Cia Sautter, Ph.D., United Theological Seminary of the Twin
Cities
Abstract
Meditation is now a heavily promoted activity for holistic health and
spiritual exploration. It may be possible to tie this interest to the
growth of Asian religions in the western world. Studying the phenomenon
raises provocative questions concerning the relationship between popular
and organized religious practices in North America. This article explores
some of the questions and possible answers by looking at a specific
example of Buddhism's influence on the revival of Jewish meditation,
in order explore some current American conceptions of religion and spirituality.
Introduction: Thesis and Scope
[1] Meditation has moved from a practice on the fringes into the
mainstream of American culture. Part of the reason for the interest
in meditation may be attributed to the growth of Asian religions in
the United States. What impact the growth of Hinduism or Buddhism
has had on traditional Western Religions in America is debatable.
In this article, I explore specific details of how American Judaism
has been influenced by Buddhism. My emphasis and thesis though is
that because of a profound and popular acceptance of meditation and
the idea of spirituality, religion in America has moved into a past-modern
reality that values the experience of the sacred, pluralism, and community.
The specific exploration of Jewish Renewal offers evidence of the
depth of this new reality in an established western tradition.1
[2] I have been fortunate to be both a participant and observer in
one of the more spiritually adventurous regions of the country--the
San Francisco Bay area. One representative example of the mix of traditions
I experienced there occurred at the Buddhist Spirit Rock meditation
centre on a sunny Easter Sunday, specifically for chanting and meditation.
It was April 15, and the last day of Passover. Leaders for the event
noted with laughter that it was also the day before income tax was due,
so people were perhaps in special need of meditation.
[3] The day was then spent singing Indian kirtan chants, and
sitting in Buddhist influenced meditation. Led by serious and studied
Jewish American practitioners of these traditions, the mostly white,
middle-aged participants sang, danced, and sat silently in meditation
throughout the day, gleaning insights from Eastern spirituality. The
event was not so unusual for Marin, California. But I also experienced
this combination of chanting and meditation the following day at a Jewish
meditation centre in Berkeley called Chochmat HaLev--Wisdom of the Heart.
Echoing what occurred at the more established Spirit Rock, the differences
were still apparent. Chochmat rhymed with Spirit Rock, but presented
a Jewish experience.
[4] Rhyming is the use of matching sounds. In a poem, the sounds
may be the same, though wording is different. As North American culture
becomes more diverse, there is an apparent rhyming of religious traditions,
as evidenced by my experience. I propose that this was not an isolated
incident. The example provided by Chochmat suggests that the change
is not simply a matter of trendiness, but indicative of a new cultural
narrative that allows for increased intra- and inter-religious dialogue.
Pluralism, Meditation, and American Culture
[5] A new openness in attitude towards embracing a variety of religions
in North American culture may signify a paradigmatic shift in how people
think and perform religion. Eugene Borowitz wrote of such a change
in Renewing the Covenant in the early 1990s, revealing what he
saw was the effect of post-modernist thought on American Jewish practice.
His conclusion was partially based on the work of Abraham Joshua Heschel,
and his conception of Judaism's covenant being the Torah. The covenant
theory eliminated the need for Judaism to discriminate against other
religions and nations, as they also had their own covenants. In effect,
it also allows for Jews to embrace a pluralistic society that appreciates
other religions. Borowitz however, did not deal with the American cultural
context of religious plurality. In fact, he even dismissed the effectiveness
of meditation practices related to Eastern traditions. While he does
find the practices worthy, raising individuals' level of consciousness
past the self and towards "ULTIMATE Reality," he states that
he finds that most people do not have the time or desire to pursue this
course (1991, 25). It also appears that he does not find meditation
more than a matter of self-pursuit, when he states that the purpose
of this activity is for the individual to find "absolute"
self (1991, 25).
[6] When Borowitz makes this statement, he specifically refers to
transcendental meditation and yoga. The path he finds most people prefer
is the "warmth and habituation of . . . long-hallowed religious
practices . . . necessary to nullify the pernicious effects of modern
culture" such as fundamentalism offers (Borowitz 1991, 25). He
does not deal with Jewish meditative traditions at all, yet within ten
years of this writing, America has in fact become quite imbued with
meditation as a religious and spiritual practice, including interest
in the Jewish forms.
[7] The U.S. has experienced greater exposure to meditation in the
past few decades, with an increase in the number of first and second
generation immigrants from Asia. In her book Working on God,
journalist Winifred Gallagher remarks that "almost by osmosis .
. . religious pluralism has subtly yet significantly modified many spiritual
lives" through "practices such as Hindu yoga and Zen meditation...which
more than a quarter of Americans now accept" (1999, xx).
