Introduction
Queer theory, queer theology, and queering are relevant to an ever-evolving world. Queering can take old concepts that were not meant to represent a certain people and make them represent an individual, or all, people. Tantra, what appeared at first to be the most progressive form of Buddhism, underrepresents people. I hope, through queering, people can learn to make Tantra represent women, individuals who are non-gendered, and all whom it underrepresents and does not represent at all.
Tantra in queer studies
Vajrayana and Tantrism
People closely relate Vajrayana to Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana. Just as people closely relate Vajrayana to Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana, people also closely relate Tantrayana to Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana. People do not officially accept Tantric Buddhism in Southeast Asia. Coincidentally, some intend for few to understand the spiritual practice of Tantric Buddhism, instead of by many. People sometimes know individuals who practice Tantric Buddhism and study its Shaiva like ideologies as yogins. Some describe Tantrism a complex, quicker, more intense and dangerous, and shorter path to enlightenment, as opposed to Mahayana’s slower Bodhisattva path toward enlightenment. People also know Tantric Buddhism as Mantrayana. Yana is the path to enlightenment, and the method is Mantra. Mantra does not require perfections, and people think it to be easier than the way of perfections. The perfections are generosity, virtue, renunciation, transcendental wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness, and equanimity. Mantras are chants. One might chant Om, or virtuous, testimonial, good, knowledge filled, and peaceful and loving accounts (Brown University [Brown]).
Buddhism is understood to have developed in three phases or three turnings of the wheel of the dhamma. 'Early Buddhism' represents the first turning, and is often defined in relation to the Eighteen Schools of Buddhism that, based in their assessments of the arahant ideal, Mahayanans have often disparagingly referred to as 'Hinayana/Lesser-vehicle'. The sole surviving representative of Early Buddhism is the Theravada tradition. Mahayana/Great-vehicle' Buddhism, represents the second turning of the wheel, and is defined in relation to the bodhisattva ideal. The third turning of the wheel, Tantric Buddhism, is referred to as the 'Vajrayana' or 'Diamond-vehicle', after the thunderbolt image used to symbolize the imperishable nature of enlightenment. The names Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, reflect an historical convention of naming Buddhist traditions in accordance with their respective paths to enlightenment. Western scholars created an additional three-tiered convention of naming Buddhisms according to their traditions, their geo-political placements, and their global placements (RYLANCE).
Buddhist modeled the ten perfections after Buddha. Although, I question their perfection. I wonder what human developed concept can be perfect. I wonder how people might interpret said perfections. I wonder how generous a person might be and how said generosity might affect said generous person. I wonder how a person might interpret and implement the other nine perfections, as well as how they might affect said person. Others wise, I find no flaws with the ten perfections, as they are safe general ideologies. As for the chants about the mythical Om, and good and virtuous occurrences, they too are good and safe general ideologies. “Meditation, above all, is considered the key to reaching transcendent understanding and spiritual transformation, and the great vehicle for meditation is the mandala. Jampa, entirely painted with mandalas, is a fully tantric temple” (Brown).
Vajrayana appears to lead the seeker to more than just a conscious, focus, enlightened, and nirvana like state. Vajrayana yogins seek to dispel misconceptions and delusions and find reality. Vajrayana in a way seems to be already moving away from traditional Buddhism, queerly. Vajrayana moves away from tradition Buddhist teachings about foods, physical functions, sexual acts, and so-called immoral acts. Vajrayana appears to allude that sex is good, as some monk have sex. Vajrayana yogins practice a sexual practice called Karmamunra. Yogins must have something described as the heat within to practice sex yoga. Yogins can practice sex yoga with a partner or masturbatory. Yogins use Sex yoga to free one another from the world of death and rebirth, to which they are bound, and into a transcendent state with no bounds. In this state, passion becomes great bliss. Great bliss allows one to have mental and emotional clarity and enlightenment. Such a radical movement require a Guru to lead people, so that practitioners do not lose sight of, misinterpret, nor misdirect themselves in the search for reality. Although, I wonder why. I wonder what the role of the Guru is. I wonder if the Guru merely guides or if the Guru controls. Since meditation is an essential component of Vajrayana, I wonder if the Guru allows people to find their truth through meditation, only getting involved when asked. I hope there were nor are no other Lamas like the one who preyed on June Campbell (Brown; RYLANCE).
