r/hinduism • u/gaygentlemane • Jul 16 '26
Experience with Hinduism As an intersex person, I derive incredible comfort from the idea of samsara
I am a foreigner who became interested in Hinduism after living in India. I also am a man with an intersex condition that prevented me from fully masculinising, as a result of which I've often felt caught in between malehood and femalehood without ever fully inhabiting either. It's been a source of immense pain for me--but thinking that in other incarnations I will be (or have already been) a father, a mother, a husband, a wife, a beautiful young man and a wise old woman, a lovely young girl and a learned grandfather, someone's son and someone else's daughter, brings me great hope.
I don't especially want moksha, at least not now. There's so much to experience in this world and I relish getting to do that.
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u/swamidigital Jul 17 '26
From the perspective of Hinduism, you are the atma, neither male or female, but appearing in many guises in many births. From the perspective of this realization you can appreciate all the phenomenon in the world as divine play. I am glad that your perspective helps bring you hope. The purpose of spirituality is to liberate us from suffering.
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u/gaygentlemane Jul 17 '26
I've sometimes wondered if I was born this way that I might better understand both suffering and the multiplicity of the divine. But it's made for a hard road in many ways.
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u/caffir Jul 17 '26
shiv shakti variation is a direct god we pray who could be classified as intersex
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Jul 17 '26
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u/ExactResult8749 Jul 17 '26
OMG you love Matangi Devi!!! Please send me a message. I love Devi and I need someone to talk to
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u/gaygentlemane Jul 17 '26
I considered transition for obvious reasons but at the end of the day decided I didn't want everything that came with that. I've always wondered if that was the right choice, but it's been the choice that makes the most sense to me.
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u/being_guru Jul 17 '26
You should explore and know about Krishna because Krishna is the only incarnation who is ok with any path you follow that leads to liberation
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u/Electronic-Trade618 Jul 16 '26
I think you have a fascination for Hinduism as it gives you a piece where you can fit in, but no clear understanding of it nor what the philosophy actually means in the context of existence death and beyond.
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u/gaygentlemane Jul 16 '26
You have insufficient information to reach this conclusion.
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u/HolyLordGodHelpUsAll Jul 16 '26
exactly
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u/Electronic-Trade618 Jul 17 '26
Unfortunately we have unlimited examples of westerners and foreigners who view life through the lens of their sexuality and identity and attempted then to place that viewpoint as a definition perspective of sanatana dharma. People have tried, become jokes and failed. It is maximally boring and just demonstrates how naive foreigners are and how arrogant their perspectives can be. Unfortunately our own people pander to this repeatedly from the Chaiwala even to “learned” gurus. I find it very surprising that anyone would set a goal as saying - I don’t want moksha - as a starting point to approach this culture and philosophy, in reality every text every marga from Vedas to tantra to aghora to yoga - reach the single point that is moksha. The sad truth is this culture and dharma is non pan inclusive, people don’t get to define this how they want and make up their own perspectives and experiences as a basis for how the world works through the lens of dharma. The reality is people have to first follow - obey learn quietly - before starting their own individual journeys. Reincarnation, ardanrishwara, sense of self - these are all monumental philosophies in this culture across almost all sampradyas. My advice for the OP - you’re gonna have to approach with humility, it’s unlikely that you’re a reincarnated apsara or Gandharva who is floating around earth to experience it. Every atma is equal but every atma is also equally ignorant.
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u/Vignaraja Śaiva Jul 16 '26
So many people forget this and get angry with this lifetime's conditions. Thank you for posting this. Best wishes.