Re "we all alternate male and female lives. The first year when we're in a new gender we may still have tendencies, etc. from the previous life in the other gender. I like this theory because it's not punitive. What do you think?":
Yes, I've always liked that speculation. Although I don't believe in reincarnation myself the concept has a certain poetical beauty to it. Of course, if "we're all one", maybe bisexual or transsexuals are on to something. Ramakrishna was a genuine mystic and clearly had an ambiguous sexual identity.