[8] Buddhist, yoga, and even Sufi meditation
have been practiced by white, Western Americans for many years, including
notable Jews such as Alan Ginsberg. In some instances, this was an
appropriation of other traditions, and in others a reach for spiritual
development. Diana Eck reminds us that Alan Watts even labeled the
phenomenon in the 1950s by describing "beat Zen, square Zen,
and Zen Zen" to differentiate between trend followers, serious
students, and those born into Buddhism (2001, 190). With Chochmat,
however, serious students of Judaism are finding Buddhist mindfulness
within their own tradition. The East has been found in the spirituality
of the West, yet the distinct traditions of Judaism are honoured.
It is an example of what Eck has labeled "pluralism." According
to Eck, this encounter with religion is one that "does not displace
or eliminate deep religious commitments or secular commitments . .
. .It is rather, the encounter of commitments . . . .pluralism is
engagement with, not abdication of differences and particularities
. . . ." (2001, 71). In this particular instance, rather than
dwelling on differences and particularities, Jewish engagement with
Buddhism has resulted in recommitment to Jewish Spirituality.2
[9] Chochmat is an intriguing place to observe religious life in America,
as a meditation centre that clearly realizes the experience of Eastern
religions. My own interest in meditation grew from participating in
the centre's Monday night sitting groups while studying for my doctorate.
Also regularly attending yoga centres for ecstatic kirtan chant nights,
I became fascinated with how and why white Westerners were practicing
spirituality, for these were the majority of participants at these events.
[10] In my initial research of the phenomenon,
I found articles on appropriation and appreciation of other religions
in American culture, many tending to label all instances an appropriation
of other cultures. Recent philosophic and theological writings on
diversity did condone learning between religions, but also labeled
pluralism as problematic.3 As a resident
of the wonderfully multicultural, multi-religious Bay area, I found
such academic views quite limited. Eck's study of diversity in American
religious practices did address some of the phenomenon.
[11] What I experienced at Spirit Rock and Chochmat may be viewed
as not just the influence of Eastern Religious practices, but as an
actual change in how Americans practice Western religious traditions.
Winifred Gallagher comments on this change, calling it "millennial
pluralism" and asserting that it is not a new phenomenon in the
history of religion. However, this pluralism has " . . . become
much more rapid, individualized, and complex, in that there are many
more toolboxes [for spirituality] to be drawn from. Just as the new
global information culture supplies us with world news, scholarship,
and music, it brings us the world's religions" (1999, 155). Many
of these new "toolboxes" were evident at Chochmat HaLev.
Jewish Meditation: The Experience and Background
[12] The day before my trip to Spirit Rock, I attended a Saturday
morning Shabbat service at Chochmat. A new, well received contemplative
offering of the centre, the service consisted of silent meditation,
followed by Hebrew language chants reflecting the traditional parts
of morning prayer. A few words from mediation leaders Rabbi Jonothan
Omar Man and Dr. Nan Fink followed. Quiet and reflective, it was the
counter to Chochmat's wild and popular Friday night services of exuberant
song, dance, and drumming for a traditional, if not somewhat orthodox
service. Over 300 people of all ages flock to the Friday Shabbat service,
which grew out of the centre's meditation sits. It has grown so popular
that the centre now must limit seating for safety.
[13] Chochmat is a meditation and learning centre that presents Jewish
mysticism as a form of mindfulness. Judaism is not noted for its meditation
practices, but according to the centre's promotional brochure, they
are part of the Jewish spiritual tradition.
There are different meditation forms. Some forms concentrate on
loving kindness (chesed) and some on complex formulation of the mind
(kabbalistic). Some rely on repetition [of words] . . . Many of the
rituals commonly associated with Judaism are really subtle meditations
meant to aid us to come to a deeper understanding of the One.
The brochure also lists chanting, learning, private counsel, directed
self inquiry, generosity, selfless service, loving kindness, and Shabbat
as specifically Jewish spiritual practices offered at the centre.
[14] What is Jewish meditation then? Monday night meditation sittings
perhaps resemble what one might think of a Sufi gathering rather than
a group of Jews praying. The sitting begins with several minutes of
chanting, followed by twenty to thirty minutes of silence. Some have
also noted that the techniques for meditation used by the leaders are
quite similar to Vipassana Buddhist meditation. Centre director Avram
Davis studied with Buddhists in India, but claims he is presenting a
Jewish practice.
