Sexuality and Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism

The debate surrounding religion and homosexuality has been raging for centuries and
certainly shown no signs of being resolved any time soon. Rows regarding the Sexual
Orientation Regulations, gay weddings, the ordination of gay priests and the Vaticans open
hostility towards gays men and women have only highlighted the divisiveness that surrounds
these issues.
There are, however, many faith based groups which are run by gay and lesbian people that actively
support the LGBT community. So, in the run up to Easter, we asked various gay faith organisations
about how homosexuality and their religions co-exists. Robert J Brown talks about his Buddhist faith,
in particular Soka Gakkai International UK (www.sgi-uk.org).
There is currently an open rift in the Anglican Church about homosexuality. Is there anything
similar in the Buddhist faith?
In Nichiren Buddhism and specifically SGI, the organisation Im a member of, there is thankfully no rift
to heal.
Do you think there should be exemptions for religious groups in the proposed Sexual
Orientation Regulations?
No! There should be no exemptions for any group where equality is concerned.
Where does your faith stand on the issue of gay weddings?
As soon as civil partnerships became law we began to celebrate gay weddings at our head centre,
Taplow Court. However, there have been many same-sex Buddhist ceremonies that have taken
place over the years within SGI.
When an openly gay man was elected as the Bishop of New Hampshire it provoked strong
outrage. What does your religion feel about the appointment of gay men and women to
prominent positions?
We have many LGBT people within our organisation in prominent positions and within SGI-UK, there
are many national leaders who are lesbian and gay. LGBT members have been prominent
throughout the history and growth of SGI across the world.
In your experience, what do you think congregations really think about gay men and women?
As with any section of society you will find people who are homophobic. Although Nichiren Buddhism
does not believe in discrimination, youll naturally find people within SGI who are. The difference here
is the fact that our teachings say that there should be no discrimination and therefore the more you
chant and bring forth your Buddhahood, the more you learn to accept.
I remember that I introduced someone to Buddhism who was homophobic. He didnt realise that I
was gay.
The District (small group of local people who get together to meet and chant) he was in was full of
lesbian and gay members. He was able to confront his homophobia and move forward. Thats the
beauty of this Buddhism, you face your challenges and move on.

What has been the reaction of your own congregation to the fact that youre gay?
It has never been an issue. Ive been openly gay since I was 15 / 16 years old. Ive always known I
was gay, so Ive never hidden the fact. If someone has had an issue with it, then thats their issue and
not mine. If its an issue for them, I like to think that Im assisting them in confronting their
homophobia and moving forward in their life.
Could you have come out to them say, ten to fifteen years ago?
Most definitely Ive been practising Buddhism for 21 years now and its hardly ever been an issue
for me.
So what does your particular faith say about gay men and women?
Nichiren Buddhism doesnt believe in homosexuality. Then again, it doesnt believe in heterosexuality
or bisexuality. It believes that first and foremost we are Buddhas, whatever sex, sexuality, gender,
race etc, we happen to be is irrelevant. We are all equal regardless of what sexuality we are.
Do they have a specific teaching or stance on homosexuality?
No. We base our faith and our teachings on the Lotus Sutra. In the Mahayana tradition the lotus
Sutra is often regarded as the culmination (or quintessence) of Shakyamuni's teachings. The Lotus
Sutra teaches that we are all equal and it was the first sutra to teach that women are equal to men
something that wasnt widely accepted over 3,000 years ago when it was first taught.
There are no specific teachings on homosexuality as it just isnt an issue.
Even if they are in a loving and stable relationship many gay men are expected to be celibate.
Is this a realistic expectation?
This is certainly not expected from within Nichiren Buddhism and SGI. I remember years ago there
was a question from a young gay man to a senior leader about whether it was ok to have more than
one sexual partner at the same time. The response that came back was basically yes, as long as all
parties were aware of the situation.
Have you experienced any homophobia from within your church?
Obviously church isnt the correct term however from within practicing members of SGI-UK, yes I
have experienced homophobia. However as I mentioned earlier, just because people start to chant
and practice Buddhism, it doesnt mean that there wont be any homophobia. It just means people
havent had a chance to move their life forward on that particular aspect of their life.
Through chanting nam-myoho-renge-kyo you are able to confront all the negative aspects of your life
and change them. Any form of discrimination, I believe, is negative, so sooner or later that person will
be able to move forward and grow.
What would you say to the people who are against gay men and women being openly active
with their faith?
I believe that all people have a right to express whatever views they have. When they then start to
use those views to tell me, or others, how to live, then they shouldnt have that right. I have views on
certain things, however I certainly wouldnt want my views and opinions to interfere in other peoples
lives, as long as they are not hurting or abusing others.

Do you believe that homosexuality and the Church will ever comfortably sit side by side?
To be honest, Im not sure; and to also be honest, I really dont care. I stopped going to church when
I was 15 years old because I was told that my homosexuality was wrong. I knew very strongly at the
age of 15 what I was and who I was and I certainly wasnt going to be told otherwise by anyone.
So what would your religious gay utopia be like?
I think that within SGI we have that. There will always be people who disagree with me and my views
and on homosexuality. However thats the beauty of chanting and practising the Buddhism of
Nichiren Daishonin. Through our faith we can challenge, confront and move forward. The main point
is that the teachings are non-discriminatory.
The head of our organisation, Daisaku Ikeda, sends messages of support to the LGBT members,
telling us to live with confidence, pride and courage to live true to yourself. Where do you hear
that from any head of a religious organisation nowadays?
What would you say to anyone who was gay, had a strong faith but was finding it difficult to
resolve their sexuality with the many anti-gay teachings?
I feel that each person needs to find what is best and suitable for them. If people want to believe in a
God, yet find that their congregation, church etc is homophobic, then they have to try and reconcile
that themselves. However, why be part of an organisation that doesnt respect or accept you? Why
only be tolerated?
And finally, if people wanted to find out more about your organisation, what should they do?
They can either look at our website at www.sgi-uk.org, email absolutefreedomgroup@hotmail.com or
rainbow@sgi-uk.org.