Mindful Judaism – Jewish Meditation and Contemplative Judaism
A Living, Breathing Judaism for Today and Tomorrow
In just a few days, we celebrate receiving the Torah on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. It may not always feel like we receive the gifts that we want and “deserve” or even have what to offer others or ourselves. Then, what did we receive that fateful day over 3,000 years ago? What are the gifts you celebrate this Shavuot?
Continue reading “I Will Follow “You”: The True Gift of Shavuot”
Over the past month or two, it has taken me some time to write about Tisha B’Av and preparing for the High Holidays, the sacred Jewish liturgical period of the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe and Wonder.
This is in part because of the day to day stresses and changes of life, but also because I have been genuinely wrestling with the meaning and place of brokenness and sacredness, new beginnings and endings, and sacrifice and atonement, especially from the perspective of a contemporary 21st Century Jew and American Zen practitioner. Continue reading “Preparing for the High Holidays: Broken Spirit, Broken Heart (Ru’ach Nishbarah, Lev Nishbar)”
Are you a Jewish Millennial? Are you involved in more than enough to keep any “normal” person busy? All at the same time? Are you achievement oriented? Maybe more than is helpful? Do you value diversity? And each person’s extraordinariness? Are you in relationship with people of different faith traditions and spiritualities? And value each one? Do you enjoy being part of a team and collaborating with others? And maybe need a little more quiet time? Are you spiritual, but (perhaps) not religious? Jewish Mindfulness Meditation may be for you! Continue reading “Are You a Jewish Millennial?: Jewish Mindfulness Meditation May be for You!”
You may have heard or read stories about enlightenment in Buddhism. Much like Jewish midrash, these stories are filled with wonder, miracles, and awe. Is there such a thing as Jewish enlightenment? And what is our enlightenment story?
This upcoming Saturday, we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot (what is celebrated in Christianity as Pentecost). On Shavuot, we celebrate the giving and receiving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai. Shavuot is also called Zman Matan Torateinu – or the Time of Giving our Torah – and is a commemoration of the gift of receiving the entire Torah. Yet what does this have to do with enlightenment? Continue reading “What is Jewish Enlightenment? Kan VeAchshav! Here and Now!”
Over three millennia ago, our Israelite forefathers and foremothers wrestled with their Gods and risked the perilous desert journey from enslavement to freedom. Seven Sabbaths later, God revealed himself, and on that day – as on this day – God spoke, and speaks, to each one of us and All that is Israel. Continue reading “All Alone Together With God: Passover, Shavuot, and the Path from Enslavement to Freedom”
Understanding the world’s great religions and spiritual traditions is not an academic pursuit. It is a participatory sport! True study of the Way lies not in answering the great questions, but in asking them. Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? Yet after many years of meditation and Zen practice, I have become less interested in the questions: Who is God?, Where is God?”, or Why doesn’t God…?. The question that I have grown to ask and appreciate is: What is God? And how can I live my life in this way? Continue reading “What is God?: A Reflection on Purim and Divinity”
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”