[15] Davis, who earned his Ph.D. in Comparative Philosophy, explains
that when he was twenty-three, he went to India because he wanted to
"feel more of that joyful compassion" of God Judaism labels
chesed. Notably, he says that "since I couldn't seem to
find it in America, I traveled to India. In India, he "sat on
the red sandstone steps with Buddhist priests and Hindu sadhus"
(1997, 27-28). He did not find what he was looking for in these traditions,
but did find it among the Hasidic community in New York. In their practice
of kabbalistic traditions, he found the compassion of chesed. His own
study and experience led him to conclude that there are Jewish mediation
traditions. He points to biblical and kabbalistic texts as historical
evidence, but also acknowledges that much of the tradition was lost
with the Holocaust. According to Davis, "the destruction of the
foundation of transmission [of spiritual practices] resulted in widespread
ignorance regarding the Kabbalah, Jewish spirituality, and Jewish meditation
and contemplative practice" (1997, 16,18-21).
[16] Chochmat has sponsored national Jewish Meditation conferences.
Speakers at these events are noted experts in the field from across
the United States, with extensive training in Judaism, psychology, or
both. The number of teachers is impressive. They include Dr. Nan Fink,
the co-founder of the centre and a psychotherapist; Jewish contemplative
meditation scholar Jonathan Omar Man-founder of Metivta, a centre for
contemplative Judaism in Los Angeles; Rabbi David Cooper, author of
the best-selling audiotape series The Mystical Kabbalah, renowned
chant leader Shefa Gold; and former Zen Center director Rabbi Alan Lew,
the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco and
the founding director of Makor Or, a centre for Jewish meditation.
In addition, the 2002 conference also included Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener,
a freelance counselor, teacher, and rabbi based in Hartford, Connecticut;
Rabbi Ted Falcon, Ph.D., among the earliest teachers of Jewish meditation
in the U.S.; Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, a Jungian therapist and the founding
rabbi of the Jewish Renewal Congregation of Boulder, Colorado; and Rabbi
Miles Krassener, Ph.D., the director of the ALEPH Gates of Eden distance
learning project and former Associate Professor of Religion at Oberlin
College (www.chochmat.org).
[17] The meditation conferences have been quite successful, with over
600 people attending in 2002. Since the initial conference, the location
has alternated between New York and San Francisco. The 2002 conference
in San Francisco was titled "Opening the Heart" and described
as "rare opportunity to learn about and experience the Jewish path
of opening the heart" with "world-renowned scholars and spiritual
leaders" (www.chochmat.org).
[18] The number of people attending the conferences, and the success
of the workshop leaders in their own communities, indicates a strong
interest among Jews in developing a sense of spiritual identity. There
are several possible reasons for the interest. Exposure to other cultures
and other ways of developing one's religion might be considered a strong
factor in the San Francisco Bay area. An oft quoted conversation starter
in Berkeley was mention of a survey indicating that forty per cent
of Jews in the area considered themselves Buddhist. According to Roger
Kamenetz, author of The Jew in the Lotus, the actual statistics range
from six to thirty percent, indicating that a disproportionate number
of American Buddhists come from a Jewish background (1994, 7).
[19] The influence of Buddhism had definitely made a significant impact
on the area. Under this influence, and in recovery from the Holocaust,
some Jews developed a more spiritually centered view of their tradition.
Kabbalistic mystical traditions were delved into as part of the process
of renewing the Jewish religion in America. Writing about his own understanding
of Jewish renewal, Rabbi Michael Lerner reports that he found a need
for the inclusion of a spiritual focus in the tradition, as the many
individuals he spoke to found Jewish practices "empty" of
spiritual meaning. A post-holocaust generation, they had not been taught
about prayer, Jewish mysticism, or the relationship between their own
beliefs, their experience in the world, and Jewish values. The people
he interviewed reported that they were taught that Judaism was about
suffering, the Holocaust, and Israel. He states:
No wonder then, that some turned to other spiritual practices or
even other religions. Many had discovered within themselves a deep
spiritual hunger [especially being the first post-holocaust generation].
But on the basis of their childhood experiences, few of them had suspected
that their spiritual needs could be satisfied within the framework
of Judaism. Those of us, and I was one, who had happened to stumble
onto those areas of the Jewish world where spirituality was emphasized,
could count ourselves lucky indeed"(1995, 6).
[20] Lerner points out that he is strongly influenced by the thinking
of his teacher, Abraham Joshua Heschel. However, one of the primary
founders and leaders of Jewish renewal has been a decidedly pluralistic
thinker. Rabbi Zalman Schachter Sholomi comes from a Hasidic lineage
of Jewish mystics, and set his mission on interpreting those traditions
for a new generation. In his writings, he acknowledges that there is
not only an interest in spiritual practices of other religious traditions
among Jews, but that with the diversity and pluralism in the world today,
there is a necessity to learn from other religions.
