Do buddhist monks have sex?
The Buddhist monastic rules – known as the Vinaya – specifically prohibit sexual relations for monks. This is such an important rule, that it’s the very first rule (there are over 200 rules in the Vinaya). One translation of this rule reads: “Should any bhikkhu [monk] — participating in the training and livelihood of the bhikkhus, without having renounced the training, without having declared his weakness — engage in sexual intercourse, even with a female animal, he is defeated and no longer in affiliation [that is, no longer a monk].” In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition some monastics might marry, but this is an exception. In the Japanese Buddhist tradition, there are very few true Buddhist monastics; instead, Japanese Buddhism has “priests” that serve in ways similar to monks, but don’t follow the Vinaya. These priests can marry. ====== Juexue, thanks for the clarification on Tibetan monks/lamas – I’ve always been confused by it!
