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Offline Christian Zionist

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I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« on: December 09, 2007, 04:07:06 AM »
Buddhism is not at all an Abrahamic faith.  But when I read this article I was totally taken aback.  I would like to hear the opinions from my Jewish friends regarding this.  Thanks in advance!  CZ.

http://www.shambhalamountain.org/newsitem.php?id=59

Articles About Shambhala Mountain Center

When Jews are also Buddhists
Daily Camera - June 4, 2005

By Ilene Rosenblum

Jews are six to eight times more likely to become Buddhists

It seems an unlikely mix: a lotus and a l'chayim, a prayer wheel and a prayer shawl. But many people with Jewish backgrounds find the distinct traditions and practices of Judaism and Buddhism are complementary.

Many of these JuBus, or BuJus, as people who are born Jewish and practice Buddhism are sometimes called, say that while their Jewish heritage is rich, it lacks deep spiritual meaning— and they find that other part of themselves in teachings and practices from the East.

Karen Kissel Wegela, a faculty member at Buddhist-inspired Naropa University, describes herself as "a Jew who is on a Buddhist path."

During her upbringing as a Reform Jew, Wegela said she felt an "ethnic connection," but not a "personal connection" with her religion.

Now, after practicing Buddhism for more than 30 years, Wegela said she can connect to both Buddhist and Jewish teachings.

"I'm Buddhist in my bones," she said, "but I seem to be Jewish in my DNA."

While some BuJus have been able to reconcile the two distinct traditions, others commit to Buddhism only. Wegela was introduced to Buddhism in her mid 20s. But she did not become serious about meditating until years later, when her best friend from high school passed away at age 32. Even the coping techniques she knew as a therapist could not relieve her anxiety, she said.

"None of the things I knew were helping me deal with the stress and pain I felt about that," she said.

Meditation allowed her to accept that experiencing anxiety was part of acknowledging the death, she said.

Later, Wegela reconnected to Judaism through Jewish Renewal, a spiritually-focused, ecological, egalitarian movement led by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, who lives in Boulder.

"He talked about Judaism in a way that, for the first time in my life, actually made some sense," she said.

Without it, Wegela said she would not have reconnected with Judaism.

Spiritual connections

When Wegela's father passed away about 10 years ago, she said a Buddhist prayer and the shema, a Jewish prayer of affirmation of faith in one God.

"I spent a lot of time struggling with, 'Can I be Jewish and Buddhist?" she said.

While Judaism and Buddhism endorse extremely dif ferent world views, Wegela said that having both in her life is "deeply enriching," because they each address different parts of her experiences.

Wegela's story is not uncommon. Jews are six to eight times more likely than people born into other faiths or backgrounds to become Buddhists or adopt its practices, said Stephen Prothero, chair of the religion department at Boston University.

"If you went to the regular suburban congregation, the likelihood is that you wouldn't find much spirituality there," Schachter-Shalomi said.

Ellen Mains, of Boulder, said that in the post-war period she grew up in, that spiritual connection was easier to find in Buddhism. Or rather, Buddhism found her.

While attending college she saw a notice in the newspaper for a seminar by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, who was fundamental in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West by founding the worldwide network of Shambhala Meditation Centers and Boulder's Naropa University.

She said she was so captivated that she stayed for the weekend-long seminar.

"I remember feeling like, 'Oh yes,' that really resonates with my experience," she said. "I never had that happen before."

But bringing Buddhism home to the mispucha wasn't so simpatico.

Her parents had a very difficult time accepting her religious exploration, she said.

"They thought maybe I was involved in a cult," she said.

Eventually her parents became more accepting, but they would have been happier had she never strayed, she said.

The Holocaust's effect

It's possible that Jewish yearning for spirituality is a result of the devastation of the Holocaust, Schachter-Shalomi said. Mystics rose after other detrimental events in Jewish history, such as the expulsion from Spain and the pogroms in Russia, he said.

Mains' experience in the post-war period seems to resonate with Schachter-Shalomi's theory.

"There was a sense of loss of spiritual meaning," she said. "I think the Holocaust had a far-reaching effect."

But that's where movements like Jewish Renewal come in, Schachter-Shalomi said.

