Buddist views on being trans ?

[Tasha]

Just curious as to what Buddhist feels about people being trans? I know many religions shun us and do not accept us for who we are. Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.

[Bombi]

I have studied and practised Buddism, however I don't call myself a Buddist. From my understanding Trans-people are unconditionally accepted. When you embrace Buddism you separate yourself from your worldly position. Sexuality and gender, to my knowledge is not addressed.

[finewine]

I've only witnessed Buddhism in Asia and, like other religions, people identifying under one religion still react differently.  I have no idea what they would say about this specific issue as I never had cause to find out.  I wasn't too enamoured with the view of disability being a "punishment" for deeds in a previous life (fortunately not a universally held view).

I am aware that some believe one should free oneself of all Earthly desires etc. as part of a journey to "nirvana".  I don't know if they would include the desire to transition within that

[Ender]

I am aware that some believe one should free oneself of all Earthly desires etc. as part of a journey to "nirvana".  I don't know if they would include the desire to transition within that

I do have a friend who holds that belief--that one can never be happy as long as they are attached to Earthly things.  He classifies the body as being in the realm of 'Earthly' things.  He basically sees transition as wholly unnecessary, because the spirit should transcend the body.  The guy keeps reiterating over and over that I will never be happy if I am so over-concerned with my body that I must change it.  I keep getting the feeling from him that I'm somehow spiritually flawed for transitioning (direct quote: "you wouldn't be doing this if you weren't so preoccupied and over-concerned with your body"). 

If this is the view, I thankfully do not adhere to Buddhism (neither does he, really, but it has heavily influenced his belief system).  However, I can't say whether my friend's interpretation is representative of all Buddhists.

[aubrey]

I have studied and practised Buddism, however I don't call myself a Buddist. From my understanding Trans-people are unconditionally accepted. When you embrace Buddism you separate yourself from your worldly position. Sexuality and gender, to my knowledge is not addressed.

In Buddhism *everything* is addressed! The question is...who is your teacher/what school of thought/culture, and what level or intensity of practice. A Japanese lay practitioner may have very different ideas and answers to the question than a Tibetan yogi perched on a mountaintop and both would be in accord with their Dharma. So there's no easy answer to the above question.

I do have a friend who holds that belief--that one can never be happy as long as they are attached to Earthly things.  He classifies the body as being in the realm of 'Earthly' things.  He basically sees transition as wholly unnecessary, because the spirit should transcend the body.  The guy keeps reiterating over and over that I will never be happy if I am so over-concerned with my body that I must change it.  I keep getting the feeling from him that I'm somehow spiritually flawed for transitioning (direct quote: "you wouldn't be doing this if you weren't so preoccupied and over-concerned with your body"). 

I consider myself buddhist and held this belief for awhile, it held me back quite a bit actually. But as far as the original teachings go you can interperet them either way. In Mahayana they speak of relative and ultimate truth, and one cannot exist without the other. The relative truth in this case being that we are embodied physical beings at the moment, and if something needs to be addressed in the physical we can't ignore it. If we have to eat we can't simply deny ourselves food saying that it is of samsara. Doing so is not the Middle Way and ignoring relative truth for the sake of ultimate, which misses the point entirely. That would be the way of extreme ascetics, which Buddha renounced.

[Miniar]

Buddhism teaches you that your attachment to your worldly possessions and desires are the reason for suffering. Suffering isn't really the right word, more accurately it's "disquietude" (and constant disquietude does cause suffering).

A thought has circled in my mind for a long time where I've begun rethinking how I saw it.

I used to see it as this.
- My attachment to the idea that I "should" be male causes me suffering.
- My attachment to the (discomfort of the) body I'm in causes me suffering.
- My fear of accepting my life as it is.
These were the attachments I attempted to overcome.
I saw it as the "right" way to go.

The more I think about it however, I realize that there's more too it than that.
- My attachment to the role I was given.
- My attachment to pleasing others.
- My attachment to my body the way it is, and all things connected to that.
- My fear of change.
- My fear of the physical effects of transition.
- My fear of loosing people.
etc, etc, etc, ..
You see where I'm going with this no?