Campbell describes some of the collusions necessary to maintain the apparently celibate monastic system. Monks have conspired to sustain the structures of Tibetan Buddhism, to progress soteriologically, and to protect one another. Sexual activities have been supported by powerful men at the heart of a theocratic system, and acquiescence of the women concerned was underpinned by the women's faith in the lama as a Buddha. The women believed taking part in intimate activities with a religiously significant man implied they, too, were religiously significant and the events karmically predisposed. Despite the lack of public acknowledgement for their role, some women felt it bestowed prestige, and taking part facilitated access to religious knowledge and contexts ordinarily unavailable to them as women. Some women regarded participation as a test of faith. At best, lamas were motivated by the soteriological attainments the rituals facilitated. However, lamas' anxieties about the women's trustworthiness resulted in attempts to control them, and public knowledge of the sexual relationship being associated with 'trouble' for the woman, which inferred her madness, illness, or even death (RYLANCE).
In Western culture, people use tantric yoga as an exercise that encourages controlled breathing, increased flexibility and balance, relaxation, and the feeling of rejuvenation. Individuals in the West also use it for mental focus. Although, Yogins originally intended for tantric yoga to be a path for something much greater, the union of enlightenment and nirvana. Some might see this as a partnership, or dyad, between divinity and consort, Yab-Yum. People associate Yab-Yum with a sense of relationship and sexual embrace. Although, Yab-Yum represents a heterocentric worldview. I find such a closed vision problematic, as it normalizes heterocentric view while ab-normalizing other sexual relationships.
Vajrayana practitioners attempt to find and acknowledge both the male and female within themselves. Although, I wonder why they do not try to find the pan-gendered being in themselves, or merely themselves. Male and female are human societal constructs, constructs to which people do not have to adhere. People do not have to be male, female, two-spirited, dyadic, nor both male and female. People can also just be free to be themselves and or to be pan-gendered. “The state of union with the divine is symbolically represented in Buddhist tantric art by a depiction of sexual embrace between the divinity and his consort in the attitude known as ‘yab-yum’” (Brown; Queer Studies: Multireligious Perspective [QSMP]; RYLANCE).
Hindu Tantrism assigns attributes to gender. I wonder why as a person of any gender cannot have any attribute. Female is energy, and universe maintaining and life-sustaining creative force. Also, sexual energy unites male and female, a union that creates new life. I wonder way Hindu Tantrism would not instead assert that sexual energy unites two physical beings of any gender, and so long as said beings have a human society defined male and female genitals, the two beings can create life. In Buddhism Tantrism, the female is wisdom, passive, dormant, and dependent on male vibrancy. I find these notions to be problematic because even though some of the aspect assigned to the female gender are positive, the separation is not equal. Tantra views Hinduism as female and Buddhism as male. If they have to have genders, I wonder why they both cannot be pan-gendered. Although Buddhism Tantrism seems to be androgynous, Buddhism Tantrism portrays the female as dependent on the male, and that female is empty without a male. Even though women are sometimes allowed in some level of power, men use androgyny to portray women as men. Therefore, where I though androgyny was a positive aspect, it is utilized in a negative way. Tantra defines femininity and masculinity. Although there is no one way any person or gender should behave, nor are there any chosen attribute to which people should ascribe, people should perpetuate, nor people should exhibit. I wonder what the intended purpose of such a system of placement is. Such assertions are problematic, as it is suppressive. It asserts that women are empty, dormant, and without purpose without men. Such a statement is not true (QSMP; RYLANCE).
The same teachings assert that men can be publically praise, while such treatment is not allowed toward women. Also, women of high status are hidden away, thus diminution hope and inspiration for other women in society. As seen in many aspects of human existence, Tantra secrecy shrouds women from gaining equal or significant influence in theocratic political systems. Tantra suppressed and lost knowledge and powers of women. Women do not need anyone nor any religion to tell them who nor how powerful they are, but it would be nice to have knowledge and power of women, accumulated by women, perpetuated by women. There appears to be a hierarchy in Tantra, and the men seem to be on top. I wonder if Buddhism Tantrism is not androcentric (QSMP; RYLANCE).
