Dear Ayya
You say
’the transitioned person should practice according to the VInaya that is most appropriate to them in order to get the best possible opportunities to eradicate defilements and practice the teachings.’
Can you clarify what you mean? Are you suggesting defilements are gender specific? If this is the case then this means you are pooling specific defilements in monasteries eg male and female monasteries. Would this lead to group think and prejudice? Most research supports heterogeneity in the workplace as it leads to better decision making. My experience is that monasteries are heirarchical and men use a multitude of tactics to maintain the power dynamic. They have historically co-opted women to various extents.
Sabbamitta
Dear Fiona, thank you for your comment.
I leave it to Ayya Vimala to post their own reply as soon as they find the time.
What I’d like to say is that maybe it’s not so much defilements that are gender specific, but the Vinayas are. There is a Vinaya for monks and a Vinaya for nuns – unless you want to try out a genderless Vinaya as suggested in this post https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/thought-experiment-a-genderless-vinaya/6939 (but note in the discussion how the mere fact of starting a thought experiment to this respect provoked quite strong reactions! So this idea would probably need more time to develop and mature.)
fiona
Dear Anagarika Sabbamitta, Thanks for your response. A genderless Vinaya seems to be a good idea. I believe splitting men and women up is just another tool for patriarchy to keep going.
In Saudi women can drive now and the Prince responsible has enjoyed some reflected glory. Various princesses are seen draped across their convertibles in Vogue. Women are enjoying their new found freedom. The women who worked so hard for this change are still locked up as far as I am aware. Not much has changed for them. This is how patriarchy works. It just relieves the pressure points but there is no fundamental shift in attitudes. I suspect much of the male desire for power is based on insecurity.
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Dear Ayya
You say
’the transitioned person should practice according to the VInaya that is most appropriate to them in order to get the best possible opportunities to eradicate defilements and practice the teachings.’
Can you clarify what you mean? Are you suggesting defilements are gender specific? If this is the case then this means you are pooling specific defilements in monasteries eg male and female monasteries. Would this lead to group think and prejudice? Most research supports heterogeneity in the workplace as it leads to better decision making. My experience is that monasteries are heirarchical and men use a multitude of tactics to maintain the power dynamic. They have historically co-opted women to various extents.
Dear Fiona, thank you for your comment.
I leave it to Ayya Vimala to post their own reply as soon as they find the time.
What I’d like to say is that maybe it’s not so much defilements that are gender specific, but the Vinayas are. There is a Vinaya for monks and a Vinaya for nuns – unless you want to try out a genderless Vinaya as suggested in this post https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/thought-experiment-a-genderless-vinaya/6939 (but note in the discussion how the mere fact of starting a thought experiment to this respect provoked quite strong reactions! So this idea would probably need more time to develop and mature.)
Dear Anagarika Sabbamitta, Thanks for your response. A genderless Vinaya seems to be a good idea. I believe splitting men and women up is just another tool for patriarchy to keep going.
In Saudi women can drive now and the Prince responsible has enjoyed some reflected glory. Various princesses are seen draped across their convertibles in Vogue. Women are enjoying their new found freedom. The women who worked so hard for this change are still locked up as far as I am aware. Not much has changed for them. This is how patriarchy works. It just relieves the pressure points but there is no fundamental shift in attitudes. I suspect much of the male desire for power is based on insecurity.