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When the Buddha obtain enlightenment did he ever have sex again?

The Buddha said to his wife, when he came back to his kingdom, and told his wife you should abandon this worldly life and then live in truth, did he ever have sex with his wife again?

mmoEarthninjasilver

Comments

  • What is this sex you speak of? :3

    I'm with Federica on this one.

    Earthninjammo
  • rohitrohit Maharrashtra Veteran
    edited September 2015

    Nope. Being buddha he did not allowed to be alone. When Ananda objected to leave place then buddha requested to leave so.he can talk her because he knew that she was broken in life due to his absence. But he said her that he is not same person and became a buddha, coming to houshold life is impossible.

    mmo
  • seeker242seeker242 Zen Florida, USA Veteran
    edited September 2015

    I would say 99.999999999% chance of no. :) And that's a very conservative estimate! ha!

  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    edited September 2015

    I wasn't there either...so.....

    I don't know for sure....but there's a few choices/possibilities ...

    He doesn't strike me as the booty call/one night stand type of guy...so,

    If he stayed married or lived with/stayed with the wife, I'm guessing he was at least trying...hahaha

    or...he was celibate...? Is that an effect of enlightenment...??

    I could easily go with any of the above as a vote

    and theres still lots of other reasons why married people cool off for a min...hahaha...

    *twirls mustache * Interesting.......hahaha...

  • The version of the fable that I read was that he snuck away in the middle of the night, abandoning a wife and teenager without notice or discussion. How many years was he gone? What kind of a reception do you suppose he merited upon his return?

    I'd guess no.

    VastmindWalker
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran

    ^^^ Awesome and an LOL

    You sure know what to say...!!!!!!

  • silversilver In the beginning there was nothing, and then it exploded. USA, Left coast. Veteran

    All I wanna say about this line of questioning is...

    good grief! :3

    VastmindmmoBuddhadragonLotuscat
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator

    I would doubt it just because it seems that enlightenment has no attachments to things like pleasure or attachment or affection etc via sex or other things. They go beyond basic biological urges. I think, anyhow.

    Are you concerned for your sex life once that happens to you? I wouldn't worry about it too much just yet.

    Steve_Bsilver
  • Eliminating sexual desire was a huge part of the Arahant's struggle. In fact, the biggest complaint the crusty old farts had about allowing women as disciples was they (the women) would tempt the men by flirting and flaunting their bodies. So the monks who wrote the sutras obviously thought Buddha had left that all behind.

    EarthninjaVastmind
  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
    edited September 2015

    As it relates to spiritual endeavors, I have to say that I have a problem with making a big deal, pro or con, out of sexual relations. First of all, none of us would be around to extol Buddhism without them and second, I think it's sort of like money: The thing itself is not the problem; it's the attachment to it that can raise a lot of hell.

    I am likewise waiting for the day when the Christian Bible will include -- just once -- the line "and Jesus laughed." "Weeping" gets a thumbs-up but "laughter" seems not to be part of the mix. I know this is a very touchy topic among ... uhhh... adepts, but a man who can't/won't/doesn't laugh is not someone I am keen either to know or to emulate.

    These are strictly my perverted problems: When I am reborn as a result of immaculate conception, no doubt I will have another chance to reshape my twisted thinking.

    robotVastmindlobster
  • EarthninjaEarthninja Wanderer West Australia Veteran

    Just because you are not attached doesn't mean you need to abstain from living a human life.

    Some of the teachers I follow have children,
    One got married even after awakening.

    When Adyashanti got asked why did he marry? Why not just live with her?

    He laughed and answered" That's the freedom of being awake, you can live any life free from attachment"

    His wife Mukti had full awakening after marriage.

    They are still happily together.

    Our life has been living it's path from day one. If Buddha abstained from sex, that's fine because that's his being expressing a certain way. Doesn't mean we need to copy what he did.

    Plus it's not like we can ask him.

    karasti
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited September 2015

    Did jesus poop? (being non-serious here)

  • silversilver In the beginning there was nothing, and then it exploded. USA, Left coast. Veteran

    We'll have to change all the bumper stickers to WWJDD [What Would Jesus Doo-Doo?] o:)

    karastifedericaperson
  • @Jeffrey said:
    Did jesus poop? (being non-serious here)

    When the Buddha relieved himself, did he feel relief?

