The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Re-Discovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India

by Rodger Kamenetz

While accompanying eight high–spirited Jewish delegates to Dharamsala, India, for a historic Buddhist–Jewish dialogue with the Dalai Lama, poet Rodger Kamenetz comes to understand the convergence of Buddhist and Jewish thought. Along the way he encounters Ram Dass and Richard Gere, and dialogues with leading rabbis and Jewish thinkers, including Zalman Schacter, Yitz and Blue Greenberg, and a host of religious and disaffected Jews and Jewish Buddhists.

This amazing journey through Tibetan Buddhism and Judaism leads Kamenetz to a renewed appreciation of his living Jewish roots.

Genres: Jewish, Religion, Judaism, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Buddhism, Judaica

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 1994

Reviews

[Skylar Burris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I generally read books about religion for two reasons: one, to educate myself with general background and historical knowledge of the world’s primary religions and, two, to gain deeper insight into my own religion and enhance my own spiritual journey. The Jew in the Lotus satisfied both of my hopes for religious nonfiction.

I found my second motivation for reading such works to be especially well described by several participants in the interfaith dialogue depicted in this book, including Omer-Man, who says, “What normally happens to me in this kind of encounter is that…I learn to see myself through the prism of the other’s experience” and Greenberg, who believes “dialogue with other religions can be deeply clarifying of” one’s “own.” This is because (Greenberg again) “dialogue is an opportunity to learn the uniqueness and power of the other and then see if I can now reframe my own religion to respect that power, to stop using negative reasons why I’m Jewish. It leaves me no choice but to be a Jew for positive reasons.” (In my case, I can replace Jew/Jewish with Christian and say the same.)

Though I’ve read quite a bit about Judaism, I still felt I learned a great deal from this book, and I obtained a better understanding of the various denominations and their perspectives. I was aware, however, that I was getting this through a Reformed Jewish lens (even when others were speaking, the narrator was still interpreting and offering commentary). And I was not entirely sure about the information I was getting from the mystical Zalman – is what he says true of historical mystical Judaism or is it his own modern syncretic creation? I felt unclear about that. I also learned about Buddhism and even a tiny bit about Sikhism.

Outside of my own religion, of the major world religions, Judaism is the religion to which I feel I most relate, and Buddhism is the religion to which I feel I least relate. Thus, a book about a Jewish delegation engaging in interfaith dialogue with the Dali Lama seemed to me an excellent choice; perhaps it would enhance my understanding of Buddhism. To me, Buddhism has always seemed to contain a world view, particularly with regard to suffering and desire (as well as anger and other such emotions), that is quite foreign to my own perspective. In an attempt to gain a better handle on the religion, I have read Buddhism Plain and Simple, Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit: The Place of Zen in Christian Life, Buddhism for Mothers: A Calm Approach to Caring for Yourself and Your Children, and The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation, and although I gained the occasional insight to apply to my own life and spiritual practice, I have never felt I could relate to the overall Buddhist perspective. So I thought it would be interesting to see what a group of Jews might learn from the Buddhists, since I find it easier to learn from Judaism than from Buddhism. In the end, however, the insights I gained were (perhaps unsurprisingly) more from the reflections of the Jewish participants than from the Buddhists.

The Jew in the Lotus inspired me to reflect on three things. The first was the very nature, purpose, promise, and pitfalls of interfaith dialogue. At one point, the author wonders why Marc Lieberman, a formerly devout Jew turned devout Buddhist, is more fierce with Rabbi Zalman than with Rabbi Greenberg, who adopts a “more Orthodox position. I had assumed that as a Jewish Buddhist he would be more likely to embrace Zalman’s universalitst approach. This was a paradox I saw with other Jewish Buddhists. Maybe they wanted the Judaism they’d left behind to stay put.” Or maybe religious people who strive to adapt their lives to suit their religions simply have a greater understanding of others who do the same than they do of those who are comfortable with accommodating their religions to the varied expectations and experiences of others. This is something I think many who pursue interfaith dialogue do not grasp. I will confess that when I witness “interfaith dialogue” between Reformed Jews, liberal Christians, and American Buddhists, I sometimes feel that what I am really witnessing is a discussion between culturally specific expressions of the same basically Universalist perspective. There’s not much danger of confrontation or discomfort or offense there, but there’s also not much danger of change, growth – of learning something truly new.

But interfaith dialogue should not be just for universalists. The Jew in the Lotus made me realize why it is sometimes difficult for more orthodox members of religions to engage in interfaith dialogue. While the narrator, a Reformed Jew, initially has trouble understanding the hesitation of the more theologically conservative Jews in the delegation on points he considers mere quibbles (such as calling the Dali Lama “His Holiness”), I actually immediately understood their concerns on a gut, emotional level. Soon enough, however, even the narrator himself realizes these are not mere quibbles but rather are endemic of the core challenge at the heart of interfaith dialogue – how does one engage in such dialogue while staying true to one’s religious identity, theology, and tradition?

I’m with Rabbi Greenberg on this one, who makes a sharp distinction between interfaith dialogue and the crossing of liturgical boundaries. Having dialogue with people of other faiths does not have to mean worshipping with them as they worship or sharing their liturgy, but, unfortunately, this is often expected or required in the kind of “interfaith dialogues” that are conducted today, and this tends to drive away more orthodox participants. From a Christian perspective, I think of those pastors who are invited to pray in interfaith settings but are expected to leave out the concluding words “in Jesus’s name.” And why not?, the liberal Christian asks. To leave them out will mean avoiding offense, and it’s still a prayer to God. To insist on such words is, to the liberal Christian, a mere quibble (as the debate over “His Holiness” seems to be to our Reformed Jewish narrator). But this is not so to the orthodox Christian, who believes that he is commanded to pray in the name of Jesus, and who conceives that this is how his prayers are heard.

But what if we could agree to talk about our faiths without having to agree to say some particular prayer that will not offend some other person? What if we could respectfully listen to the prayers of others without having to pray those prayers ourselves? I think if the orthodox of all religions knew they were being invited to talk and not to co-worship, to talk and not to conform, to talk and not concede that the religion of the other is necessarily true, they would be more willing to engage in interfaith dialogue. True interfaith dialogue does not begin when one accommodates one’s religion to suit another, but rather when one presents one’s religion to another without adulteration. Then let the questions begin. There seemed to be real and useful interfaith dialogue taking place in the Jew and the Lotus, because there were so many different perspectives respectfully presented (even if we did not have insight from the ultraorthodox Jews), and so many open and honest questions asked.