Sex
Vajrayana quest for reality sounds reasonable, and I find some of the concept presented in material about Vajrayana to be reasonable. Vajrayana seems to have progressively evolved from traditional Buddhism. There does not appear to be a focus on restricted eating, a life of work, restricted sex, nor morality. Sex is a good and pleasurable act in Vajrayana. After reading the sex practices, I find that the heat within sound like a passionate fire or desire for one's lover. Thus, when one partner, or partners, and oneself are sexually aroused, they practice sex yoga or have exciting sex in titillating positions. One can also masturbate when one is aroused. The freeing factor of sex yoga sounds like an orgasm. During an intense orgasm, one has let go of the world and all of its happening, as letting go is require for experiencing such an orgasm. Thinking about anything other than the present sexual practice might put a damper one’s orgasmic pleasure. Also, I do not think I would like they idea of a Guru guiding my partner and me into great orgasmic bliss. I would think that someone instructing our sexual practice might impede our orgasmic bliss. Although, some more brave individuals might not mind (Brown; RYLANCE).
It appears to me that some of the deluded West variation of Tantra focus on sexual pleasure as a means of sexual pleasure. Said form of Tantra is merely about sex and orgasm, and free love and possibly orgies and taboos (Urban). This Secular Tantra is dire for sexual freedom and repairing the damage sexual repression has done to a generation of people. Said Tantra does include meditation, but people may use said meditation for orgasm control.
I say today: to hell with Christianity, Rationalism, Buddhism all the lumber of the centuries. I bring you a positive and primaeval fact, Magic by name: and with this I will build me a new Heaven and a new Earth. I want none of your faint approval or faint dispraise; I want blasphemy, murder, rape, revolution, anything, bad or good but strong (Crowley).
If it were necessary to characterize the state of things I would say that it is after the orgy. The orgy is...the explosive moment of modernity, that of liberation in all domains. Political liberation, sexual liberation, liberation of productive forces, liberation of destructive forces...Today everything is liberated. ..we find ourselves before the question: WHAT ARE WE TO DO AFTER THE ORGY (Jean Baudrillard)?
Yab-Yum perpetuates heterocentric views
The hetero partnership or dyad like nature of Yab-Yum does not represent everyone in Western society. Such and image merely represents the heterosexual female-male relationship. Thus, damaging people who do not ascribe to hetero relationships. I hope that people can and will redefine Yab-Yum to serve more people. Perhaps, instead of female-male vaginal-penile intercourse, people can describe Yab-Yum as performing female-female vaginal-vaginal stimulatory intercourse, male-male anal-penile intercourse, or pan-gendered-pangender pan-genitaled-pan-genitaled or Omni-genitaled-Omni-genitaled whatever kind of intercourse they want.
Vajrayana practitioners search for both male and female identity. Although as a human construct, gender does not need to be binary. Practitioners can find not only male and female identities, as they define them, but also pan-gender, or while dispelling social norms, merely themselves, whomever that may be. It is the Practitioner chose to find oneself, a dyad state, a pan existence, or for whatever else they wanted to search (Brown; QSMP; RYLANCE).
Assignment of female and male attributes
People who ascribe to Tantrism assign attributes to gender. I understand the possible intended romantic beauty behind such metaphors, but it is important to realize the potential consequences of such assignments. For example, male and female attribute assignment may not represent people who go not ascribe to gender binaries. Also, assigning attribute such as energy, stability, wisdom, and life to the female gender sounds positive. I think the idea behind such designations was the fact that women give birth to life and sustain said life. Although, what if women do not to want said attribute associated with them, men want said attributes associated with them, or one does not ascribe to male nor female. Tantra also assigns to women attributes such as passive, dormant, and dependent. Such assignment is clearly misogynistic and outdated. The idea must have put the worth of a woman’s fertility. Asserting that a woman cannot get pregnant if she does not have a man penis to insert inside her. Women have much more worth than mere pregnancy, as their value is ineffable. Also, scientists have found a way to use stem cell research and bone marrow to make semen. Therefore, women no longer need men to have a female baby. As it turns out, men are dependent on women, as without women the male gender will be extinct. Thus, causing me to believe that man given designation are a way to control and enslave women. Therefore, people must remove male attribute assignment of the female gender. In error, men were given the vibrancy attribute as well and none of the negative attribute.