"Much like after you have a tree trimmed, a new branch begins to grow," he said.

Such spiritual yearning has also led many Jews to Hinduism and Sufism, Schachter-Shalomi said. But the trend now, especially in Boulder, is toward Buddhism, he said.

Brian Spielman, director of marketing at the Shambhala Mountain Center at Red Feather Lakes outside of Fort Collins, grew up in a Conservative Jewish family and formally entered the Jewish community by becoming a Bar Mitzvah, or a Jewish adult. But he too said that his "spiritual urge" could not be satiated by what he found in Judaism.

"It gave you an outer but the inner was confusing for me," he said.

Spielman said he can find a lot in common between the two belief systems despite their extremely different origins.

Among them are a history of suffering, an emphasis on selfless giving and dedication to analyzing religious texts, he said.

"In some ways it's a very natural match," he said.

Another reason some people cite for their ability to meld the two religions is that Buddhism does not confirm nor deny the existence of God. Still, others find that very same thing what is so problematic about mixing the two.

Meditation and Judaism

But not all orthodox rabbis agree that Judaism and Buddhism can both be practiced. If one goes beyond the "watered-down" Buddhism— only practicing secular things such as meditation— and subscribes to Buddhist theology, it's not likely that they could also be an observant Jew, said Rabbi Yehuda Cahan, a rabbi of Zera Abraham, an orthodox synagogue in Denver.

Cahan said that there is no need to look outside of Judaism for spirituality.

Delving into other theologies, he said, is like cheating on one's partner.

"If somebody finds an easy way out and he finds some other ways of meditating ... without having to come onto God and to take some back road and not come on to Him, it's like going to other women, because he doesn't want to work out his challenges and doing it the right way."

The inherent conflict in subscribing to Judaism and Buddhism is that Jews believe firmly in one god, who created the universe, while Buddhists do not focus on a creator god. While many say that this makes them perfectly compatible, for people like Cahan, it seems a contradiction.

Still, several of Boulder's most religious Jews practice Buddhist meditation. Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder of Kehilath Aish Kodesh, said that about one-fifth of the roughly 30 active members in his Orthodox congregation practice Buddhism.

Goldfeder said that combining Buddhist practice with Judaism doesn't concern him, as long as it doesn't pull members away from Judaism.

"We have a community of mature, spiritual adults who trust themselves to choose the way to open up to God and the way that resonates with them most deeply," he said.

Like other rabbis have commented, Schachter-Shalomi said that the spirituality Jews are looking for outside of the religion can be found in Kabballah and Jewish meditation, but they just don't know where to look.

"I wouldn't say it's not there, but it's not obvious," Schachter-Shalomi said.

Rabbi David Cooper, ordained by Schachter-Shalomi, leads Jewish meditation retreats around the world with his wife, Shoshana. Cooper said that meditation has been a part of Judaism for hundreds of years.

But meditating, one of the most common ways Jews and other Euro-Americans practice Buddhism, doesn't necessarily make one Buddhist, Cooper said. Jewish meditation has been practiced for hundreds of years, he said.

"There's nothing Buddhist about sitting quietly," he said.

Still, Jews and Buddhists can benefit from learning from each other's practices, said Cooper, who said he is sometimes called "the Buddhist Rabbi."

While Cooper said he doesn't consider himself a Buddhist, he said that he doesn't mind the moniker. It means that religious followers can "cross-fertilize," he said.

"We're learning to live together, and we're learning to learn from one another," he said. "You don't have to go somewhere else to find these wonderful teachings."

They just never became a "main thrust of Judaism," which is more concerned with the study of texts, laws and the celebration of holidays, Cooper said.

Cooper said he brings some aspects of Buddhist meditation into his workshops and retreats, but puts them in a "Jewish modality." They involve chant in Hebrew and teach Kabballah rather than the sutras, he said.

"When they come to sit with us they realize it wasn't the Buddhism that attracted them, it was the freedom and spaciousness of sitting in a protected silence," he said.

 
Isaiah 62:1 -  For Zion's sake I am not silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I do not rest, Till her righteousness go out as brightness, And her salvation, as a torch that burns.