In addition to causing me to reflect on the value and limitations of interfaith dialogue, the book also inspired me to consider why people leave the religions in which they are raised and turn to other religions. Many of the “JuBu”s (Jewish Buddhists) we meet in this book seem to have had an experience that boils down to this – they left their native religion because it failed to satisfy some particular spiritual longing within them, and it failed to satisfy this longing because their unique spiritual needs were not recognized and they were not directed to a path that addressed those needs within their own religion. I see this as a challenge for Christianity also. While there are those who recognize “the varieties of spirit,” this diversity is not widely grasped; people are not generally helped to identify their individual variety of spirit, and they are not generally pointed to the corresponding path within Christianity. Instead, they are too often pushed to conformity with a personality type that is presumed to typify “the Christian.” While in most if not all of the world religions there is a Scriptural or traditional acknowledgment of the fact that different people relate to God in different ways--that some are more mystical, some more intellectual, some more emotional, some more practical—that some come to God through prayer, some through study, some through service, some through art --in institutional practice, adherents are not always exposed to this diversity; their uniqueness are not always recognized, and their particular “variety of spirit” may in fact be marginalized within whatever religious community they happen to find themselves. (The mystic tradition, for instance, tends to be marginalized in both Judaism and Christianity. The path of intellectualism is marginalized in many Protestant traditions.) One “JuBu” in the book remarks, “Maybe I could have been a Talmudic scholar if things had been different.” Alex’s intellectualism was not satisfied by the particular type of Judaism he was exposed to as a child, and so he turned to Buddhism. And yet what riches of intellectualism there are in Judaism! This individual spiritual identification and direction, more than the sort of vague “renewal”, may be what is most useful for retention – a deliberate effort to understand the uniqueness of individual human personalities and to satisfy unique and individual spiritual needs by pointing adherents to the corresponding path within the tradition.

The final thing I found myself reflecting on was the differences between Buddhism and Christianity. The book again pinpointed for me what I have previously thought to be the unique appeal of Buddhism, in that it gives one methods for reaching spiritual goals, which is something that, typically, Christianity, at least as it is practiced, fails to do. (Apparently, at least as this book describes it, this is a problem with Judaism as well.) One is told what to do and what not to do, but given very little guidance on HOW to do it (or not do it). Protestantism, in particular, perhaps because of its heavy emphasis on grace and being saved by faith alone, places little emphasis on the details of spiritual practice. There’s a lot more “how to” in Buddhism when it comes to spiritual discipline and practice, meditation, etc. The Christian pastor will say “do not lust,” but he generally will not tell you, step by step, how to train your mind not to do it.

But, as Kamenetz says, I’m not “ready to declare Buddhism the hands-down winner in the all-around spirituality contest.” As much as I respect the self-discipline of adherents to Buddhism, I still find I cannot relate to it philosophically. While Christianity may not give one much guidance in systematically training the heart and mind, it also has the virtue (usually) of not spending excessive amounts of time in the mind. What I mean is that Buddhism to me sometimes seems concerned with the internal to the exclusion of the external. That is to say, I do not frequently stumble across Buddhist soup kitchens. Christianity may not teach me step-by-step how mentally to feel the compassion I am supposed to feel for others, but if I wish to volunteer at a Christian soup kitchen or a Christian homeless shelter or a Christian food pantry or a Christian health clinic, I have a plethora from which to choose. I think this also relates to the very different ways Buddhists and Christians view suffering. If one believes suffering is always with us, that it is no illusion but very real, that it has not only internal but also external causes, and that it saddens God, then it is one’s duty to work physically to alleviate it, and we cannot simply say, “pray, be filled,” but must first offer the physical means for filling. (I am not implying that Buddhist never engage in physical charity work; I am just saying that this is a much more central focus for Christians, because Buddhist tend to view the causes of suffering as purely internal.)

Kamenetz was joking when he wrote this, but it actually hit on what has probably been my primary, personal obstacle to a deeper appreciation of Buddhism: “Buddhism gets a C- for boring poetry.” I have been emotionally moved, and I think at times spiritually enlightened, by Jewish, Islamic, and even Hindu poetry, but to me, Buddhist poetry has always been a drudgery to read. Again, I think this may relate to differences in philosophical perspective, this time with regard to desire. If desire is viewed as something to be overcome, as a source of the negative, if nonattachment is the goal…well, it is hard to imagine poetry as the result. Poetry does not generally come from a place of nonattachment (to put it mildly).

So I guess this book didn’t make me run to embrace Buddhism or to suddenly say, “Oh, yes! Now that perspective makes perfect sense!” That’s okay. I can respect Buddhists without understanding them. The book did, however, inspire me to highlight a great number of sentences and to reflect on a wide variety of spiritual questions.

[Kressel Housman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not well-known, not even in the Jewish world, but after the Dalai Lama was exiled from Tibet, he looked to Jews for advice on how to carry on a spiritual tradition when separated from one’s Holy Land. I first heard about it when I was a part of the New Age-y Carlebach shul, but even then, I didn’t realize that an actual delegation of Jews went to visit him. This book chronicles that visit.

The members of the delegation were not equal to the Dalai Lama in stature. Perhaps I’m mistaken, but I doubt any Grand Rabbi of a Hasidic dynasty would go to meet the leader of another religion. Interfaith outreach rarely happens in the Ultra-Orthodox world, though there are some admirable rabbis who do this. (Case in point: Rabbi Herschel Gluck of London). The delegation to the Dalai Lama included Yitz and Blu Greenberg, a power couple in the Modern Orthodox world, Rabbi Zalman Schacter, a Lubavitcher who educated himself in Eastern meditation and mysticism, Rabbi Schacter’s student Jonathan Omer-man, Rabbi Joy Levitt of the Reform movement, and the author of the book. Because he is an irreligious Jew, the trip taught him more about Judaism than Buddhism, which may have made for more kosher reading, but since I already knew much of what he was saying, I was kind of disappointed. However, whenever he made comparisons between Judaism and Buddhism, my mind was blown.

The most important comparison centered around the Kabbalistic expression for G-d: ein sof, which literally means “without end.” In conveying G-d’s infinitude, it is also fair to say it means, “G-d is no thing.” Compare that to the meditative focus on nothing, which leads to true enlightenment. This theme is revisited near the end of the book with an explanation of a verse in the Aleinu prayer. “For they bow to emptiness. . . but we bend our knees and acknowledge our thanks to the King Who reigns over kings.” The beginning of that verse has been omitted in most shuls for centuries because the Church took offense at it. That, of course, made for a dangerous situation for Jews, but if “emptiness” refers to the Buddhist concept, and “King of kings” is understood as metaphor, then it’s really just a matter of expressing two kinds of relationship. There’s definitely a divergence, but the verse doesn’t have to be interpreted as a put-down.

