My perspective is based on insights I have gained as a student of the Zen Buddhist teacher, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, and the Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. I am a meditator, not a philosopher or a feminist in the narrow sense of that word. Basic mindfulness-awareness meditation is my main practice and the sustaining influence in my life. Our discussion will raise more questions than it will answer, but, I hope we can have fun with the uncertainty!

What is the essence of each–of feminine and masculine? From the vast perspective that Trungpa Rinpoche presents in Glimpses of Space, feminine and masculine principles are none other than space and wisdom (feminine) and energy, or activity, and skillful means within that space (masculine). Accommodation is the feminine aspect. Activity is the masculine. Like a teacup that creates the space for tea, the container is the feminine principle. What's poured into it, the tea itself, represents the tangible energy of the masculine principle. The intangible elements are feminine energy. When we use words like 'tangible' and 'intangible', we get beyond our hang-ups about gender. When we tune into the play of tangible and intangible elements in our daily lives, we start to see the bigger picture of what is really happening in our world. It is very liberating.

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