[21] Shalomi speaks of this time as the "Aquarian Age,"
writing of it as "experiential" and "humanistic,"
as well as "mystical" and "ecumenical." By mystical,
he means particular, esoteric practices of a religion, such as meditation.
In his view, comparing practices across religions in this time has become
a means of looking at similarities of purpose, despite differences in
exact beliefs and theologies:
The hallmark of the Aquarian Age is that the esoteric takes the place
of the exoteric, and there is more agreement concerning the esoteric
teachings and their empirical values than concerning the exoteric
aspects (1993, 24-25).
[22] Importantly, he explains that while this Aquarian Age is "universalistic”,
it is a universalism that looks at the practice of different religions
to distinguish particulars. And while this humanistic view of the world
judges a religion by its practices of raising consciousness, Judaism
still has something to offer through its mystic spiritual traditions,
as do Islam and Christianity (1993, 22-23). In other words, in his
view the East doesn't have a monopoly on spiritual practices.
[23] While Shalomi finds that Jewish kabbalist traditions may provide
the religion a means of encountering the "Aquarian age," he
also states that he understands why Jews have turned to other traditions.
In Paradigm Shift, he even justifies reasons for a Jew to practice
Buddhist meditation, and mentions that he himself taught at Naropa,
a Buddhist oriented school. Providing advice to a Jew who has practiced
Zen meditation, Shalomi replies that he does not see a problem with
this:
If you ask whether it is okay for you to adorn Buddhas, light incense
sticks, chant mantras, etc., from what I know of Zen and its aims,
yes . . . .from what I know of the attitude that Zen has to the function
of the sacramental acts and their meaning, I know of nothing objectionable
(1993, 42).
[24] Shalomi continues to relate that he even understands why Jews
would be attracted to this practice, as it may provide a spiritual experience
not currently promoted by Judaism. Furthermore, he explains how other
religious traditions might shed new meaning on Jewish practices (1993,
41). But Shalomi is also not surprised to find Jews recalling their
own religious background when practicing Eastern religions.
[25] Shalomi recognizes that there are aspects of Judaism that are
unique, and that have been missed by those finding spiritual solace
in Buddhist, Sufi, or Hindu practices. Writing in response to an inquiry,
he says:
You told me that you were glad to hear a Zen prior, Sufi Shaikh,
and ..Sadu, all of Jewish birth, discuss their journey. Especially
when it was . . . admitted that almost all the seekers of Jewish extraction
had experienced the intrusion of schmaltz, warm Jewish devotional
images in either their own Bhakti [Indian ecstatic devotion], or making
talmudic insight connection in Jnana, intellectual contemplation or
other Jewish intrusions into their emptying.
They concurred that repressing the Jewish stuff brought about an
inner drying up, and so they reopened themselves to the Jewish stuff
. . . (1993, 40).
For Shalomi, the Jewish Buddhist, Sufi, and Yoga practitioners are
opening themselves up to a return to a spiritually reinvigorated Judaism
via non-Jewish practices. He notes that he also finds it important
to realize that these Jews are seeking a return to God not out of fear
of disobeying commandments, but rather out of love (1993, 40).
Spirit Rock Buddhism and Jewish Renewal
[26] Paradigm Shift was published in the early 1990s, and many
of the essays were written in the 1980s. Since that time, the Jewish
meditation practice had grown considerably. The popularity of Kabbalah
has spread to include those beyond the Jewish community, with books
and tapes on the subject even featured in catalogs selling popular spirituality
resources. Before Chochmat, and after the Beat Buddhists of the 1950s,
however, there was the establishment of American Buddhist centres by
Jews. Spirit Rock, for example, was founded by Jack Kornfield and Sylvia
Boorstein.
[27] Jack Kornfield is a California Jew who studied at Naropa in
the 1970s. He originally went to Thailand, India, and Burma to train
as a Buddhist monk. He also holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology,
and is currently well known for After the Ecstasy, the Laundry,
a book on meditation and daily living. Sylvia Boorstein is a psychotherapist
who has taught meditation since 1985. Boorstein published That's
Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist, where she pointed out the similarities
between Jewish and Buddhist belief and practice.
[28] According to Spirit Rock's web site, the "Meditation Center
is intended to be a place that always looks in two directions: inward
and outward," matching a human need to look inside oneself, while
also considering the larger world, complete with its problems. The
stated mission of the centre is "to help each individual find within
himself or herself peace, compassion, and wisdom, through the practice
of mindfulness and insight meditation (Vipassana), and to support the
individual in taking those qualities into the world" (www.spiritrock.org).