Another new concept this book introduced me to was the word “exoteric,” as contrasted to “esoteric.” Secular Jews tend to focus on exoteric connections: ethnic identification and the political concerns about the State of Israel. Religious Jews have the added dimension of inner experience, though as a baalas teshuva myself, I understand that it can take a while to feel internal stirrings from our practice of ritual. The delegation encountered many Jewish Buddhists in the Dalai Lama’s entourage, and the main reason they left Judaism is that they weren't shown its esoteric features. So while the delegation had advice for the Dalai Lama, he gave some to them as well: “Open your doors.” In other words, the esoteric mystical teachings should be made more available to keep seeking Jewish souls attracted to their roots. I know that approach is what attracted me in the beginning – Reb Shlomo, Rabbi David Aaron at Isralight. It took me all the way to the Ultra-Orthodox mainstream. So is it time for me to open my doors? If so, I hope I’ve begun with this review.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Jew in the Lotus” is a true account of a delegation of Jews from a wide range of religious denominations who visit the Dalai Lama in 1990. The Dalai Lama, whose people and way of life are threatened, would like to learn about Jewish survival. The Jewish delegates each come with their own unique perspective on Judaism, which they plan to share. The author, Rodger Kamenetz, documents this journey in full, including the group dynamics, the intra-group tensions, and the dialogue with the Dalai Lama and other Buddhists, many of whom were once Jews (JUBUs).

This book touched me on a variety of levels, and it's going to be difficult, if not impossible, to capture my reaction within the limits of a review someone would actually want to read, and to stick to the book as opposed to going off on ten million tangents. As I read, I found myself taking copious notes, writing down quotes, and talking to every single person I bumped into about the book and how provocative I was finding it. So if you're plodding through this and find your eyes glazing over, don't say I didn't warn you.

I guess the central theme of the book, at least for me, was that of Jewish continuity. After all, this is the Dalai Lama's main question for the Jewish delegates. Aside from that, Rodger, a non-practicing Jew, is interested in why Jews are so frequently drawn to Buddhism and in possibilities for Jewish retention given the increasing attrition rate.

Rodger identifies several contributing factors to Jews' attraction to Buddhism, including Reform Judaism's abandonment of ritual and embracing of universalism:

“…the Reform Jewish strategy pretty much succeeded in assimilating Jews into American life. When JUBUs spoke against Jewish particularism, one could feel that Reform Judaism had succeeded all too well. An ethical ideal of universal justice, freed from the particulars of ritual, left many Jews free to leave the fold. We could be secular, or Buddhist, and still feel connected to these universal values…In our secular times, the sense of chosenness has degenerated from theology to psychology to reflex…I see myself carrying around a sense of being special that has no content. I can also see it in some of the JUBUs—they have become Buddhists in part to get free of it. And as long as Jews make them shake, they haven’t quite succeeded.”

He also points to the lack of Jewish education:

“…too many Jewish kids find their time wasted in religious school…in terms of getting the basic tools – reading Hebrew, studying texts, or even learning the prayer service – my [Reform:] Jewish education failed miserably.”

But the strongest issue Rodger identifies, I feel, is the emptiness of Judaism for many Jews. In fact, the Dalai Lama himself offers a challenge on this.

“In a stunning, if gently phrased challenge, the Dalai Lama asked Yitz Greenberg [the Orthodox delegate:] if our [Jewish:] diaspora observances have changed as a result of now having a state of Israel. Our general laughter was telling. The Buddhist leader was posing the core choice most American Jews now face: give up our Diaspora traditions as irrelevant, or make aliyah. Most American Jews know they will do neither. Instead, we have created, de facto, the space for a third possibility, if only by our refusal to choose the other two.

“The result has been a highly exoteric religion, conditioned by political causes such as support for Israel, and social and family pressures. The pressing issues in American Jewish life today – intermarriage, Israel, anti-Semitism – are either social or political.

“The Jews who are turned off to all spirituality, and the JUBUs and other Jews who have left the burnt house of Judaism for other traditions, are responding, then, to a real crisis. The materialism of much of Jewish life today, the lack of spirituality in our synagogue life, and the failure to communicate Judaism as a spiritual path have led, and will lead, many Jews to look elsewhere.”

And according to the Dalai Lama, “’If you have reason, sufficient reason to practice a religion, sufficient value in that religion, there is no need to fear [attrition:]. If you have no sufficient reason, no value – then there’s no need to hold on to it…’"

Although my Orthodox world is very different from Rodger's Reform background, we struggle with many of the same concerns around ensuring Jewish continuity. Adolescents leaving Orthodoxy is a popular topic, and it was interesting to look at disillusionment with Judaism from a new but relevant perspective.

My Orthodoxy also gave me a special identification with Yitz and Blu Greenberg, an Orthodox couple among the delegates trying to perform a delicate dance as they worked to maintain their commitment to Jewish law while remaining open to the views and preferences of their companions from other Jewish denominations. Yitz and Blu are actually viewed as extreme left by much of the Orthodox Jewish world for their progressive views on pluralism and feminism, but they ironically prove to be the die-hard sticklers for maintaining tradition on this trip.

Rodger’s reaction to Yitz and Blu appears to be a mixture of admiration for their consistency and resistance to their rigidity. Referring to a disagreement where Yitz and Blu took a hard line, Rodger writes:

“Something about the whole focus on this tiny point bothered me. It reminded me very strongly of what I didn’t much like about religious Judaism, an obsessive, niggling quality. Or as a young woman learning about Jewish culture had told me once, to her, Judaism is an old man saying no. With Jews so divided into factions, and some of the factions so self-preoccupied and self-obsessed with tiny points of practice and law, how could we reach out to other groups?”

This is a common challenge, or criticism, of Orthodoxy. On the other hand, the Dalai Lama and even Rodger acknowledge the importance of retaining the integrity of Jewish rituals and law, which is difficult to do once you begin allowing the details to slide:

“[the Dalai Lama:] told Yitz, ‘The points you have mentioned really strike at the heart of how to sustain one’s culture and tradition. This is what I call the Jewish secret – to keep your tradition.’…The Dalai Lama had grasped an essential Jewish secret of survival – memory…The Torah is full of exhortations to remember – to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, to speak of the law constantly and teach it diligently to your children. The sacralization of memory has been an essential feature of Judaism throughout its history.”

That said, Rodger appears to favor the views of Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. Like Yitz and Blu, Zalman's early background was Orthodox but he moved farther away than Yitz and Blu did, becoming instrumental in establishing the Jewish Renewal movement which focuses on mysticism and spirituality and the experiential realm, and far less on the details and established traditions of Orthodox practice. While Yitz remains, with difficulty, within the Orthodox fold despite his pluralistic leanings, Zalman’s innovative practices and beliefs have taken him completely out of it.

Not surprisingly, when Zalman presents his views on Jewish mysticism before the Dalai Lama, they prove unfamiliar not only to the Dalai Lama but to many of the Jewishly educated delegates. Rodger describes their reaction:

“Rabbi [Yitz:] Greenberg, for instance, felt the need to add some spin control. ‘What you’re hearing is the mystical tradition – actually there are two or three. Many in the more rational or more legal systems would not affirm all these beliefs.’ Then Rabbi Joy Levitt piped in, to general amusement, ‘And some of us are hearing them for the first time as well.’”