When I gave up on trying to be something I'm not and simply accepted I am who I am, and let go of my attachment to the "idea" of who I was "supposed" to be, it changed everything.

There's more than one side to everything we experience. Sometimes, we got to change our perspective to figure out what it is that we really have to do.

[Bombi]

Minimar, that's huge and very similiar of what I have learned, to just be wihout projecting yourself into a rationalized perspective.
I find that meditation really helps me see through the bull>-bleeped-<and not let me fool myself.
I do transcendentall meditation 2x's a day, it really helps to keep me on track.

[Miniar]

I've been trying to get back into a steady meditation schedule myself. It's good for keeping everything in perspective.
I don't know the exact name of mine, but I do a basic breathing-focus type meditation. Got a good friend who's a Reiki master, solipsist/buddhist that I talk to that half-guides me. Good teachers are valuable.

[Constance]

In discussing this with my teacher, she replied by quoting Suzuki-Roshi.

When you are you,
Zen is Zen.

She went on to explain that if one is trans, then the transition is not an expression of "attachment to preference," but is a method by which one can realize their true nature. Since realizing one's true nature seems to be a big part of the Buddhism I've been exposed to thus far, it would seem that Soto Zen Buddhism at least would be quite supportive of "being trans."

Or, at least this particular teacher in this particular sangha is supportive.

[Bombi]

I'm one of those people who believe that everyone should meditate. Some method could be taught during the school years. The results couldn't be anything but positive, something we could all share..............When someone tells me they are stressing or their vexed I try to turn them on to meditation and explain how easy, beneficial and not weird it can be. The practice just seems so foreign and to big of a pardigm shift I guess.

[Miniar]

Meditation isn't easy for someone who's never had to control their mind.

[Carolyn]

Yea I know this will sound weird coming from me, but I can call myself a Buddhist. However I still hold a strong stance against religion so yea. I concur with much of what the great Buddha taught, but when it comes to being trans, it's just another lesson of existence. That is all. 

[placeholdername]

I do have a friend who holds that belief--that one can never be happy as long as they are attached to Earthly things.  He classifies the body as being in the realm of 'Earthly' things.  He basically sees transition as wholly unnecessary, because the spirit should transcend the body.  The guy keeps reiterating over and over that I will never be happy if I am so over-concerned with my body that I must change it.  I keep getting the feeling from him that I'm somehow spiritually flawed for transitioning (direct quote: "you wouldn't be doing this if you weren't so preoccupied and over-concerned with your body"). 

If this is the view, I thankfully do not adhere to Buddhism (neither does he, really, but it has heavily influenced his belief system).  However, I can't say whether my friend's interpretation is representative of all Buddhists.

Sounds like your friend needs more buddhist practice!  A devout buddhist probably wouldn't see the need to transition themselves, but they also wouldn't be attached to the idea that non-buddhists should or should not transition and try to influence it one way or another.

[VeryGnawty]

A devout buddhist probably wouldn't see the need to transition themselves.

Also keep in mind that not only would someone practicing non-attachment see no need to transition, but they also wouldn't see any need not to.

Don't become attached to non-attachment.  Many people make this mistake.  Just because you don't need to do something, isn't a reason not to do it.  Someone who had mastered their state of mind would feel no need to transition.  But also having no attachment to taking the easy road, they could transition anyway.

Suffering isn't caused by actions, as much as how you think about them.  Many people get into Eastern philosophy thinking that avoiding their obsessions is a method for enlightenment, when it is actually the other way around.  Avoiding the world doesn't bring enlightenment.  Engaging the world without obsessing over it does.

Transition or not really isn't the point.  It could be vanilla or chocolate, and the fundamentals of attachment work exactly the same.  It's not the choice that you make that determines whether or not you have attachment, but it is HOW that choice is made.

[Miniar]

uhm... sorry?

[Virginia87106]

When one transitions later in life, there is a wonderful opportunity to realize that all fear is brought about by attachment to desire, in other words, that if I manage a company, and have a house, and bank accounts, and reputation, and friends and family, that there is a strong possibility that I will "lose" many or all of these things if I cross genders.  The realization that I consciously give up those attachments, and consequently lose my fear of losing them, can be life changing.
If one choses to see this during transition, then one can see the 4 noble truths lived out in one's life during transition.  The feeling of being free from fear can give one the assurance that "all things are possible" and that if one can cross something so basic to our culture as gender then one can do anything, or nothing....whatever the case.

