Zen, when viewed as a way of life, rather than as a religion, has a great deal to teach us in the realm of transgenderism. The very nature of being transgendered, the need for balance and the search for fulfillment, are all areas in which we can learn points of value.

The nature of transgenderism is thought to be a great mystery by those who claim be be learned, yet is it so? Behold the pure and fragrant lotus flower. It grows out of the muck of the poorest part of a swamp, rather than springing forth from the clean and fertile loam of a carefully cultivated field. Just as the stagnant waters of a swamp give us lotus blossoms, the world in which we live contains contrasts. Wherever there is light, there is shadow; wherever there is white, there is black; wherever there is length, there is shortness; and, wherever there is masculine, there is feminine. All things contain their opposites and cannot be separated one from another.

Things have the ability to appear as both good and bad. Useful and useless, yet they are, in fact the same object as before. Let me illustrate with a short parable:

“Once there was a man on a long journey who came to a river. He said to himself, ‘This side of the river is very difficult and dangerous to walk on, and the other side seems easier and safer, but how shall I get across?’ So he built himself a raft out of branches and reeds and safely crossed the river. Then he thought to himself, ‘This raft has been very useful to me in crossing the river; I will not abandoned it to rot on the bank, but will carry it along with me.’ And thus, he voluntarily assumed an unnecessary burden. Can this man be called a wise man?”

This parable teaches that even a “good” thing, when it becomes unnecessary can become a burden. If the man were following the Middle Way, he would have realized that the raft was no longer needed and would have continued on his journey unfettered.

All things contain their opposite: Much the same as life contains both birth and death, gender contains both the masculine and feminine. As life would be incomplete without the birth and death, gender would be meaningless without its two opposites.

As each of our lives contain both birth and death, so too, do our genders include both the masculine and feminine. For much of the world, there is a great tendency to hold onto one, and to shun the other. For example, while death is, of course, an inseparable part of life, many, if not most, prefer to see it as something “bad” and unrelated to birth. This, as you can see, is a false view.

The same is true of gender. No matter how “rugged” a man may appear, from time to time we can see glimpses of a different, perhaps gentler nature. If someone should mention to our lumberjack friend that he seems to have a “feminine” side, he most likely will try to hide it by appearing to be even more masculine, rather than letting both natures blend together.

Transgendered persons are apt to fall into a similar trap. Many among us reach a point where it seems best to “shun” our masculine traits and embrace only the feminine. This too, is an offense against nature. We, as well as our lumberjack friend, should rather embrace the whole of our gender selves, rather than clinging only to one side.

Our gender selves are somewhat different than the raft belonging to the man on his journey. The man in our story had only two choices, he could continue to take the raft with him, or leave it behind. Our gender is something internal and we have the good fortune of being able to decide upon a balance, as opposed to having to discard one or the other.

It is this “balance” that appears to give most transgendered persons the greatest difficulty. Many are unable to comprehend an existence which acknowledges two “opposites” within one body. However, that is, in fact, what being transgendered means. We are individuals possessing, and expressing, both the masculine and the feminine.

In Zen, the path to enlightenment is called, “The Middle Way.” This Middle way is best illustrated by another short parable.

Suppose that a log is floating on our river. If the log does not become grounded, on one bank or another, does not sink, is not taken out by a man, or does not decay, it will ultimately reach the sea. Life is like this log caught in the current of a great river. If a person does not become attached to one particular thing or another, he/she is following the Middle Way and will eventually achieve enlightenment.

For the transgendered person, there is a tendency to leave one “bank” of the river for the other. To achieve what we have the potential to become, it would be far better to be somewhere between the two sides so that we may flow freely with the current.

If all things contain their opposites, it would be true then that all are transgendered. The difference, if there is one, is that those who refer to themselves as transgendered are those who have either crossed the current in the river or ventured out into the middle.

For those who have ventured out into the stream and discarded their raft, there is yet one other obstacle, that of trying too hard.

The nature of some things is such that the harder we try to achieve them, the more likely we are to have the opposite effect. For the transgendered, this goes far beyond applying too much blue eye shadow.

Much as we admire a particular artist, writer or athlete for making what they do seem easy, so it should be for the transgendered.

A truly great painter seems to have the ability to let what is inside them flow onto the canvas through their brush. This kind of artist is also one who paints for the love of painting, not out of a need to please the masses. If the artist continues to paint the same scene again and again, their art will become stale. Again, if the same painter tries to “force” a particular scene through his brush, the resultant painting will not have the effect of his previous paintings. It will lack a particular essence.

As soon as one focuses on a particular “gender-blend” as being a goal to be sought after, they lose. Remember, we are in a flowing current and the river is ever changing. So, too, will be our gender-blend and our search to become one with our inner natures.

Using masculine techniques to focus on and then pursue a fixed ideal of femininity is a false and empty dream. At best we will become like a beautiful flower with no scent. The journey should be one that flows naturally, not always in the middle, yet ever moving toward the sea.

Realize that you are two in one, acknowledge that both are essential, and seek the natural flow of life’s river. I wish you a safe journey.
Vanessa Kaye


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