Although Rodger ultimately comes down on the side of Zalman’s Renewal stance, he does express some skepticism of his own here:

“One part of me kept saying, Does he [Zalman:] really believe all this stuff? Does a twentieth-century man with a computerized wristwatch believe in angels?...To meet the Tibetans halfway, Zalman was doing a lot of translating, a lot of updating, a lot of psychologizing – he was pedaling pretty hard. But was the bike moving? Or was it all an exercise? There is a difference between understanding how a system works, or might have worked for certain Jews in previous centuries – and the next step, which would be living that life today. Zalman had kept saying, ‘That’s in our tradition.’ Yes, but where? And who has access to it now?

“…I came to realize that the key problem for them [the JUBUs:] with the Jewish esoteric was its inaccessibility…the JUBUs were sensing a major gap between theory and practice. Certainly this was true of Zalman’s presentation. As he himself had made clear, very few Jews know much about the deep way, the hidden way, of kabbalah…What gave Rabbi Greenberg’s presentation a firm footing was that he spoke with great integrity of the Judaism that he lived and that represented a solid community of Jews back home. Zalman’s case was different. I felt that he was representing a Judaism that once was, and that yet might be.”

One might argue that Yitz’s Judaism is actually based in reality while Zalman’s is more theoretical. Yitz’s Judaism may be drier and more detail-oriented, but it’s also more grounded. If you want to talk about “living that life today,” the Orthodox emphasis on the practical makes it impossible to forget one’s Jewish tradition, even when completing the most basic activities of daily living.

Rodger's answer to this is that the Jewish Renewal movement needs to expand to include all Jews, and expose Jews to the spiritual content of their own religion. As an Orthodox Jew myself, I take a different view but I agree that many Jews today, practicing and non-practicing, could use an opportunity to reconnect with their spiritual side.

It was fascinating for me to read about the conversations with various JUBUs and their backgrounds. One described himself as having "Jewish roots and Buddhist wings," and while some expressed anger and bitterness toward their Jewish roots, many retained a fond feeling for their origins and expressed openness to the possibility of themselves, or their children, returning to the Jewish fold at some point.

In any case, meditating on this book has helped me forget that I have a house to clean but at some point, we all need to return to the exoteric side of things. To all you die-hards out there who are still reading, thank you and I hope I have successfully conveyed how enlightening this book was for me. And I would love to hear your thoughts.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Jew in the Lotus" is the archetypal JuBu book, and since I am of Jewish extraction and interested in Buddhism, I felt I should read it. I was surprised to find that this isn't a story of one man's personal conversion from one religion to another. Instead, it's a fairly journalistic retelling of the first embassy of Jews to the Dalai Lama, in 1990. Kamenetz is a famous poet, and his writing is frequently lyrical- so much so that by the end I kind of had a headache from all the high-minded seriousness and authentic spiritual renewal he describes. I mean, in a book about a bunch of Jews who go to Dharmsala to meet the Dalai Lama, there should at least be a few jokes- doesn't that sound like a setup to a good one?

Aside from the travelogue, Kamenetz does a nice job describing the what each group can learn from the other. Briefly, the Jews have a lot to teach the Tibetans about maintaining a culture in exile, and the Tibetans have a lot to teach the Jews about renewing their exoteric religion with esoteric spiritualism. There are many similarities between the groups: an emphasis on scholarship, a respect for teachers, and a complex relationship between culture and religion. But there are also many differences, especially the most fundamental one, which is that Judaism is a religion firmly grounded in this imperfect world, which the Tibetans see as nothing but an illusion.

For fans of comparative religion, or Jews interested in the East, I'd recommend the book. For everyone else, you might be left wondering what all the fuss is about.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book - the tale of a group of Jewish rabbis and intellectuals who travel to Dharamsala in India to converse with the Dalai Lama, all told by a poet.

The Jew in the Lotus is many things - a travel narrative (there's much about India, in here - snapshots built word-by-word of markets, temples, shrines, hotels, and the result is as vibrant as a color photograph); a personal journal (Kamenetz went to India as a secular Jew with some suspicion about Buddhism, and returned a spiritual Jew with a deep reverence for what he'd experienced); a commentary on Jewish history since 1945 (how does Judaism honor the memory of the Holocaust while moving forward and growing organically; how does it become again a positive faith, rather than one defined in opposition to those who hate Jews, Kamentz asks?); a study of the divides within Judaism (one of the rabbis declines to attend prayer when a female rabbi leads; others have never heard of Judaism's mystical traditions); and an up-close and personal meditation on Buddhism.

As a model for inter-faith dialogue, the conversations between the Jewish delegates and the Dalai Lama are exceptional - and indeed, I'm sure the model holds for conversations that have nothing to do with faith. What struck me (and the delegates) was that the Dalai Lama never responded defensively to even the most pointed questions. Instead he took a moment, considered what had been asked, and then answered. He treasured new ideas, and every gift given to him was an opportunity for delight. Similarly, the Jewish delegates never avoided speaking the truth, even when it discomfited them, and their questions were never asked in anger, which allowed conversation - rather than rhetoric - to bloom.

Perhaps my favorite part of the entire, layered, complex text is Rabbi Schachter's explanation of Jewish mysticism, which has the Dalai Lama become entranced by the idea of angels. The exchange between the two men is beautiful - they're speaking across two religious orders, and yet finding common ground, even common delight, in the idea that the breath that stirs the grass and sets the trees to dancing is a joyful breath, stirred by angels (or spirits, or energies) that, when taken together, are the sum of the divine, the divine's own joy given expression. The Dalai Lama giggles during the conversation - and I thought . . . what a moment, to be so entranced and thrilled and delighted by someone else's faith tradition that you cannot help but laugh like a child.

[Nomy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is about a group of jewish leaders who go to meet with the dalai lama to talk about spiritual survival in exhile. it was really moving for me. i think it's really effective because the author didn't go there on his own spiritual quest, he went as a journalist, to document the event, but ended up having this really transformative experience. it speaks a lot to why so many jews have a hard time relating spiritually to our own religion, and unearths some really compelling stuff that has been lost/misplaced because of exhile and holocaust...

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing. Made me want to read a book about the cultural histories of Jews in the us and buddhism. This books most glaring weakness was a lack of pointed intersectional analysis of 'Jewishness' - by omission, this book centers a cis male, Ashkenazi, able bodied, middle class 'Jewish experience' very much of the baby boomer age. Anyone have any recommendations about more contemporary, intersectional analysis of Jewish Buddhists/ Buddhist Jews?

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book!

