Buddhism and sexual orientation

The relationship between Buddhism and sexual orientation varies by tradition and teacher. According to some scholars, early Buddhism appears to have placed no special stigma on homosexual relations, since the subject was not mentioned. In the early sutras of Buddhism, "accepted or unaccepted human sexual conduct" for laypersons "is not specifically mentioned." "Sexual misconduct" is a broad term, subject to interpretation according to followers' social norms. Early Buddhism appears to have been silent concerning homosexual relations. According to the Pāli Canon and Āgama (the early Buddhist scriptures), it is not specified that same or opposite gender relations have inherently something to do with sexual misconduct, and some Theravada monks express that same-gender relations do not violate the rule to avoid sexual misconduct, which would mean not having sex with someone underage (thus protected by their parents or guardians), someone betrothed or married and who have taken vows of religious celibacy. Some later traditions feature restrictions on non-vaginal sex (some Buddhist texts mention non-vaginal sex as sexual misconduct, including men having sex with men or paṇḍaka) though some Buddhist monks interpret such texts as being about forced sex. This non-vaginal sex view is not based on what Buddha said, but from some later scriptures such as the Abhidharma texts. Regarding Buddhist monks, the Vinaya (code of monastic discipline) bans all sexual activity, but does so in purely physiological terms, making no moral distinctions among the many possible forms of intercourse it lists. Among Buddhists, there is a wide diversity of opinion about homosexuality. Buddhism teaches that sensual enjoyment and desire in general are hindrances to enlightenment, and inferior to the kinds of pleasure (see, e.g. pīti, a Pāli word often translated as "rapture") that are integral to the practice of jhāna.