{"id":5706,"date":"2016-03-26T21:55:49","date_gmt":"2016-03-27T03:55:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/americanbuddhist\/?p=5706"},"modified":"2016-03-26T22:05:10","modified_gmt":"2016-03-27T04:05:10","slug":"as-north-carolina-backslides-on-lgbt-rights-we-revisit-our-interview-with-the-creators-of-transbuddhists-org","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/americanbuddhist\/2016\/03\/as-north-carolina-backslides-on-lgbt-rights-we-revisit-our-interview-with-the-creators-of-transbuddhists-org.html","title":{"rendered":"As North Carolina backslides on LGBT rights, we revisit our interview with the creators of transbuddhists.org"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

In spite of the many advances made in recent years in the United States and around the world toward\u00a0greater awareness and acceptance of the variety of genders and sexual orientations and expressions in the human species, there will always be setbacks. One such setback was seen in North Carolina this week, where the most anti-LGBT law in the U.S.<\/a>\u00a0has been passed. A backlash of businesses, politicians, rights groups, individuals, and more have already spoken out. For our part, we\u2019ll remind ourselves of a few of the Buddha\u2019s words and \u00a0re-share a 2014 interview with the creators of TransBuddhists.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From the Karaniya-Metta Sutta<\/a>:<\/p>\n

This must be done to gain the State of Peace.
\nOne must be able, upright and straightforward;
\nPleasant in Speech, mild and not proud.<\/span><\/p>\n

Easily contented and easily supportable;
\nNot caught up in too many \u201cduties\u201d and frugal in one\u2019s wants.
\nCalm in mind, discriminative and courteous;
\nNot closely attached to households.<\/span><\/p>\n

Avoiding any mean deeds blameworthy by the wise.
\nThinking always thus: \u201cMay all beings be happy and safe,
\nMay they all have tranquil minds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatsoever pulsates with the breath of life \u2013<\/strong>
\nthe frail or strong, without exception \u2013<\/strong>
\nthe long, the large, the medium-sized, the short, the thin or fat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those visible, and those invisible, those living far away or nearby;
\nBeings who are already born and those yet unborn.
\nMay they all be happy!<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We can turn to the scholarship of Peter Harvey, whose An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics<\/a> is essential reading. In that work he writes:<\/p>\n

Early Buddhist texts refer to the sex of a person as something that can\u00a0change within one life, as well as between lives. In the Vinaya<\/em>, there is reference to a monk in whom the sexual characteristics of a woman\u00a0appeared, and a nun in whom the sexual characteristics of a man\u00a0appeared. 1 In both cases, the Buddha appears to accept this and simply\u00a0say that the ex-monk nun should follow the rules of the nuns, and the ex-nun monk should follow the rules of the monks. In commentarial literature, the sex of a person is seen as determined at conception, but as subject\u00a0to possible change (Asl. 322\u00a0). 2 Causes of sex-change are seen as karmic in\u00a0nature. The Dhammapada<\/em> commentary tells of a man instantly turning into\u00a0a woman when he is sexually attracted to a monk; after marrying and\u00a0giving birth, she then turns back to a man when she asks the monk\u2019s forgiveness, and goes on to become an Arahat<\/em> (Dhp. A. I.325-32; cf. AKB.\u00a0IV. 55\u00a0a\u2013b). Sex-change, then, is not seen as limiting spiritual potential.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One might reasonably apply this to one who changes gender as well.<\/p>\n

We might also appeal to the Tibetan\u00a0tong-len\u00a0<\/em>(\u201cgiving and taking\u201d) practice \u2013 wherein we recognize the suffering of others and meditatively practice taking it in, transforming it into bliss or freedom, and returning it back into the world. If you are unaware of the suffering of transgender people, consider:<\/p>\n