[29] Comparing Chochmat HaLev's mission and offerings, there are some
obvious differences, but noticeable similarities. Meditation is at
the heart of both centres. Spirit Rock's practice of Insight meditation
is a process of one becoming aware of one's own thoughts through sitting
in meditation. Chochmat's Ayin/emptying meditation goals are similar,
though the techniques are different. Service to the world and the idea
of compassion are also integral to Chochmat's mission. This is reinforced
at times with some meditations focusing on chesed--loving compassion.
[30] Spirit Rock states on its website that its "inspiration
is the Dharma," which they describe as "the deepest truth
of life, beyond words and concepts" and that this Dharma path is
reflected in all their programs and trainings in retreats," which
promote "wise relationship, study, hermitage, service, and spiritual
practices, in the world." In this statement, you could replace
Dharma with Torah or replace the Jewish vocabulary of Chochmat's mission
and service statement with Buddhist terms. Chochmat is not a copy of
a Buddhist meditation centre, or even a Buddhist Jew's mediation centre.
It is a place with uniquely Jewish affinity. With it's inclusion of
Jewish worship services, ecstatic as well as contemplative practices,
emphasis on joy, and starting point in community, it is a centre that
offers what Shalomi labeled a Jewish offering for the Aquarian age.
It is a post Buddhist-Jew phenomenon, even though it may very well be
an outgrowth of Jewish involvement in Buddhism.
[31] Having visited Chochmat HaLev once again, after living in the
Midwest for several months, I was struck once again by its vitality.
The Friday night services continue, with new Hebrew chants already
memorized by participants. At a service during the holiday of Sukkot,
less than a month after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the
Torah talk for the evening was one addressing fear in troubled times
and the symbol of faith represented by the frail Sukkah--a
hut made of palm branches. Presented between traditional prayers,
song, and joyous spontaneous dance, the sighs and nods of the congregation
signaled that they were touched by the message.
[32] The following Monday, the centre's new
artists guild presented mezzuzot4
to be placed at every doorpost in the building. The usual Monday
night meditation followed, with a special presentation following--a
gift of a Torah scroll to Chochmat. There were enough people in attendance
to form a circle around the room. The scroll was unrolled, and those
in the circle gently held it up. There was a great deal of noisy
chatter as Hebrew readers stepped into the circle, turned around,
read, and translated the sections of Torah people were holding. A
reception followed. This was a Jewish event after all, with food,
talking, and tradition in full view. This would not happen at Spirit
Rock.
Culture and a New Religious America
[33] Religion is a part of culture, and what happened in Berkeley
is happening across America. While not the only influence on the phenomenon,
Buddhism has made a significant impact on making the concept of meditation
acceptable and appealing to many. Currently, it is a very popular and
highly promoted activity, especially for stress reduction, with even
Health Maintenance Organization newsletters offering instructions for
what appear to be Vipassana meditations. Whether or not Buddhism in
America has had a significant impact specifically on Judaism remains
in question, but there have been notable writings about Jewish Buddhists,
most notably by Roger Kamenetz. In The Jew in the Lotus, he
interviews and provides comment from prominent America Jews who have
become Buddhist leaders. Their perspective is interspersed in the book's
chapters describing the journey of a Jewish delegation to visit the
Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India.
[34] In The Jew in the Lotus, Kamenetz includes comments by
Zalman Schachter Shalomi, who was a member of the delegation. He states
that American Jews who had become Buddhists were initially drawn by
the appeal of the exotic, and that the more esoteric kabbalistic traditions
that might have appealed to them were suppressed. What they encountered
instead was a surface-level Judaism.
First-it doesn't feel real if it comes from their own thing. If
you come to shul on Yom Kippur--this is the gross level, yah?--and
you know you're going to be hit for the United Jewish Appeal and the
building fund, you can't take your own tradition seriously (1994,
150).
[35] In a later publication, Stalking Elijah, Kamenetz relates
how his own personal journey toward embracing his Judaism was affected
by his trip to Dharamsala. While the story of an individual, his story
suggests how and why Jews who explored Buddhism became interested in
Jewish spiritual traditions. He again quotes Shalomi, who describes
why the often maligned "dualistic" qualities of Judaism such
as a sense of history, tradition, and nationhood are in fact essential
for survival. Kamenetz concludes that:
For Zalman, the very duality that we are sometimes ashamed of as
Jews is also a great strength. The machinery of our tradition, the
old Bentley station wagon, has life not only for Jews, but as a model
vehicle for others (1997, 316).
