Dear Anita

It’s great that you read some parts of the book 📖.  Dr. Dillon was a transgender pioneer who paved the way for other trans folks in the world. I believe Dr. Dillon became a physician to help others who struggled with their gender identity but since it was very difficult for him during his time to find community he sought spiritual meaning in life.

I feel this passage from the Editors’ Introduction speaks strongly to me : ” There is nothing for man in this world, but conquest of his mind, of the way he takes the world in all its absurdities and pompous imaginations. What is it the Work teaches?  ‘Remember in this secret is, in this Teaching, not to try to change external circumstances because if you do not change yourself and the way you take the repeating events of life, everything will recur in the same way. As long as you remain as you are in yourself you will attract the same problems, same difficulties, same situation but if you change yourself your life will change. ‘ And, ‘you cannot reform the world, you can only reform your way of taking the world’. ”

Out of the Ordinary : A life of gender and spiritual transitions

I feel this is very powerful insight. Michael Dillon/Jivaka was hurt in his workplaces as a transgender male and he sought acceptance in a Buddhist monastery. I think in his spiritual path, he gained better understanding and awareness of his mind and better control so he could make decisions on his physical transition.

The editors note that Out of the Ordinary autobiography was divided into two parts: Conquest of the body and Conquest of the mind.

I believe that in his transition Dr. Dillon found peace of mind, finally belonging in a body that matched how his mind identified as. He realized that he couldn’t change the world or make all people accept him, he could only be true to himself and explore how to build himself up.