28 Dec 2020
[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on December 05, 2020, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]
[Śrī Ganesh asked: I remember that we had a discussion long back during a satsanga regarding dharma, whether it is constant or variable. We concluded that the principles of dharma always remain same, but what exactly is dharma with respect to a specific event, depends on many constraints and circumstances. Hence, dharma appears to be different in different situations. Having said that, why was homosexuality considered to be a sin by previous religions, but not by You, Swamiji? What if a male devotee is attracted to the physical beauty of the Human Incarnation of God? Will that also be considered to be a sin?]
Swāmi replied: From one angle, homosexuality is a sin because God does not like it and whatever God does not like is sin, whereas, whatever God likes is merit. God likes heterosexuality. But the heterosexual relations should only be with one’s married life-partner and not illegitimate relations. Such legitimate heterosexual acts are the efforts of the couple to expand the the human race into the future generations. It ensures that God will be entertained even in His next Human Incarnation, when He descends again on earth. Since it is the cause of giving entertainment and pleasure to God, such legitimate sex for producing children is considered to be a holy sacrifice and it has also been depicted on the walls of holy temples. Legitimate heterosexuality also gets a place in the four holy goals (puruṣārthas) for which human beings make efforts in order to attain the final salvation. The Gītā praises legitimate sex to be as holy as God (Dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo'smi, bhūteṣu bharatarṣabha). Having an illegitimate heterosexual relationship is a sin because the girl might get pregnant bringing suffering for her and her parents. If you harm a good person, it is sin and if you help a good person, it is merit.
Homosexuality is useless because it does not produce any children. So, it does not expand the human race and does not contribute to the entertainment of God when He descends as a Human Incarnation in the next generation. In that sense, it is a sin. But it is not a sin in which some third good person is troubled or hurt. Homosexuality is basically stupidity in which only the two stupid sinful persons are affected. Such an act is not based on the holy love as intended by God, but is only based on the lust of animal nature. It is not even the heterosexual lust of human beings, which is only the practical projection of the love between the husband and wife. One animal mounts another animal of same gender, as we see among dogs and pigs. That is how homosexuality is! Human beings are far far advanced than animals by having extraordinary intellectual analysis. No human being agrees himself or herself to be equated with an animal. Hence, there is no meaning in supporting this by saying that human being is also a social animal. In fact, the heterosexual act is far far more pleasant than the homosexual act. Thus, even though homosexuality is not a serious sin since no third good person is harmed, it is still a sin because there is no effort to expand the human race in the service of God.
In the Vedic tradition, once the bachelor student completes his education (brahmacarya āśrama), the Veda advises him to get married and expand the human race, so that the thread of human generations is not cut (Prajātantuṃ mā vyavacchetsīḥ). The Raghuvamśa of poet Kālidāsa says that marriage is performed only for the sake of getting children (Prajāyai gṛhamethinām). In the service of God, even great sages got married.
Dharma or justice may change superficially from time to time. But the core dharma is always unchangable. The traditions and customs of marriage may change, but not the basic idea of marriage. The legitimate heterosexual marriage for producing children is unchangeably justice, whereas, illegitimate heterosexuality and homosexuality are unchangeably injustice.
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