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  • What karma does a soul do in its previous birth/births which results in it being born as Gay/lesbian. How does it come into uday. How does a soul get rid of it? In detail
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    Jain Follower

    What karma does a soul do in its previous birth/births which results in it being born as Gay/lesbian. How does it come into uday. How does a soul get rid of it? In detail

    4 months ago 102

    I will answer only from Jain viewpoint, in simple words.

    ---

    1. Do Jain scriptures directly talk about “gay/lesbian”?

    Ancient Jain āgamas and commentaries do not use the modern words “gay / lesbian / LGBT”. They speak about:

    • Three genders (linga) –
    1. Puruṣa (male) 2. Strī (female) 3. Napuṁsaka (third type / mixed)
    • Three sexual drives (veda) –
    1. Puruṣa‑veda (attraction towards male) 2. Strī‑veda (attraction towards female) 3. Napuṁsaka‑veda (mixed / irregular sexual attraction)

    Some ācāryas include same‑sex attraction under veda and napuṁsaka‑bhāva (mixed mentality), but the main point in Jainism is: Any passion‑driven sexuality (with man or woman) is a form of moha (delusion) and binds karma. The soul itself is beyond male/female/other.

    So, Jainism looks at it as one more karmic condition, not as a label of “good person / bad person”.

    ---

    2. Which karmas decide gender & sexual attraction?

    In Jain karma theory, four main karmas decide your next birth’s basic setup:

    1. Āyu karma – type of birth (human, animal, heaven, hell).
    2. Nāma karma – physical body, gender, beauty, strength, etc.
    3. Gotra karma – family, status, environment.
    4. Vedanīya karma – type of pleasure & pain you experience.

    Sex, gender and attraction mainly come from Nāma karma, especially:

    • Śarīra‑nāma‑karma – type of body (male, female, mixed).
    • Veda‑nāma‑karma – direction of sexual urge.

    These are bound in previous lives when the soul:

    • Indulges strongly in sensual pleasures.
    • Has obsession with sexuality – too much thinking, talking, imagining, watching, etc.
    • Uses sexuality with intense passions (anger, deceit, pride, greed), e.g.:
    - cheating, forcing, exploiting, - selfish enjoyment without any morality or responsibility.

    Very important:

    • This applies equally for:
    - man–woman sex, - man–man, - woman–woman, - or any other combination.
    • Jainism does not say “only gay/lesbian is bad and straight is pure”.
    It says: “Any uncontrolled sexual passion binds karma.”

    So the cause is not ‘being gay’. The cause is past indulgence in sexuality with passion and attachment, in any form.

    ---

    3. How does it come into uday (fruition) in this birth?

    Process in simple steps:

    1. Past life

    - Soul acts with sexual passion, attachment, fantasy, misuse, etc. - This creates āsrava (influx) of karma. - Those karmic particles bind as bandha, especially nāma‑karma and veda‑nāma‑karma.

    1. In between lives

    - Karma stays attached in a subtle, invisible way. - It has a fixed “maturity time” (udaya‑samaya).

    1. At the time of new birth

    - When the soul leaves one body and takes another, - these karmas mature and give: - a male/female/third‑type body, - a particular direction of attraction (towards man, woman, or mixed).

    1. In present life

    - You simply experience what was already decided by those karmas: - your body type, - your psychological tendency of attraction.

    Your current feelings of attraction are the uday (fruition) of old veda‑nāma‑karma. You did not “choose” this consciously now; it unfolded from a very long karmic history.

    ---

    4. Is it a “sin” just to have that attraction?

    From Jain view, we must be precise:

    • Karma is bound by reaction, not by mere existence of a condition.

    So:

    • Just having a particular tendency (towards same sex, opposite sex, or no sex)
    is not itself new paap.
    • New karma is bound when we:
    - deepen attachment to it, - act with kashāyas (anger, pride, deceit, greed), - hurt others or ourselves because of it, - repeatedly indulge in it with intense passion.

    Therefore:

    • A person with same‑sex orientation, living with restraint, honesty, and ahimsa,
    is spiritually in a better state than a “straight” person who cheats, exploits, or abuses others with lust.

    Jainism always focuses on the state of mind now – raag, dvesh, kashāyas.

    ---

    5. How should a Jain see such a birth?

    According to Jain dharma:

    1. Every jīva has passed through all types of bodies & mentalities in endless past lives.
    2. Today’s human birth (whatever orientation) is a rare and precious chance for spiritual progress.
    3. The correct attitude is:

    - No self‑hatred (“I am dirty / cursed”). - No hatred towards others (“they are sinners because of orientation”). - See it as one more karmic condition, like height, color, health, etc.