Offline Ambiorix

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2007, 04:44:29 AM »
Multiculturalism at work
 >:(
Turkey must get out of NATO. NATO must get out of Kosovo-Serbia. Croats must get out of Crajina. All muslims must get out of Christian and Jewish land. Turks must get out of Cyprus. Turks must get out of "Istanbul". "Palestinians" must get out of Israel. Israel must become independent from USA.

Kiwi

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2007, 04:44:54 AM »
Quote
Jews are six to eight times more likely to become Buddhists

I can understand that to a point. Buddhism provides a lot of benefits, and in many ways can be very charming to the soul. I have a few buddhist friends.

I studied some time with the monks here.

But saying that never once changes who you are.

People convert for a number of reasons, and if they chose not to be Jewish then so be it. They would never of whole heartly being complete in their faith to God anyway.

newman

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2007, 10:53:21 AM »
It's all the peaceniks laying the groundwork for this.

Look at all the western half-wits that went off to india to find gurus in the 60s and 70s.

Offline Raulmarrio2000

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2007, 03:23:05 PM »
No aim to offend Budhists, they are very peacefull and respectfull for others. But honestrlu as a Goy I think i'd have problems about befriending a Buddist. Their ideas are basically atheist and their idelas are completely different form both Jews and Noahides. While Torah values life on Earth, Buddism bassically teaches to get rid of existance. What can we share with them???

Offline Ultra Requete

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2007, 04:11:40 PM »
I woud trade 100 budhists for one muslim, but basicly this is another New Age giberish for me. And BTW Budhism is not gonna last long against Jihaad, Afgnistan was once budhist country.
Jeremiah 8:11-17

11 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. Peace, peace, they say, when there is no peace.

12 Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the LORD.

13 'I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them.'

14 Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him.

15 We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror.

16 The snorting of the enemy's horses is heard from Dan; at the neighing of their stallions the whole land trembles. They have come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who live there.

17 See, I will send venomous snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you, declares the LORD.

Love your Enemy
And Heap Burning Coals on his Head!!!
http://net-burst.net/revenge/love_and_wrath_of_God.htm

Offline JTFFan

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2007, 08:39:54 AM »
I woud trade 100 budhists for one muslim, but basicly this is another New Age giberish for me. And BTW Budhism is not gonna last long against Jihaad, Afgnistan was once budhist country.

Really? Afghanistan was once Buddhist? I always thought it was a terrorist muSSlim Nazi KKKountry.

Offline MassuhDGoodName

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2007, 11:56:21 AM »
In my humble opinion, Jews who have been raised within 'secular Jewish' homes have been 'sent a message' by their families and communities that "only a nominal lip service to Torah combined with a rejection of belief in any and all religious dogma" is acceptable for the modern Jew.

This 'secular' upbringing results in deep psychological stresses, as the Jew soon sees that a large majority within the non-Jewish world live their lives by their sincere faith in the tenets of other religious faiths which are antithetical to Judaism.

Adding to the young secular Jews' confusion, is the sense of "psychological balance" and "belonging" which is exhibited by the majority of Christian practitioners with whom they daily interact.

Unable to accept the religious dogma of the majority population, and unable to seek greater knowledge of Judaism and continute to be accepted within the minority community of 'secular Jews' which is the social group to which they belong, a deep hunger for inner spiritual peace combined with an innate sense of their "not fitting in" emerges.

Thus, the alienated secular Jews begin searching endlessly for answers outside of their own religious and cultural upbringing.

The choices available to them are therefore Hinduism, Buddhism, one of the many other 'cult-status' faiths, or officially atheistic political doctrines such as Marxism, in which they can immerse themselves in a futile attempt to become a "normal" and "accepted" person; as if they could "wash away" Torah observance which their community disdains as "old fashioned" and somehow remain true to their families' disdain of a Christianity which rejects Judaism and Jews.

What I have described above is the typical "self-hating Jew" syndrome common among 'secular Jews' no matter where they are found.

The "need to escape" exhibited by the 'self-hating Jew' usually fails, as the Jew comes to understand that he or she remains a Jew in the eyes of others, regardless of whether or not they continue to practice Judaism, and regardless of whether or not they openly proclaim their 'rejection' of their Jewish identity.




newman

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2007, 01:49:19 PM »
Massuh has it right.