Female symbolism in Hindu and Buddhist tantrism is distinct, while Tibetan Buddhism has secretly maintained both. The female consort in Hindu tantrism symbolises active energy/sakti, while in Buddhist philosophy she symbolises passive wisdom/prajna. In Hinduism, the female/sakti represents a creative force that maintains the universe and makes all life possible: sakti is the primal sexual energy that unites male and female polarities and brings forth new life. In Buddhist philosophy, the female aspect represents wisdom/prajna, which although highly valued is passive and utterly dependant for vibrancy upon the active male symbol of skilful means/upaya-kausalya. In tantra, the redeeming function is assigned to the dynamic principle, which in Hinduism is the female and in Buddhism is the male. Tibetan Buddhism maintains the primacy of active/male and passive/female symbology, while simultaneously it has maintained images of independent dynamic goddesses (RYLANCE).
Tantra may seem to be androgynous, but men use said androgyny to suppress women. Therefore, Tantra is androcentric. I have read of accounts where monk sexually abused women and contain their leadership. Then when men allow women leadership since she has found androgyny, she was forced to portray, what men define as, male attributes. Therefore, people must tear down the gender hierarchy in Tantra in the name of equality. Not only are women underrepresented, but people do also not at all represent people who do not ascribe to gender. No more should people celebrate, the human-made definition of, masculinity, while intentional ignoring, the human-made definition of, femininity. Individuals who ascribe to Tantra should allow women, and all individuals, to define themselves and whichever attribute they ascribe to themselves in certain periods. No more should the man be on top nor making the decisions (QSMP; RYLANCE).
Traditional tantric concepts of androgyny have relied upon, reflected and endorsed polarised, complementary and interdependent notions of gender that do not convey that men and women are capable of independence. Nevertheless, tantric Buddhism has portrayed some female aspects positively and in some instances has allowed women authority, but its use of androgyny does little to emancipate women as women. At best, tantric Buddhist concepts of androgyny support the development of 'masculine' traits in women, while propagating male views and maintaining male subjectivity. Many women, including lesbian-feminists, would prefer not to have to rely upon apparently masculine traits for their vibrancy, independence and enlightenment. Using only yab-yum images assumes everyone shares their heterocentric ideal, and although most would recognise their symbolism, the lack of alternative imagery ensures few distinctions are made between attempts to redress polarised gender scripts and their promotion in androgyny. Using exclusively heterosexual imagery promotes it as the norm, renders alternatives abnormal, and restricts discourses about sex (RYLANCE).
Summary
Queering allow people to achieve some great and wonderful things in the name of social justice. People can use queering to transform Tantra, an already somewhat progressive religion, and transform it into a religion that represents everyone in current times.
References
Brown University. (n.d.). BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO BASIC CONCEPTS OF "TIBETAN" BUDDHISM. Retrieved May 10, 2017, from https://library.brown.edu/cds/BuddhistTempleArt/buddhism2.html
GREEN, D. (n.d.). What Men Want? Initial Thoughts on the Male Goddess Movement. Retrieved May 10, 2017, from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwivmPqE1uHTAhWk5IMKHdlvBNUQFggkMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.religionandgender.org%2Farticles%2F10.18352%2Frg.7505%2Fgalley%2F8554%2Fdownload%2F&usg=AFQjCNEi5KFicX_-mQIb7IbEnXwFXn2RZw
Queer Studies: Multireligious Perspective. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2017, from https://moodle.gtu.edu/course/view.php?id=3899
RYLANCE, V. J. (2011). LESBIAN BUDDHISM? Retrieved May 10, 2017, from http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/18468/1/Rylance_3306.pdf
SCHERER, B. (n.d.). Macho Buddhism: Gender and Sexualities in the Diamond Way. Retrieved May 10, 2017, from http://info-buddhism.com/Macho-Buddhism-Gender-and-Sexualities-in-the-Diamond%20Way-Scherer.pdf
Urban, H. (n.d.). UNLEASHING THE BEAST. Retrieved May 11, 2017, from http://www.esoteric.msu.edu/VolumeV/Unleashing_the_Beast.htm