Speaking Tree - Atman Or Soul Is Beyond Gender Identities

Jivatma, the unit Self, is neither male nor female; it is beyond such identifications. 

For the proper expression of one’s latent samskaras  or reactive momenta, one gets reborn into the body of a woman, man or hermaphrodite. 

There is no question of high or low, superior or inferior, noble or ignoble because whatever might be the sex of the body, the jivatma is just the witnessing faculty of the mind that it is attached to...

The unexpressed psychic reactions (samskaras) of the disembodied soul are guided by the Cosmic Mind and adjusted with a proper structure, at a proper time and a proper place, providing a congenial environment for the expression of the unrequited samskaras.

Depending upon the nature of the samskaras there is either samyojani shakti, the predominance of the tendency to attract or vibhajani shakti, the predominance of the tendency to be attracted. 

The nature of the force of attraction is to draw the object of enjoyment towards itself, and the nature of the force which is attracted is to move towards the object of enjoyment. When there is dominance of samyojani shakti in one’s latent samskaras, the disembodied soul attains a female body for its outward expression. 

Conversely, where there is a dominance of vibhajani shakti, it attains a male body.

Where there is an approximate balance between the two, the disembodied soul attains the body of a hermaphrodite. 

Even here the balance between is not perfect; there is a slight tilt in favour of one or the other. 

That’s why some hermaphrodites are more inclined towards masculinity, and some, femininity.

In undeveloped creatures, there is a balance between the samyojani and vibhajani shaktis and thus they are asexual. 

Being subjected to less internal struggle and more external struggle they can divide their bodies into a number of parts, but developed creatures do not have this capacity. 

In order to increase their numbers they are compelled to take the help of one another with the samyojani and vibhajani forces. 

Thus, sexual differences exist to permit the proper expression of samskaras.

However, these sexual differences have no absolute value. So the characteristic of the human mind to attract or be attracted depends on mental tendency. 

If there is a glandular change in the physical structure there will be a corresponding change in the samyojani or vibhajani forces of the mind. 

If there is a major change in either of the forces there will be a corresponding change in the physical body. 

As a result, males can be converted into females and females into males.

Scriptures say that the disembodied soul first accepts the sperm with the help of the Cosmic Mind and then, getting united with the ovum, produces an embryo for the proper expression of its latent samskaras. 

On the one hand the embryo acquires psychic nourishment; on the other hand its samskaras are expressed internally. 

Wise people say that the living being gets nourishment first in the father’s body, then in the mother’s womb...

Thus the characteristics that determine sex, whether male, female or hermaphroditic, are not fixed or final. Hence on this basis there should be no discrimination between people – there is no sex difference in the jiivatman. 

In spiritual practice, too, no artificial distinction between men and women should be encouraged.

 Only in those aspects of spiritual practice which depend upon the harmonious functioning of body and mind --such as asanas and mudras -- should glandular and psychological differences be taken into consideration.