I'm not entirely sure how to even describe it. Kamenetz is a phenomenal writer and is able to articulate and discuss the actual events as they occurred during the meeting with the Dalai Lama, the thoughts and philosophy behind both Judaism and Buddhism as they were discussed (even the esoteric parts), and his own ideas/opinions/thoughts/feelings as they occurred with truth, compassion, love and such authenticity parts of it made me want to cry.

Much of what I saw in this book are things I saw growing up, and continue to see within the Jewish community - so much of this book resonated with me. This was originally published in 1994 and reading it almost exactly 20 years later I despair at all the hope I saw in the book when I look at the current Jewish community. Although steps have been taken to be more inclusive in certain circles I feel that the overall message of the Dalai Lama to the Jews who met with him has not been able to be enacted. You can only extend a hand so far when the people you are trying to reach do not want it. The idea of bringing more mysticism, spirituality, feminine principles and openness to Judaism is a laudable goal and one that I hope more people and communities embrace.

There seems, among certain communities, a defensiveness on the part of Judaism - a belief that "we" were the first, and not influenced by anything else (that syncretism is something that happens only to others and not to Judaism). Reading about the potential Hindu influences into Kabbalistic thought and the relationship between the various mystical aspects of many different religions (Sufism, Buddhist Tantra and Kabbalism) was fascinating and opens up so many doors to conversation, but only if people are willing to listen, only if people are willing to bend. I've seen a disappointing trend towards the more staunch and more ardent lately.

Some of the language - both Jewish or Buddhist - may be confusing for those who have never studied either before. There is a glossary at the back that does a great job explaining all of it. I wish there had been a "cast of characters" at the beginning explaining each of the delegates, their philosophy and their specific reasons for attending the meeting. At times I confused the various rabbi's and it got a bit convoluted.

This is a book that should have been required reading in my high school Jewish philosophy class. When I think of all of the lost opportunities we had for this kind of open discussion and dialogue at school and what we ended up learning instead it's very frustrating. I don't think that this book will/would have changed my own personal opinion and religious trajectory, but it certainly would have engaged me and led to some fascinating talks, ideas and other things to read. I should not have had to learn about the feminine principles within the Torah in a university religion class (where I wrote a paper on the Shekinah in the Old Testament). I went to a Jewish day school until grade 12 - this is something that should be taught with openness.

The issues that I struggled with within Judaism in high school (2001, 2002) had already been so deeply engaged with by others ten years previous, yet none of that came through from my teachers. I remember telling my father once that the issues I had were down to spirituality and mystery - in school we learned the rules and regulations, and everything was very rote and dry. Do this because this Rabbi said so. There were no explanations of the reasons behind the mundane, nothing explaining the joy and love you can find within the heart of your religion if you seek it.

There was none of the mystery and magic you can find when you look hard enough - and that might have made all the difference.

[Marcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would be quite different if it were written today instead of 20 years ago. For one thing, as he roams around trying to figure out why so many Jews turn to Buddhism he would have to look more clearly into the disease that is Zionism. But as a Zionist perhaps his ideology blinds him so he is unable to see that. The book could have been an interesting comparison of two religions. Instead, it is written in the voice of a Jew who clearly sees himself as a chosen person and this superiority emerges regularly, especially when comparing Jews to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Muslims. What I found most troubling in this book was the meeting between the Dalai Lama and the rabbis. Aside from the arrogance they approach it with--only begrudgingly do they think they have anything to learn from him--they go on and on about how the Tibetan exile is just like the Jewish one and therefore the Dalai Lama should follow in the Jews' footsteps. The problem is that there was no Jewish exile (see Shlomo Sand) and the Jews who "returned" to Palestine look a lot more like the Chinese in Tibet. I don't know if this is the origin of the Dalai Lama's misunderstanding of history and reality, but this needs to be rectified as the Palestinians and Tibetans could usefully share their common cause demanding their right to return.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do you get when you cross a group of Jewish scholars (I believe they are all Rabbis) and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people?

- Lots of bickering about what it means to be a Jew
- Some perspectives on similarities between Buddhism and Judaism
- An inquiry into Jewish values that seeks to explain why Jews gravitate towards Buddhism much more than other members of other religions
- A strong desire to go travel in India (or travel in India again)
- Plenty of wisdom from the Dalai Lama, which is never a bad thing

You'll inevitably find yourself taking sides with one of the Rabbis. For me it was Zalman Schachter-Shalomi - check out Jewish With Feeling (I read that immediately after finishing this book). The author doesn't try to hide his own biases either, but that doesn't detract from the ideas of the book.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the impression that the JUBU's needed their "ex" to meet the "new or chosen" one, so that the ex would know why they left and how much better the new one was. They needed the "chosen" one to meet the ex so that it could see from whence they came.
I found it interesting that the Jews went thinking that they were going to teach the Dalai Lama about how a religion could survive in the diaspora. I laughed at Zalman's idea of a Tibetan seder before even meeting the Dalai Lama. Instead of only teaching, the group was challenged as well by the Dalai Lama's questioning why the vast majority of spiritual leaders of the Western Buddhist movement are of Jewish origin.
I have lent this book out so many times that I keep needing to purchase new copies.
It is a must read for anyone in Jewish education.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really packed in a lot. Judaism’s esoteric traditions, Buddhist history and practice, Tibetan politics and survival, Jewish meditation and survival. At times I found it hard to read on as there was so much I wanted to pause and sit with, or words in Hebrew or Tibetan I did not know and names I couldn’t keep track of. But overall I took so much away from this book, which spoke directly to the hunger I have for a more joyous, more energetic and more contemplative Judaism that’s less tied to politics — though centered in justice nonetheless.

To read more on: Tibet today, Jewish renewal (did his predictions come true?) and Jewish mysticism.

[Adam Glantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The riveting account of a dialogue between Jewish scholars and the Dalai Lama in 1990. The Dalai Lama wants to know the secret of Jewish survival, so he can ensure the future of a beleaguered Tibetan Buddhism. The secret may be Judaism's involvement of the entire family, which makes every person a potential bearer of Jewish spirituality. Most forms of Tibetan Buddhism, by contrast, are the preserve of a monastic elite, leaving laymen cut off from tradition. At the same time, the Dalai Lama provides insight for why so many Jews are alienated from their religion, becoming either skeptics or adherents of other religions, particularly Buddhism. Judaism offers profound personal wisdom, but its mystical teachings are less accessible than Buddhist meditative practices. Jewish immigrants jettisoned mysticism in their desire to assimilate, and a lot of the tradition was lost in the Holocaust. Judaism is dominated by ethnocentrisms that evoke little warmth from non-Orthodox Jews. Rodger Kamenetz concludes with the Dalai Lama's pragmatic suggestion that all faiths assimilate spiritual practices that "work". For Judaism, this means greater dissemination of its mystical tradition, kabbalah, a process which can be aided by the expertise of Buddhists (and Jewish Buddhists, or "JUBUs" in particular). The Jewish Renewal movement is engaged in this endeavor.

