Transgendered Zen

[lordsluk]

http://www.manzanitavillage.org

Once Christopher Reed, now Caitríona Reed, is the Zen teacher at Manzanita Village in Warner Springs, CA. Her Dharma community, Ordinary Dharma, is based in Los Angeles

What is the Buddhist view of people undergoing sex change operation or other gender

Comments

[_antipathy_]

Anyone can realize their own true nature regardless of gender, karma, religion, belief or physical condition. It's everyone’s birth rite / right. It's lot easier however to realize it when your mind is at rest. This is hard to do if you are worried about your body. The first step in meditation is to calm your body-mind. If you can do that, then the mental states can calm down as well.

While I understand the idea of overcoming one's "worry" about their physical state, I reject the idea that any philosophy or set of religious beliefs should ultimately have any authority about how one finds their "enlightenment" or honors "God" or whomever. If there is any human who should know how they can reach enlightenment or honor their deity of choice, I think it is that human and that human only. (If any belief system should understand the humility needed in that kind of idea, it would seem to be Buddhism!)

Some folk interpret karma or consequence in such a way as to blame misfortune or suffering on past karma.

And I'm open to that being true. I am also open to not assuming that whatever our "consequences", that it means we should feel "stuck" with that and not seek to change it/them.

Basically, I'm saying I agree with you. :)