  • No, he didn't, OP. Because he'd overcome his attachments to worldly life. And he knew that sex feeds attachment.

    So, I'm giving the question a definitive "no".

  • In his day, to embark on a religious path was to begin by renouncing the worldly ways...
    He most likely did not have sex with his wife after slipping out of the palace.
    A modern example would be Ghandi. If we use Ghandi as an example, we can infery that the Buddha did not.

  • There is no way of possibly knowing the answer. Whatever we know about him was written down several generations after he died. Also it was written down by those who had great respect for him and an interest in growing his teaching, not by a neutral party. It should then be pretty clear that a factually accurate Buddha's biography does not and cannot exist.

    As for sex...I kind of hope he did have it. That would make him more like us and therefore not such a distant ideal. Honestly, I cannot even imagine a completely celibate young-ish man as that almost sounds non-human. The numerous sex scandals involving supposedly celibate spiritual figures (including many Buddhist ones) should give us a hint as to how likely celibacy is.

    EarthninjasilverCinorjermmo
  • NO
    NEVER
    100% NO CHANCE

    try to follow Buddha's Teaching and get the Noble Right View
    then
    there is no such question arises

    You yourself know the answer for sure

    bookworm
  • Invincible_summerInvincible_summer Heavy Metal Dhamma We(s)t coast, Canada Veteran

    why does it matter?

    silverBuddhadragon
  • It doesn't.

    Invincible_summer
  • @upekka said:
    NO
    NEVER
    100% NO CHANCE

    try to follow Buddha's Teaching and get the Noble Right View
    then
    there is no such question arises

    You yourself know the answer for sure

    There is nothing that is 100% certain about Buddha.
    Right view can inform your own actions. You can know if you have engaged in sex with evil intentions, or if you or someone else will be harmed by it.
    I don't think that right view will give you the power to see facts about Buddha's life. No one knows

    EarthninjaBuddhadragonInvincible_summer
  • EarthninjaEarthninja Wanderer West Australia Veteran

    Imagine if we were all Buddhas who abstain from the evil of sex.
    Goodbye human race.

    Hey at least the annuals will still be around ;)-

    rohit
  • EarthninjaEarthninja Wanderer West Australia Veteran

    Annuals?! Animals!!!***

    How do we edit posts on mobiles XD

    silvermmo
  • @robot said:
    I don't think that right view will give you the power to see facts

    right view and Noble Right View are two different things

    there is a huge difference

    like the earth and sky

  • Sort of like knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge allows you to know thing both good and bad. Knowledge of itself will neither lead nor direct. Wisdom is, in part, discernment - the ability to determine the true value of that knowledge. Knowledge will show you how to make an atom bomb. Wisdom will allow you to discern goodness or evil (loss) in the making of or not making of the bomb.
    A bit over the top, I know, but....

    Peace to all

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    @Lionduck said: Knowledge will show you how to make an atom bomb. Wisdom will allow you to discern goodness or evil (loss) in the making of or not making of the bomb.

    (Oppenheimer would agree...)

  • BuddhadragonBuddhadragon Ehipassiko & Carpe Diem Samsara Veteran
    edited September 2015

    No, the Buddha most probably never had sex again with his wife who, by the way, let's not forget, along with his stepmother, became the first nuns in the congregation.

    But then: why should anyone care?

    And by the way: is this another case of an OP who drops a one-off Hiroshima bomb only to leave us cleaning after him?

    silverWalkerInvincible_summer
  • silversilver In the beginning there was nothing, and then it exploded. USA, Left coast. Veteran

    @Dan020350 said:
    The Buddha said to his wife, when he came back to his kingdom, and told his wife you should abandon this worldly life and then live in truth, did he ever have sex with his wife again?

    Walker
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Yes, probably, @DhammaDragon .... which is why I'll close for now and as usual, re-open at the request of the OP, as appropriate....

    Invincible_summerBuddhadragonLionduck
This discussion has been closed.