Kamenetz is well-served by an honest appraisal of ideas. Though faithfully reporting the long lectures on Jewish mysticism, he admits that it's unknown beyond a small elite group, and even the Jewish delegation to Tibet itself had different opinions about it. His concerns are still relevant decades later, and the recent Pew demographic studies suggest they haven't been fully taken to heart yet. Without exaggeration, this is a must-read for anyone concerned with the malaise affecting many streams of Judaism.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fascinating to learn that traditional Jewish mysticism has many concepts and practices similar to those in Buddhism. Maybe all deeply developed mysticisms have such similiaries. However, when Kamenetz seems to argue that what will "save" Judaism in the contemporary world is a new infusion of mysticism... well, I don't know. This seems both simplistic and extremely unlikely to occur (mainstream Judaism becoming highly mystical), and are we so sure that Judaism, which has many varied and vital expressions (from secular to Reform to Conservative to Reconstructionist to Orthodox) needs saving? I guess Kamenetz is talking about "losing" Jews who renounce Judaism as too this-worldly--but I can't really get all worked up about that. Every religion or philosophy or practice has its basic form, and is not going to suit everyone born into it.

[Cricket · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Jewish American, I can identify with his description of Jewish identity, but having experienced the Renewal movement, I can say whole-heartedly that I prefer Reform. The rabbi who followed Renewalism ( is it a movement? A manifesto?) was so out of touch with reality that it was difficult to believe anything he told you.

I've always felt a strong connection to Judaism; my reference has always been this wonderful Reform synagogue in Tennessee that my family belonged to until we moved away. It's always convinced me that Judaism has tremendous power as a community-building religion, the place we moved was just the exception to the rule. Now I'm beginning to wonder if it's the opposite.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worthwhile read. The book is an account of the meetings between a delegation of Jews and the Dalai Lama in Dharmsala, India. As a Christian, it was fascinating to be a bystander to their fascinating conversation. The Temple was destroyed in 70AD and the Sanhedrin were sent into exile not to be heard of again. The Dalai Lama has been expelled from Tibet and the Tibetan Buddhists are now having to reimagine their religion, just as the Jews had to after 70AD. There is much about the conversations that is relevant to all religions in this capitalist age. Are we losing our souls and all we hold dear in the pursuit of money and power?

[Jenifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I needed. Caught between the various denominations of American Judaism, and drawn to the spiritual richness (but not the Orthodoxy) of Hasidism, it was such a relief to read a well written and thoughtful account of this exact struggle.

There is a vital amount of history about the cross-pollination of traditions in here. Sufism & Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism: how they have learned from each other and the hope for how they might continue to do so. It was refreshing and inspiring, and like the author, it left me with a deeper dedication to forging my own unique path as a Jew.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, and it makes me look forward to studying with Zalman Schacter-Sholomi next month. I enjoyed the discussion of angels. According to the Talmud, each blade of grass has a team of angels cheering it on to grow. And each human is preceded by a relay of angels saying "Look out, the image of God is coming!" I wonder how my life would be different if I could be mindful of the angels?

[Chana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book fascinating as someone who knows a fair amount about Judaism, a tiny bit about Buddhism, and just came back from a trip to India. It left me with many questions about the overlap between the two traditions and how a similar dialogue might yield similar or different answers if happened in 2018 instead of when the book was written.

[Pamela Klint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this while "working" in Maui. Literally... I was at the counter reading it at work, in Maui :)

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. It had a lot to say and I tried to absorb as much as I could. It's certainly one-of-a-kind!

[Kimberly Burnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meditation: Jewish Meditation, Buddhist Meditations, Meditation in the Medical Field
The Jew in the Lotus
part of the Jewish Intersections series

What do you think of meditation?
How do you calm yourself?
What do you imagine?
Do you think of your meditation practice as coming from a specific religious or spiritual place?
What are your thoughts on Meditation?

Parkinson's Improved by Meditation?
"Neurodegenerative diseases [ie parkinson's disease, dementia, multiple sclerosis] pose a significant problem for the healthcare system, doctors, and patients. With an aging population, more and more individuals are developing neurodegenerative diseases and there are few treatment options at the present time. Meditation techniques present an interesting potential adjuvant treatment for patients with neurodegenerative diseases and have the advantage of being inexpensive, and easy to teach and perform. There is increasing research evidence to support the application of meditation techniques to help improve cognition and memory in patients with neurodegenerative diseases." - Newberg, A. B., M. Serruya, et al. (2013). "Meditation and neurodegenerative diseases." Ann N Y Acad Sci.

Are You A Cardiologist that Meditates?
"Religious and spiritual associations are common but are not requisite for meditation practice and it should be recognized that the basis of many if not all practices is the training of the brain and body, a process that appears to have profound effects on both structure and function. In recent decades there has been interest regarding the effects of these ancient practices on the cardiovascular system, as meditation has intuitive appeal for benefit in this area. Evidence suggests that meditation may exert beneficial effects on autonomic tone, autonomic reflexes, and decrease blood pressure acutely and after long term practice. In addition, meditation has the potential to positively influence the cardiovascular system through the mind-heart connection and the anti-inflammatory reflex. More high quality and unbiased studies of meditation practices on relevant endpoints in cardiovascular disease are needed, including the effects of such practices on inflammation, baseline heart rate variability, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular mortality." - Olex, S., A. Newberg, et al. (2013). "Meditation: Should a cardiologist care?" Int J Cardiol.

pg. 124 Vipassana Meditation from The Jew in the Lotus

Rabbi Zalman Schachter asks, "What happens in vipassana [insight meditation]? Should you let the mind go along with the dream that it gets into or should you let go of the idea?

"The answer is, in vipassana, gently bring the mind back to the subject, which is the mindless space..."

Zalman, "Does the bodhisattva come off the image, does he really breathe and look at you, do you make that kind of mind form, or is he more like an icon?"

"No, he's living, breathing, he's really there."

Pg 124 Hasidic Meditation

"Zalman shared with them a visualization practice from the Hassidic tradition, as taught by Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk. You visualize a great and awesome fire burning in front of you, and you, for the sake of sanctifying the name of God, overcome your lower nature and throw yourself into the fire as a martyr. "

pg 165 Do You Use Symbolism in Meditation?

"Blu Greenberg asked, if Tibetans had a concept of "holy spaces, sanctified space," like Jerusalem for the Jews or Rome for the Catholics .

To Karma Gelek, "holy spaces are symbols rather than the essence. We don't believe," he said, "in untransportable holy space." - The Jew in the Lotus.
What are your thoughts on Meditation? Monday Sept 16 at 12 noon ET (917) 889-2275 Journey to Meaning http://www.blogtalkradio.com/creating...
Mind - Body Crazy?

