I am in my 40's.  I have a feminine mind, male body in good shape.  But I am not my mind.  I am an energetic being with that has no gender, but operates a male body with a female mind.  If I transitioned, I would be an energetic being without gender, that operated a female body with a female mind.  While I would enjoy that more, I am not sure it is worth the effort for me.  As a Buddhist actively moving towards the desireless state, will the desire to transition just fade away?  That said, I think the process would be very empowering from a soul perspective.    I am sexually excited by the idea of transitioning, not desperate to transition though.  Not sure what I should do.

Hi Michelle. I'm eurasian and share both a buddist and christian faith - though in the recent years my shift has been towards buddist. There are many buddist sects and while they have the same theme they all seek enlightment. An enlightened person is one who enjoys life to the fullest in their own way and physical pleasures are not against the faith. In Thailand they see Katoey's as reborn to correct their past life - they accept them and see them as kinda of naughty people in their past life. In Japan in Zen buddism we have Susiki who is an elightened master who has written books on this subject. There is also Musashi who was an elightened Samuri that killed. You do what makes you feel is right for yourself and I suggest that you see a therapist first.

Hi Michelle:

I am not Buddhist, I am Sikh which has similar concepts and goals to Buddhism. While I have a female body and I tend to be more on the male side of the spectrum and have (and sometimes still do) want to medically transition to male, I find the more I meditate and practice Sikhi, the less the desire to transition is prevalent on my mind.

Souls are genderless, the body is a temporary tool that won't go with us to the next level, so sometimes it's like, why bother? That said, if being in "the wrong body" or however you prefer to describe it is such a distraction that you're unable to properly meditate and connect to the one, perhaps doing at least enough of a transition to calm that part of your mind is needed. If doing at least a partial transition will allow you to reach a deeper level of meditation, then perhaps that's needed for you.

What I am doing to decide if transitioning is needed for me, is to keep meditating, practicing Sikhi, and if I keep hearing the "transition" voice, then I'll do it, though for me, it has been calming and I've been feeling better than ever. Just listen to your soul, see what the voices say, and do what's needed for yourself.

Edit to add: You might like the Spirituality: Buddhism section of the website here: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/board,175.0.html and Transgender: Non-Transitioning section here: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/board,487.0.html

Wow, I hadn't found the Buddhist section.  Thanks for that and for the advice.

Quote from: Michelle123 on November 29, 2013, 12:07:44 AM
   I am sexually excited by the idea of transitioning, not desperate to transition though.  Not sure what I should do.

Kia Ora Michelle,

Thus I have heard/read the great Indian Zen master Bodhidharma who introduced Buddhism to China-which later ('after blending with Taoism) became known as Zen/Chan ... once said:

"The most essential method which includes all other methods is beholding the mind-The mind is the root from which all things grow-If you can understand the mind-Everything else is included !"

You will work it out for your'self' in time...Meanwhile, meditate, then meditate some more, each time keep chipping away at the self, until the layer of contentment begins to show through...

The quest for 'desirelessness' for some can be a hard and strenuous path  So....

Whatever you do, don't desire to give up more desire than you can, and if you find this a problem, then don't desire to be successful at giving up more desire than you can! Eventually this will lead to "The Middle Way" the path between the two extremes.... Well...Thus I've been told...

In a nutshell...Just do what feels 'Right'

Right, as in = 'Right Thought- Right Understanding - Right Speech - Right Action - Right Livelihood- Right Effort - Right "Mindfulness" - Right Concentration

Metta Zenda