    The correct question in Jainism is always:

    > “From this situation, how can I move towards samyak darshan, jñān, charitra?”

    ---

    6. How can a soul get rid of this karmic condition?

    To “get rid” in Jainism means:

    • 1) Stop new karmas (saṁvara)
    • 2) Shed old karmas (nirjarā)

    This is same for all – gay, straight, male, female, third gender.

    6.1. For householders (śrāvaks / śrāvikās)

    Main points:

    1. Follow brahmacharya‑anuvrata (limited celibacy)

    - Sexual life only within dharmic limits (traditionally within marriage). - Avoid: - violence, cheating, forcing, - using others only for pleasure, - pornography, constant fantasies, etc. - Gradually move from excessive sex → balanced → reduced → towards celibacy.

    1. Reduce sexual thoughts and obsession

    - Busy mind with svādhyāy (scripture study), satsang, seva. - Limit triggers: vulgar media, erotic talks, bad company. - Practice anuprekṣā (reflections) on: - impermanence of body, - impurity of attachment, - greatness of self‑control.

    1. Strengthen the Three Jewels

    - Samyak darshan – right faith: “I am a pure soul, beyond body and orientation.” - Samyak jñān – right knowledge: Understanding karma, āsrava, bandha, saṁvara, nirjarā. - Samyak charitra – right conduct: Five anuvratas, guṇa‑vratas, śikṣā‑vratas.

    1. Daily pratikraman

    - Accept honestly: - “Today I had such‑and‑such passions, thoughts, fantasies or acts.” - Repent with: - Alochanā – open inner confession before the Self & Jina. - Pratyākhyān – firm small‑step resolve: “Tomorrow I will reduce it a little.”

    1. Tapas (austerities)

    - Anshan / Upvās (fasting), Ayambil, Ekāsan, Nakt. - Use them not as punishment, but as means to purify desire: - During fasts, try to purify thoughts: “I am not the slave of body and senses.”

    These practices help all sexual karmas become weak and fall off over time.

    A simple explanation of karma and how to come out of it is given here

    ---

    6.2. For ascetics (muni / aryikā / sadhus / sadhvīs)

    • They take mahā‑vrata of complete brahmacharya:
    - no sexual act, - no deliberate sexual thought or stimulation, - strict discipline of senses and mind.

    For them, all sexual identity is to be transcended. Body is just a temporary instrument for sādhana.

    ---

    7. Can orientation itself change by spiritual practice?

    From Jain standpoint:

    • The deep karmas (like veda‑nāma‑karma) can change only by:
    - strong nirjarā (shedding), - and new, pure saṁvara.
    • This usually takes many lives, not just one decision.

    So:

    • You should not struggle with:
    - “Why am I like this? I must forcibly become something else right now.”
    • Instead, focus on:
    - “Whatever my current tendencies, I will: - reduce passion, - avoid himsā, - practice dharma, - increase inner purity.”

    As passions reduce, the soul becomes less identified with any sexual role. In the final state (moksha) there is no male, female, or third gender – only pure, blissful jīva.

    ---

    8. How to see this topic spiritually, in summary

    1. Cause:

    - Not “being gay/lesbian”. - The cause is past passionate misuse of sexuality (of any kind), which created veda‑nāma‑karma.

    1. Uday (fruition):

    - At birth, those karmas mature and give a particular: - body, - mental attraction, - life situation.

    1. Right Attitude:

    - No hatred, no disgust, no insult – neither towards self nor others. - See all beings as souls covered by different karmas.

    1. Removal:

    - Same path for everyone: - Right faith, right knowledge, right conduct. - Ahimsa, aparigraha, brahmacharya according to one’s stage. - Pratikraman, tapas, svādhyāy, dhyān.

    1. Goal:

    - Not to become “perfectly straight” or “perfectly this or that”. - The Jain goal is to become perfectly free from all karmas, where no label of gender or orientation remains.

    ---

    If you want, you can next ask about:

    • the detailed list of sexual‑related karmas in Jain texts, or
    • how to do a simple daily pratikraman specifically for sexual passions.

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    JainGPT by JainKnowledge.com is India’s first AI-powered platform dedicated entirely to Jainism. Here, you can ask any question related to Jain Dharma — from rituals and history to philosophy and daily practices — and receive instant, accurate answers rooted in Jain principles.

    Our Mission

    Our mission is to make Jain knowledge accessible to all, especially the next generation, through the power of technology.Whether you're a curious student or a lifelong seeker, JainGPT is your trusted digital guide for all things Jain.

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