Where do you draw the line between meditation, visualization and mental illness?
If you hear voices, see images that aren't "real", are you crazy? What are your thoughts on Meditation? Monday Sept 16 at 12 noon ET (917) 889-2275 Journey to Meaning http://www.blogtalkradio.com/creating...
pg 144 Boundaries.

Zalman, "So there are people coming to Judaism from other, different religions, and there are those who remain with other traditions, and there are some people who stated in Judaism and went to others, and then you have a line - on this side, you're Jewish, and on this side you're not.

"Now imagine yourself drifting off in a rocket looking down at the group at the boundary you call Jewish and before long what lights up on the map is the amount of awareness, like little pinpoints of light. You see the lights of awareness; it's night, so you can't see the boundary anymore. From that perspective all of us are in between."
Compassion, Meditation and Science
"If neuroscientists can conclusively establish that there is a functional network between neural impulses and an individual's capacity for moral evaluation of situations, this will naturally lead to questions about the relationship between such a network and constructions of moral value and ethical human behavior. For example, it may be argued that the world's religions, which have traditionally been the keepers and purveyors of ethical values, are rendered either spurious or irrelevant. Since human beings will still arbitrate what is "moral" or "ethical," how can religious perspectives enrich the dialogue on neuroethical issues and how can neuroscience enrich dialogue on religion? Buddhist views on the nature of consciousness and methods of practice, especially meditation practice, may contribute to discussions on neuroscience and theories about the interrelationship between consciousness and ethical awareness by exploring the role that karma, intentionality, and compassion play in Buddhist understandings of the interrelationship between consciousness and ethics." - Tsomo, K. L. (2012). "Compassion, Ethics, and Neuroscience: Neuroethics Through Buddhist Eyes." Sci Eng Ethics.
Losing Weight Through Meditation?
In a study on the effect of a Mindful Restaurant Eating in Austin Texas on weight management. "Participants in the intervention group lost significantly more weight, had lower average daily caloric and fat intake, had increased diet-related self-efficacy, and had fewer barriers to weight management when eating out. Mindful Restaurant Eating intervention was effective in promoting weight management in perimenopausal women." - Timmerman, G. M. and A. Brown (2012). "The effect of a mindful restaurant eating intervention on weight management in women." J Nutr Educ Behav 44(1): 22-28.

What are your thoughts on Meditation? Journey to Meaning http://www.blogtalkradio.com/creating...

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jew in the Lotus is the retelling and exploration of a meeting between the Dali Lama and major Jewish leaders from around the world in a post-exilic 1990's India. Kamenetz's book is required reading for anyone seeking to learn about Jewish and Buddhist religious and historic crossover.
The book does a great job at articulating the astounding influence Buddhism has on many modern Jews seeking religious fulfilment (nearly 40% of all American converts to Buddhism, historically, are Jewish). Through his investigation of the JUBU (Jewish-Buddhist) phenomena, Kamenetz offers readers a window through which to examine the ongoing spiritual and existential crisis of modern Judaism. While his solutions to these problems are vague and abstract, the seriousness and depth of his thoughts make reading The Jew in the Lotus a pleasure.
The Jew in the Lotus is, fundamentally, a very interesting religious dialogue between two ancient spiritual systems that are surprisingly similar.

[Audrey Evans]

I read this book when it was published; it was excellent! As I try to give away books, this is one that I would never give away - it was a fresh view when I read it: a book before its time.

[Anna Dyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and still so relevant. Insightful and inspiring

[Robin Mandell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It started out a little slowly, providing background and introducing the key figures in this real-life tale.
But after a few chapters I was riveted and couldn’t put the book down.

[Kimberly Burnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughts on

War and Peace:
Are you fighting for peace? Can you literally fight for something that is the opposite of fighting? Does the end justify the means? Where does the duality of war and peace show up in your life?

Exile and Home:
What are you cut off from that feels like home? Do you feel like you are in exile? Are you thriving in exile? Are there parts of your body that feel separate or exiled from the rest of you?

The Jew in the Lotus

Kamenetz, Rodger. (1998). The Jew in the Lotus : a poet's rediscovery of Jewish identity in Buddhist India. Northvale, N.J., Jason Aronson.

5 minute Audio Interview http://rodgerkamenetz.com/jew-lotus.php

"In a series of remarkable discussions, the Dalai Lama and these two learned, ebullient cabalists, Rabbis Schachter and Omer-Man, compare notes on the character of meditation, its structure, rhythms and traditions. To read these chapters is something like walking through a mythic garden. The Jew in the Lotus is the kind of book that seems at first glance, to have been written for a carefully delimited audience: Jews, Buddhists, and Jewish Buddhists. But that is an illusion. It is really a book for anyone who feels the narrowness of a wholly secular life or who wonders about the fate of esoteric spiritual traditions in a world that seems bent on destroying or vulgarizing them. It is a narrative about an extraordinary moment in history, of course, but it is also the chronicle of Rodger Kamenetz's discovery of what he says is a more nourishing Judaism..."
-- New York Times Book Review, July 24, 1994.

Following are streaming video clips from the film, The Jew in the Lotus
http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/0...
http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/0...
http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/0...

"Splendidly written from beginning to end, this is a book that might and should be read for the simple pleasure of watching an honest intellect confront its own image...The Jew in the Lotus is a book that should be read and discussed by those interested in the marvelous complexity and resilience of the human soul."
-- New Orleans Times-Picayune

"This is a truly fascinating book-- a challenging, candid, funny, poignant chapter in the education of a man who thought his religion had stopped speaking to his generation. Rodger Kamenetz is a perfect observer of the exemplary drama enacted in the sky-high kingdom of Dharamsala. An undaunted interpreter of complexities and contradictions, not only does he present a spectrum of Jews of profoundly different styles and Buddhists desperate to preserve the Tibetan way against painful odds, but he also conveys quite memorably the intricate inner lives of the Jewish Buddhists who cross forbidden lines, obliterate distinctions, insist they can be more than one thing at a time without loss. I found every page of The Jew in the Lotus enlightening and engrossing. It should be required reading for those of us who, like the author, have a stake in understanding who we are, whose history resonates with ours, and who we could become if we chose to." -- ROSELLEN BROWN, novelist, author of Before and After, Civil Wars, and Tender Mercies.

"The Jew in the Lotus is a remarkable and important book, articulating a vision of that deep common ground of humanity that even apparently disparate cultures and religions share. And Rodger Kamenetz is a brilliantly elegant prose stylist, so his vision not only touches the mind but that spiritual part of us that is responsive solely to art." -- Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer prize winning novelist, author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain.

