About the lecture

In this lecture, we explore sex and celibacy in Buddhist tradition, focusing on: (i) the monastic-lay divide, where monks and nuns take vows of celibacy, unlike lay practitioners; (ii) renunciation of sensual pleasures, including sex, as essential for attaining Nirvana; (iii) exceptions, such as married monastics in some traditions, particularly in Japan; (iv) the use of sex in Buddhist Tantra for energy transformation, but only by highly advanced practitioners; (v) Buddhist sexual ethics, based on the principle of non-harm (Ahimsa), which condemns actions causing harm, like sharing intimate images without consent.

About the lecturer

Professor Alice Collett is a lecturer and academic editor at the University of St. Andrew's. Her research specialism is ancient Indian religions, with a focus on women. Her publications include Women in Early Indian Buddhism: Comparative Textual Studies(2013) and Translating Buddhism: Historical and Contextual Perspectives (2021).