[36] The "exotic" has not been the focus in American organized
religion in the 20th century. The culture of America in the past forty
years was one that laid emphasis on corporate growth and science and
technology, rather than developing higher consciousness. Many synagogues
and churches were modeled on a corporate structure that processed children
through educational programs. Equally noticeable, religion lost favour
with popular culture as the territory of the superstitious and staid,
the conservative "moral majority" type, or the crabby "church
lady" of Saturday Night Live who told everyone what to do. Conversely,
Eastern religious practices stressed community, quiet reflection and
development of consciousness, and service to the poor. The appeal was
also in its presence as counter-culture or an alternative to the established
rituals of American Western religions.
[37] Wes Nisker, a journalist and teacher at Spirit Rock, writes of
specific reasons for many of the baby-boomers turning to Eastern religions.
The reasons he gives involve the presence of technology that could destroy
the world, a questioning of past theological assumptions, a change in
understanding of the nature of the Universe, and increased knowledge
of world cultures. According to Nisker, baby-boomers grew up during
a time that questioned reality as never before, for "old truths
have been overturned, old gods deposed, and all previous history washed
away." In particular, he points out that physics in the atomic
age meant that the world was not what it seemed to be. Matter was not
matter, so "there was no solid ground on which to stand."
If the universe was not what it seemed to be, then questions about ethics
were raised. The phrase "it's all relative" arose, meaning
there was no absolute truth to depend on (2001, 50).
[38] If there was not absolute truth, then a theology dependent on
an omnipotent and omniscient God also came into question. Nisker relates
that Time magazine even had a cover story entitled "Is God
Dead?" in 1966. He then comments that "it seemed clear to
many of us that even if God wasn't dead, he was at least having a midlife
crisis." Significantly, he adds that it was not only doubts about
God and the universe that bothered the baby boomers, but doubts about
themselves. In an age of psychology, he says, "our parents told
us to be moral and good citizens, and yet we read in our high school
and college textbooks that primal instincts were what ruled our behavior
" (2001, 49, 50).
[39] In a world of shattered beliefs and values, concurrent with conspicuous
consumption and material wealth, religions like Hinduism and Buddhism
offered some relief. According to Nisker, Buddhism was especially welcome
as it dealt with consciousness and community--a means of finding an
authentic voice within one's self through meditation. Yet the meditation
was one that removed isolation, and helped individuals see their lives
in the "context" of a larger reality. The Buddhist past was
well-suited to our particular brand of confusion . . . The Buddha's
teaching was a way of dealing with the disruption of the social roles
and world views, and with the horrors of history . . . It offered us
the solace of vast perspectives and methods to cope with the torrents
of change (2001, 49).
[40] Nisker also starts his comments in a self reflective manner,
asking why a Jewish boy from Nebraska would choose Buddhism. He contrasts
the Jewish beating of breasts for atonement with the Buddhist practice
of sitting in cool, detached meditation-- not exactly a positive image
of his own religious heritage. Of course, not all Baby Boomers shared
this perspective or joined Eastern religions. Some did try on a different
religion, such as Chochmat founder Davis. But, they didn't find the
other religions satisfying and began to explore their own traditions.
[41] Since the 1960s, the diversity of and access to a multiplicity
of religions has increased dramatically, and many more people have "tried
on" Eastern Spirituality. Along with the New Age we have all kinds
of other religions. But rather than resulting in a nation of Christian
Buddhists and Hindu Jews, the experience has prodded a growth in spiritual
development. Being "spiritual" rather than religious has
even become a common phrase explaining a person's view of higher reality.
While the lack of attachment or interest in an established spiritual
community has been disturbing, if not a verdict of perceived ineffectiveness
of Western religious organizations, decided changes in what it means
to be spiritual have arisen with the trying on of other religions.
[42] Scholar of religion John Berthong describes people who call themselves
"spiritual," meaning that they distance themselves from
"religious practices of their parents." This would not
be the case for Chochmat HaLev, which has as Berthong states, found
something "beyond that old-time religion.'" He continues
by stating that while interest in the religions of others and "spiritual
seeking" might be "dismiss(ed)" as "mindless syncretism
or as nothing but New Age froth," this type of "strategy"
is one of denial. He concludes that it is important to ask if current
"religious borrowing" is correct, and questions what is
really happening (2000, 25, 29). He also notes that in this time,
and in this modern diversified culture, there is value in exploring
a variety of spiritual practices. He refers to Stanford Professor
Lee Yearley's argument, derived from Aristotle and Aquinas, that "we
need to develop new virtues to go with the new times, including ways
to deal with religious pluralism" (2001, 94-95).
[47] More specific to interest in meditation, Berthong comments that
Western religious faith communities may of course serve as a base for
study of contemplative and meditative traditions. The new virtues that
develop in individuals when they explore other religions may be quite
old, even with a notable but forgotten history in Judaism or Christianity.
