Betzelem Ish v’Isha: Are We Created in God’s Image? Or Is God Created in Ours?

Betzelem Ish v'Isha: Are We Created in God's Image? Or Is God Created in Ours?

In this week’s parashah, God tells us that life and death, blessing and cursing, are placed before us, and that we should choose life so that we and all of our children and our children’s children shall truly live (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Living and Dying

God places blessing and cursing right in our face and the power to give and take life with just who and how we are, the look in our eyes and our facial expression or smile, and through how we see ourselves and one another.

God places before us life and death and asks us to choose. God places before me and before each individual person living and dying and begs me, you, and us to choose living. When we choose life, we choose to live and to enliven our life and those of others. Only then do we—only then can we—truly become alive.

Continue reading “Betzelem Ish v’Isha: Are We Created in God’s Image? Or Is God Created in Ours?”

Was the Buddha “Engaged”?: The Work of Spirituality, a Buddha, and God Wrestler

Engaged Buddhism: The Work of Spirituality, a Buddha, and God Wrestler

In a recent blog post, I wrote about the intersection of politics and religion, particularly in the Jewish tradition. I received some questions and comments about how this would be similar or different within Buddhism or the various Dharma worlds and was asked to elaborate on my previous post.

These questions have raised an ongoing and challenging one for me: What really is the work of spirituality? What is the work of a Buddha? What is the work of a God Wrestler (one translation of “Israelite”)? Continue reading “Was the Buddha “Engaged”?: The Work of Spirituality, a Buddha, and God Wrestler”