tendernessandtiaras: androfeminine: Kuan-yin (Guanyin): The Transgender Bodhisattva One of the most
tendernessandtiaras: androfeminine: Kuan-yin (Guanyin): The Transgender Bodhisattva One of the most popular bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism is Kuan-yin, the bodhisattva of infinite compassion. Lately she has gained a following among North American Buddhists, particularly women. While most everyone knows her in the female form that is worshipped by East Asians, she actually underwent a sex change in China starting during the late Tang (618-907 AD). Before that she had been Avalokitesvara – Lord who looks down. Well, she’s still Avalokitesvara; she’s just a transgender version of him. Avalokitesvara is one of Buddhism’s oldest bodhisattvas, and has long been connected to Pureland. He was first mentioned in the Infinite Life Sutra, (Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra) most likely compiled by the 1st century AD in the Gandhara region of India. In 406 AD, Kumarajiva translated the Lotus Sutra (Saddharma Pundanka) into Chinese and rendered the title Avalokitesvara as Guanshiyin – observing the cries of the world. The 25th chapter is dedicated to Kuan-yin, and here the bodhisattva manifests into both male and female form: whatever is necessary to save beings in distress. The Heart Sutra, an important text in Zen and esoteric Buddhism (Shingon and Tibetan), written somewhere between the 4th and 7th century AD, is dedicated entirely to Kuan-yin. Possibly written in Chinese, it describes Kuan-yin’s enlightenment experience through the insight she gained while engaged in deep meditation. This is a beautiful depiction of a wonderful bodhisattva. I knew nothing about her but it is wonderful and I think inspiring to see how she has changed over the centuries and how she is seen now. It touches me that she is worshiped as the the personification of compassion and kindness, a mother-goddess and patron of mothers and that she has achieved this through deep meditation which to me has some parallels with what we as transgender women experience during our transition: that letting go of manhood and embrace of womanhood, the discovery of ourselves as deeply emotional beings, the way we see and experience the world anew, the desire to nurture life and the wonderful feelings of tenderness and compassion that grows within us driving out the unbearable male insensitivity we all hated. Transition is a rebirth. It is the universe blessing us with a second chance. Of course it is tough and can involve great loss but it also opens doors to love that we would never have known if we had remained trapped in male consciousness. Love that we could never experience if we had not taken the chance life offered. Love that perhaps we would never have appreciated if we not gone through the dark night of manhood. Memories of that time are fading for me now but when they do come back I can get rid of them by thinking hard and with such gratitude for what I have now. -- source link