This is the point Davis makes with his effort to promote a Jewish meditation
tradition.
Past Modern Judaism
[48] More than a new means of presenting the religion, Rabbi Susan
Handelman suggests that a renewal of the seemingly pre-modern may
be exactly what is required for postmodern Jewish existence. In an
essay written in response to Borowitz's Renewing the Covenant,
Handelman makes several key points about the current state of Judaism,
offering her comments partially as a haggiah - a meditation,
and with frequent mention of the Jewish mystic Nachman of Bratislav.
Her conclusion is that rather than rational discourse, people today
find themselves in need of spiritual development, and that resources
for those of us living in post or past modern times may be found by
looking within our own traditions, while being open to the voice of
others.
Today, people are looking desperately for God and for a communal
and personal expression of that connection. We jostle against one
another in this post modern, multicultural word, which is secular
only on the surface. "Post modern" thinkers also need to
be equally careful not to negate the deep spiritual resources in what
seems to be "pre-modern" but is only so on the surface.
The Divine light is refracted through many prisms. And any post modern
Jewish thought must be able to address common human experiences of
pain, loneliness, confusion, yearning, sorrow. A post modern Judaism
must be open to the voice of the other (2001, 196).
[49] Handelman demonstrates her point of finding answers for a post
modern world throughout her essay by referring to Jewish kabbalist
spiritual traditions of meditation on a concept rather than construction
of discourse, of argumentation of a point being comparable to tzimtzum
- a crossing of nothingness or contraction and finding God in the
processor the importance of being able to sing a niggun or
tune composed of fragments of other melodies. She finds that these
techniques of the anti-rationalist Nachman a means of moving past
the polarities created in the modern world. Such dichotomies include
self and community, Jew and world, and secular and sacred.
[50] Handelman acknowledges that post modernism has permitted us to
move past a Kantian notion of the self being the centre of truth and
past a "sterile antinomy of autonomy/heteronomy." In her
essay meditation, however, she suggests that within Judaism the teacher-disciple
model might be resurrected as model for learning how to listen for the
"divine will." We are to learn from the Jewish masters about
our relationship with God. Her concentration is on Judaism, but given
Handelman's final comment on being open to the voice of others, her
observations do suggest that she thinks hearing the divine will might
be accomplished through study with teachers of other traditions (2001,
178).
[51] While Handelman's haggiah-meditation is an essay flowing
with thoughts about a past modern Judaism, meditation as a whole is
an activity of quieting the self to hear and see divine truth more clearly.
Contrary to the pick and choose, self-centred "McReligion"
Huston Smith warns against, the practice of meditation is meant to move
one beyond self as the centre of the Universe. Most decidedly, Eastern
traditions have maintained a process of learning based on meditation
and a teacher-disciple model. This is perhaps the appeal to a Western
culture, which as Handelman notes has a deep thirst for spirituality
(2001, 180-82). In response to Christian theological study, Judaism
in the modern and post modern period has downplayed these aspects of
its history and tradition. Dividing the world into secular and sacred
realms was also not an innate aspect of Judaism. Quite the opposite,
Judaism is a way of life and learning that has included substantial
spiritual traditions. While study and argumentation of points in Torah
and Talmudic text have been an important aspect of Jewish life as people
of the book, the tradition is also one of spiritual interpretation of
scripture, meditation on Hebrew letters as if they were mandalas, and
singing of Hebrew scripture as if it were mantras.
[52] While it might be possible to speculate that the shadows and
traces of Jewish spirituality that remained alive in modern American
life might have compelled a disproportionate number of Jews to study
Buddhism, what is more likely is that the attractiveness of Eastern
religions was in their acknowledgment of a human need for dealing with
our highest values on a physical, daily basis. Reverence for the holy,
service to others, and discipline for the body and mind were integrated
into the tradition of the religion. Buddhism also had its appeal as
counter culture. The surprise was that the meditation tradition offered
much more than a means of rebellion. It also filled a void for the
aspects of Jewish life that were forced aside.
[53] Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein commented to Winifred Gallagher that
those who return to Judaism after practicing Buddhism "don't want
to lose what they gained . . . .they raise the question of whether we
have room for mindfulness, silence, and inwardness in our tradition
. . . We need to unbury the Jewish names and approaches to these practices.
They're there." He too points to Jewish response to the Enlightenment
as a point where Judaism lost these practices, and explains how he as
a Rabbi is integrating Jewish spiritual traditions into his synagogue.
