exiting samadhi, you will promulgate this decree of the king of the netherworld, and inform everyone. This decree contains the prescription of protecting one's health and stabilizing one's life. It expresses through great detail the principle of obtaining blessings and increasing virtues, and avoiding carnal pleasure and disaster. Finally, not only is one forbidden to commit any adultery, but also sexual liaisons between couples that should not be overlooked. Couples should observe the precepts of prohibition in respect for the heaven, earth, and humans!" I pressed my palms together to pay homage to the king of the netherworld. Lord Yama, king of the netherworld, also pressed his palms together
and repeatedly beseeched me to deliver the message of the decree
of the king of the netherworld.
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