a culture that treats transgender folk with more equity than it would appear ours does, isn't what I would call 'weird', but rather, fair-minded and decent.
kind regards
manas
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
a culture that treats transgender folk with more equity than it would appear ours does, isn't what I would call 'weird', but rather, fair-minded and decent.
kind regards
manas
I found it weird for having serious issues when a few normal females were given ordination and not so in a case of a transgender. Wonder where was the fair-minded decency.
Thai alternative for a bhikkhuni: plus and minus few things to and from the female body and those who oppose bhikkhunis might ordain them, of course, as bhikkhus!!!
kind regards
Ah I see, I misunderstood your intent with that jibe. Anyway I was just referring to this that Bhante wrote, that the Thai Sangha might actually be more easygoing about TG folk ordaining, than the Western offshoots:
Bhante wrote:This is a bit of a controversial topic for the Vinaya experts, and I don't think that we would allow such a person to become a monk in the Western Sangha. But in Thailand there are always more options... Amazing Thailand!
kind regards
manas
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
a culture that treats transgender folk with more equity than it would appear ours does, isn't what I would call 'weird', but rather, fair-minded and decent.
kind regards
manas
Transgender are treated as a third gender by Thai society. The gender of birth is upheld by law in Thailand so there would be no possibility of a female to male being allowed to ordain as a Bhikkhu. From a legal prospective there is no Bhikkuni Sangha in Thailand so there would not be a possibility of a male to female ordaining as a nun.
From a legal perspective transgender folk would have more rights and acceptance in the UK. Possibly socially there would also be more acceptance of a woman living as a man (or vice versa) rather than as a separate "third" gender.
It's a pity that we have to rely on conventions in some way that prohibit certain sexual orientations or genders from ordaining at various places and under differing circumstances. Ah samsara...
Get the wanting out of waiting
What does womanhood matter at all, when the mind is concentrated well, when knowledge flows on steadily as one sees correctly into Dhamma. One to whom it might occur, ‘I am a woman’ or ‘I am a man’ or ‘I’m anything at all’ is fit for Mara to address. – SN 5.2
If they take what's yours, tell yourself that you're making it a gift.
Otherwise there will be no end to the animosity. - Ajahn Fuang Jotiko