While he offers meditation classes, the total program of the congregation
offers "the intersection of rationalism, law, intuition, mystery,
enlightenments, and a deep respect for the search for meaning"
as a mainstream Jewish synagogue (1999, 164). As Handelman suggests,
the pre-modern practices of Judaism have found a meaningful place for
this congregation.
Conclusion
[54] Winifred Gallagher begins her book on the state of religion in
millennial American culture by noting that for many years is has been
a concept denounced by many. She herself had "dismiss[ed] religion
as anachronistic with fulfillment" and notes that this remains
true for many:
Any serious expression of interest in religion . . . can attract
odd looks in my urban professional world. Modern America's brightest
and best have long been encouraged to disparage such questions as
"what matters?” and “what is true?" and to think of churches
and temples as places where one's brains are checked at the door
(1999, xiv, xiii).
[55] Spirituality does seem to be the favoured term for those seeking
soul relief from meditation and introspection. Modern perceptions about
religion may have changed however. In a report taken before the attacks
of September 11, "spirituality isn't necessarily replacing religion
in people's lives." A study by Spirituality and Health
magazine found that 59% of people polled nationally "said they
were both spiritual and religious" while 65% said “religion” had
a positive connotation, and 74% said “spirituality had a positive connotation”
(St. Paul Pioneer Press, 9 June, 2001, 10E).
[56] As many people turn to meditation, yoga, and other spiritual
practices, it is much more a means of dealing with a cultural or religious
void than an act of rebellion. Some people may be meditating for self-fulfillment,
but far more are learning about meditation traditions in order to glean
understanding about communal responses to the struggles all humans have
faced. I have heard such questions raised after meditation at Chochmat
HaLev and Spirit Rock. I have also been somewhat surprised to hear
such questions at a Vipassana meditation centre in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The fact of the centre's existence was more of a surprise than the questions,
given its location.
[57] From an academic perspective, the movement towards learning about
other religions and the practice of borrowing or integrating concepts
of other religions creates rich material for study. While the recent
publication on The Philosophic Challenge of Religious Diversity
contains several essays noting the epistemological difficulty of dealing
with pluralism, the fact is that pluralistic religious practices are
alive in America. As Richard King points out in Orientalism and
Religion, attention to such practice is vital for the study of religion,
which is as much about what people do as what people think. Beyond
the influence of Buddhism, Western religions are now doing spirituality
in view of their own history and tradition. Rather than being theologically
syncretic, it appears that within organized religious communities there
is an acknowledgement of the distinct, though similar practices within
their own tradition they have learned to appreciate in others. The
encounter with other religions has resulted in a transformative experience.
In the primary example of this article, Judaism has learned to appreciate
Buddhism while noting distinct differences. The result has been the
development of interest in Jewish spirituality, and growth in literature
about Kabbalah.
[58] In a wider view, questions of syncretism and appropriation of
religious practices for personal development arise. A quick look at
a catalog for the spiritual learning and retreat centre Omega Institute's
upcoming schedule of events reveals a listing of workshops and classes
for yoga, Eastern meditation practices, Celtic ritual, tantra, spiritual
politics, and psychology. While the listed instructors includes noted
scholars and artists with legitimate credentials, there is a type of
what Smith calls "McReligon" occurring.
[61] Religion always responds to or creates a framework for culture.
The current North American culture is one of diversity and technology.
Spirituality and meditation in the age of the internet is perhaps the
antidote for the fast paced and impersonal world of computers, too little
time, economic woes, and terrorist threats. Consuming as many spiritual
techniques as possible is a disturbing but understandable reaction.
The counter-reaction or resolution might be seen in how Americans are
placing themselves within a specific religious context that provides
a meaningful framework for living. Chochmat HaLev and the growth of
interest in Jewish spirituality is but one example. As a result of
awareness of a variety of religious practices, beyond meditation, current
culture displays a need to learn about religion, and the distinctions
between religions, in order to better appreciate the rhyme between them.
Notes
1. I refer specifically
to the Jewish Renewal movement, and the interest in Jewish mystical
Kabbalah practices.
2. In this article, by
spirituality I refer primarily to meditation practices, both ecstatic
and contemplative. While "mystic" might be a more descriptive
term, it is far too specific and limiting for Judaism.
3. See The Philosophical
Challenge of Religious Diversity. John Hick's article promoting
pluralism serves as point of discussion for most of the essays in
this book. Ninian Smart's "A Contemplation of Absolutes"
offers a Buddhist conception of reality for overcoming philosophic
problems raised by Hick's argument.
4. The plural form of
mezzuzah, the doorpost markers that Jews place on their homes.
The marker contains a piece of paper with the Shema written on it,
which reads in Hebrew: "Hear Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord
is one."
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