So in this sense transition can be a vehicle to enlightenment and becomes entirely necessary for some of us.  Hooray!

[FairyGirl]

In discussing this with my teacher, she replied by quoting Suzuki-Roshi.

When you are you,
Zen is Zen.

She went on to explain that if one is trans, then the transition is not an expression of "attachment to preference," but is a method by which one can realize their true nature. Since realizing one's true nature seems to be a big part of the Buddhism I've been exposed to thus far, it would seem that Soto Zen Buddhism at least would be quite supportive of "being trans."

Or, at least this particular teacher in this particular sangha is supportive.

This is basically what a yoga teacher I know who is buddhist told me as well. He was very supportive of becoming your true self, and therefore of being trans to accomplish that if that's what it takes.

[barbie]

Although I am not a Buddhist, our culture has been under strong influence of Buddhism. As I lived in the US for about 10 years, I immediately feel the difference regarding transgender issues. Yes. Most people here do not like my crossdressing, but I have never felt any hositlity. They just don't like my crossdressing, but they do not hate me.

In the case of US, some Catholics hated me as if I were a kind of demon. At that time, I had several Buddhist friends, and they truely understand and accept my transsexualim. One of them said to me that he thougt and thougt again over my crossdressing for several days, finally concluding that I am fine. Zen Buddhism especially teaches us that we should not judge whether it is right or wrong. Every pheonomenon has its own cause.

Barbie~~

[Smith]

wow, those are great sentences, which built from the experience.
I totally agree with you, the attachment is the source of suffering, and we must change our perspective to figure out what it is that we really have to do.

Buddhism teaches you that your attachment to your worldly possessions and desires are the reason for suffering. Suffering isn't really the right word, more accurately it's "disquietude" (and constant disquietude does cause suffering).

A thought has circled in my mind for a long time where I've begun rethinking how I saw it.

I used to see it as this.
- My attachment to the idea that I "should" be male causes me suffering.
- My attachment to the (discomfort of the) body I'm in causes me suffering.
- My fear of accepting my life as it is.
These were the attachments I attempted to overcome.
I saw it as the "right" way to go.

The more I think about it however, I realize that there's more too it than that.
- My attachment to the role I was given.
- My attachment to pleasing others.
- My attachment to my body the way it is, and all things connected to that.
- My fear of change.
- My fear of the physical effects of transition.
- My fear of loosing people.
etc, etc, etc, ..
You see where I'm going with this no?

When I gave up on trying to be something I'm not and simply accepted I am who I am, and let go of my attachment to the "idea" of who I was "supposed" to be, it changed everything.

There's more than one side to everything we experience. Sometimes, we got to change our perspective to figure out what it is that we really have to do.

Post Merge: April 23, 2010, 05:25:31 AM
I agree with you that Every pheonomenon has its own cause, and let it be....

Although I am not a Buddhist, our culture has been under strong influence of Buddhism. As I lived in the US for about 10 years, I immediately feel the difference regarding transgender issues. Yes. Most people here do not like my crossdressing, but I have never felt any hositlity. They just don't like my crossdressing, but they do not hate me.

In the case of US, some Catholics hated me as if I were a kind of demon. At that time, I had several Buddhist friends, and they truely understand and accept my transsexualim. One of them said to me that he thougt and thougt again over my crossdressing for several days, finally concluding that I am fine. Zen Buddhism especially teaches us that we should not judge whether it is right or wrong. Every pheonomenon has its own cause.

Barbie~~

[VeryGnawty]

uhm... sorry?

Look at it this way:  attachment to non-worldy things isn't any more enlightened than attachment to wordly things.  Attachment is attachment is attachment.  If you sit around on some mountaintop all day meditating because you think you have to, you are not really enlightened.  If you sit around on some mountaintop all day because you enjoy sitting around on mountaintops, that is another matter entirely.