"This fascinating tale of two worlds, the Jewish and the Tibetan, is also a profound discussion of religion, exile, and survival in our time. Rodger Kamenetz has written a spiritual adventure story that brings to life the mystery of connections between seemingly different gods. But this is also a poetic manifesto calling for the creative re-thinking of religion and ritual." -- Andrei Codrescu, poet and NPR commentator

Comments from http://rodgerkamenetz.com/jew-lotus.php

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a Thursday in October, just before meeting with the Dalai Lama, author Rodger Kamenetz was reminded of a Hasidic folk tale about “a young man who journeyed many difficult miles to visit his rabbi. ‘Did you go to study Torah?’ he was asked. ‘No, I went to see how the rebbe tied his shoes.’” In The Jew in the Lotus, Kamenetz offers an inside look on the personalities of two popular but struggling religions, Judaism and Tibetan Buddhism, as a group of rabbis travel to Dharamsala in India to engage in meaningful and powerful discussions with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhists. For those questioning their spiritual identity, or curious about spirituality in these two religions, the book offers an easy approach to beginning to understand the culture and faith of both diasporas.

Judaism and Buddhism are two religions very well known by name, but infrequently known in context, sometimes even by Jews themselves. In this book, some Jewish characters are surprised by what they learn about their own religion. Through recorded conversations, interwoven with contextual information from the author, and the author’s personal experiences with Judaism, the ideas from Rabbis and Dalai Lama alike come across very easy. The way Kamenetz puts forth the knowledge he gained during his meetings with the Dalai Lama is written such that it becomes easy for the reader to both understand and empathize.

Kamenetz also includes excerpts of liturgy, midrash, and cultural analysis’ that give a better perspective of Judaism, and help to compare and contrast Jewish and Buddhist teachings. When hearing in-depth explanations of Jewish and Buddhist meditation practices, one not only learns about each religion individually, but also how they are similar in their practices. When discussing two stories with remarkable parallels, Kamenetz writes “Clearly, then, even down to legends, there are “striking similarities” between kabbalah and tantra, as the Dalai Lama exclaimed.” As a Jew, I was unaware of both the meditatory aspect of my religion, and its relationship with Tibetan Buddhism.

An important aspect to understand about both religious minorities is the conflicts they have had to, and do currently, face. By including this in his book, Kamenetz gives the reader the opportunity to develop a more global understanding of what it means to be a follower of these religions. “The glow from the Six Day War has long since faded, and these days many young militant Tibetans find more immediate analogies to their situation in the struggle of the Palestinians, which shows how fickle and complex the uses of history are. But the Dalai Lama made it clear: he still found the example of Israel inspiring.” Kamenetz includes discussion of modern conflicts Jews and Buddhists are facing, giving a modern perspective on religious development.

Following their engagement with the Dalai Lama, the group of Jews Kamenetz is with tours various places in India with religious significance, including a synagogue. Kamenetz goes into depth on the power of these visits, and wraps up his narrative with discussions of spirituality today and in the future. His perspective is interesting, but not overbearing as he provides additional perspectives from notable Jewish and Buddhist thinkers. The book provides powerful insight that greatly impacted my personal understanding of religion and spirituality.

The Jew in the Lotus gives any reader a better understanding of what it means to be Jewish, Buddhist, spiritual, or confused. It teaches us how Jews and Buddhists have shared ideas, and reminds us of the importance of learning from each other’s cultures. This book reminded me that understanding a religion is a lot easier said than done. The nuances touched upon really only scratch the surface, but the book is an inspiration to further explore religions and cultures.

[Kimberly Burnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reincarnation, Life Before and After This Physical Existence

Replay of the Journey to Judaism audio review and discussion at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/creating...

How to you think about reincarnation?
Do you have to do it all now or do you have a thread of lifetimes?

pg 88 (The Jew in the Lotus)

What determines whether an angel in the next rebirth will be a bird or an animal? What is the main factor? Buddhists call it karma." - The Dalai Lama on how rebirth works in Jewish Doctrine.

Why do bad things happen to good people?
Are there such a thing as bad things?

"Serious Buddhists consider the theory of karma a science."

"Beginning with the simple idea of cause and effect; that is every action produces a consequence, teachings about karma confirm that there is an ultimate overall economy of actions. In the long run good actions will produce good consequences for those who do them, and likewise bad actions will produce bad consequences. Since this is not immediately obvious in the world we live in, karma in Buddhist thought presupposes rebirth. The long run includes life after life in various bodily frames, not only human, but also as animals, hell creatures and devas. Rebirth is the Buddhist explanation of why bad things happen to good people. Our actions in one life plant seeds that may not flower or bear fruit until future lives."

"For the Buddhist the goal of purification practices, such as prostration and reciting of mantras, is to release one from the negative effects of previous actions, to purify bad karma."

What is the goal of the Jewish system?
What are your thoughts on reincarnation?

"Each soul has to create a garment. And each incarnation, each remanifestation, we make a little more or we undo a little more. ultimately the goal is to complete the garment, which is a garment of light when it is finished. And some incarnations, we do more damage, we pull more threads out, in other incarnations we put more threads in. So how we are remanifest depends on what we have done in the past." - Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man.

"The two mystical systems of rebirth appeared to have remarkable degrees of similarities."

What if you thought you might be reincarnating in Syria or North Korea or a future environment? Would it change how you think and act today?

Are there lessons to be learned from past Life Regression? Whether you believe in past lives, reincarnation or not?


The Jew in the Lotus

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read The Jew in the Lotus since I have Jewish heritage and I have recently started doing insight meditation, which is a Westernized Buddhist meditation practice. In this book Kamenetz reports on a conference in the early 1990s of several Jewish rabbis and scholars who traveled to India to meet with the Dalai Lama. In the process of reporting on the dialogue that occurs, Kamenetz also explores the "JuBu" phenomena of Jews turning to Buddhism for a greater experience of spirituality.

I learned quite a bit about both Judaism (especially Jewish mysticism, and the recent history of Judaism as a religion in the USA) and Buddhism from the book, and it did make me think about my own relationship to being "Jewish" and what that means. I enjoyed reading about the Dalai Lama's response to the Jewish delegates and the similarities and differences he saw between the two religions. However, I also learned that the question of religion and needing an organized religion within which to experience spirituality is irrelevant to me personally. The practice of meditation that I have taken up is a very different thing from Buddhism as a religion, and my experience is a cultural Jew is a very different thing from Judaism as a religion.

The book itself is strongest when Kamenetz is reporting on the actual dialogue that occurs, the conversations he has with the other Jewish delegates, and the religious practices they use. It is weakest when he describes at length their experiences in Delhi and other parts of India, and when he muses on how to bring more Jews "back to the fold." I found that the book got a bit long-winded towards the end and I skimmed the last few chapters. It felt like he was repeating himself and rehashing ideas that were fresh earlier in the book but didn't need to be gone through again. Overall I recommend the book (at least the beginning) only if the topic seems of particular interest to you.