Jews raised in secular homes that pay scant reguard or total contempt for Torah and Talmud must (undoubtedly) come to see their own ethnicity with contempt. If the very things that make Jews Jews are seen as out-moded, backward folley, then he will see his 'nation' as something contempable or illegitimate (at best).

Offline Christian Zionist

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2007, 07:53:43 PM »
I also once read (about 10 years ago) in an Indian newspaper that more 40,000 Israeli tourists visit India to "fulfil their spiritual needs"!  Now the figures should be more than 40,000.  In otherwords all these Jews who come to India to "fulfil their spiritual needs" take the new age/yoga stuff back with them to Israel. 

It is surprising how Jews who introduced the True God worship to the world going astray like this!  What is lacking in the Bible that they seek to fulfil their spiritual needs from other heathen sources?
Isaiah 62:1 -  For Zion's sake I am not silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I do not rest, Till her righteousness go out as brightness, And her salvation, as a torch that burns.

Offline ASHISH

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2008, 01:00:24 PM »
It's all the peaceniks laying the groundwork for this.

Look at all the western half-wits that went off to india to find gurus in the 60s and 70s.

Whats wrong with gurus >:(

Offline Ambiorix

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2008, 01:04:27 PM »
It's all the peaceniks laying the groundwork for this.

Look at all the western half-wits that went off to india to find gurus in the 60s and 70s.

Whats wrong with gurus >:(

i guess  it is better that Western people stick to Judaism or Christianity, than to go "shopping" in Buddhism/New age-ism/Global whinism, and so on,
just as kind of snobbism, instead of keeping up the moral values they learnt from the previous generations.
Turkey must get out of NATO. NATO must get out of Kosovo-Serbia. Croats must get out of Crajina. All muslims must get out of Christian and Jewish land. Turks must get out of Cyprus. Turks must get out of "Istanbul". "Palestinians" must get out of Israel. Israel must become independent from USA.

Offline ramen

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #12 on: January 10, 2008, 01:51:53 PM »
It's all the peaceniks laying the groundwork for this.

Look at all the western half-wits that went off to india to find gurus in the 60s and 70s.

TRUE TRUE.

Offline ASHISH

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2008, 10:13:29 PM »
You guys should properly distinguish because unlike islam hindus and budhist didnt promote and force anybody to come so by calling people who visited india stupid you are direspecting that religion.Regarding jews visiting india who could blame them because in israel everybody has to inlist in the army so young people have to get away from he violence and india is a much cheaper place than sweden.

Offline takebackourtemple

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #14 on: January 20, 2008, 08:44:25 PM »
You guys should properly distinguish because unlike islam hindus and budhist didnt promote and force anybody to come so by calling people who visited india stupid you are direspecting that religion.Regarding jews visiting india who could blame them because in israel everybody has to inlist in the army so young people have to get away from he violence and india is a much cheaper place than sweden.

   Ashish, my apologies that you were insulted. The goal of JTF is to bring good people together. I am going to lock this thread temporarily until another moderator decides to unlock it. I believe this thread is dividing good members.

   It's interesting that self-hating Jews have a fascination with India. It is their sickness that they grab onto anything with a moral backbone so they can twist and pervert it. This is not the fault of Hindus and Buddhists and in fact Hindus and Buddhists are victims of this, because once self-hating Jews convert, they become self-hating Hindus or self-hating Buddhists. It's just in their nature.
Does it bother you that you have to face the dome and the rock to say the sh'ma?

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Re: I Can't Believe This - Jews Showing Interest In Buddhism?
« Reply #15 on: January 20, 2008, 09:33:43 PM »
I am going to agree with Massuh and Takebackourtemple. 

Ashish, JTF wants to bring together ALL good people. 

I have no problem with Budhism or Hinduism.   If that's what your religion is and you feel at peace practicing it, and you respect the freedom of others to practice their own religions, then that's great.  But I think the thing that struck a sore nerve with some of the people here is amount of non-observant Jews who are deep down ashamed of their Jewishness and who therefore feel the need to practice something else.  That is what Massuh alluded to, as did Newman.