ESOTERIC THOUGHT
remains without gender in the cradle of the non-substantiality of their own sexual identity. Another figure, Ardhanarishvara (‘the half-female Lord’) is an em - anation of the Hindu deity Shiva combined with his consort Parva - ti. Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half-male and half-female, equally split down the middle. This deity represents the synthesis of the mas- culine and feminine energies of the universe ( Purusha and Prakriti ), and illustrates how Shakti, the female principle of God, is complete - ly inseparable from Shiva, the male principle of God, and vice versa. However lofty, the image of the deity and stories of Ardhanarishvara, a half-man half-woman, are known to evoke a grounding sense of sexual interdependence, harmony, completion and fulfilment. The cult of Ardhanarishvara has been revived in Thailand over the last twenty years by some queer spirit mediums as a part of the Na- varatri Festival in Bangkok whereby celebrations, rituals and various events take place at the Shri Mariamman Tamil Hindu Temple. De - spite certain academic critiques insisting that hermaphroditic and an- drogynous deity worship is on a gradual decline, the fact that it still exists, persists and is celebrated very much counters this argument. Indeed, Hinduism holds a rich culture of varied narratives pertain - ing to transformations within the fluidity of gender. The figure Ar - dhanarishvara calls to mind and shares a resemblance (though not in direct lineage) to the earlier Hindu philosophy of Purusha, an an - drogynous cosmic being from whom the universe was created through a primordial sacrifice, embodying both male and female principles, symbolizing the interconnectedness of all things. The character Shi - khandi from the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit texts of ancient India, is born female but later undergoes a transformation to live as a male warrior after agreeing to a sex exchange with a yaksha (nature spirit). And Agni, the Hindu god of fire, wealth and creative energy, has same-sex encounters, and is depicted as having both a wife and a husband. Beyond Duality: Magical Shapeshifting and the Pedagogy of Rebirth Buddhism ultimately negates duality, though both Buddhist and Hindu traditions provide valuable frameworks for understanding gender as a fluid and transformative concept open to magical mani - festation. The interplay of themes — genderlessness, and that of the ability to transform one’s gender at will or live as another gender in a previous life in order to convey a teaching — carry out a purpose or juxtapose situations to reveal hidden truths; this is par for the course in these most sublime and complex of philosophies. For instance, in Thailand, Ānanda, the primary attendant and disci - ple of the Buddha (and a Sanskrit term meaning “bliss” or “happiness”) is viewed has having been a woman in a previous life. The Mahānāra - dakassapa Jātaka recounts that Ānanda was born as Princess Rujā: In the olden time at Mithilā in the kingdom of Videha there ruled a just king of righteousness named Aṅgati. Now in the womb of his chief queen there was conceived a fair and gra- cious daughter, named Rujā, possessing great merit, and one who had offered prayer for a hundred thousand ages. In this narrative, Rujā serves as the Bodhisatta (the future Buddha) in a specific role, while King Aṅgati is identified as a past life of the ascetic Uruvelā-Kassapa; however, later commentaries and Thai Jāta - ka catalogues identify Rujā specifically as a previous rebirth of Ānan - da, highlighting the fluidity of gender across samsaric existence. One comes from Bhikkhu Sujato, a Theravada monk and author of sever - al books on early Buddhism. In his blog entry, “When Ananda was a Woman ”, he states: “Stories of gender change, while known, are rare in Buddhism.” While these stories may be “rare”, this does not mean they are completely non-existent. These narratives of gender transformation are not merely isolated anomalies, but illustrations of a deeper ontological principle regard- ing the fluid nature of identity. Such gender fluidity across lifetimes continued on page 66
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PATHWAYS—Summer 26—25
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