#jewbu

[hillbillybubbeleh]

Diary of a JewBu: a Jewish Buddhist's mood board (as requested)

"...at the table, Shabbat candles; in the living room, incense; at the doorway, a mezuzah; in the meditation room, a five-foot-high Buddha. If he glanced at the bookshelf, he would have seen dharma and kabbalah competing for space, and one was as likely to find Pali as Hebrew." -Kamenetz — the Jew in the Lotus (1994); ch. 1, pg. 10

[Image credits; left-to-right, top-to-bottom: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12]

[the-real-punk-rock]

Rewatching Criminal Minds always reignites my love for Mandy Patinkin, who is just a wonderful human being and activist 🥺

[institute-for-holiness]

Today is a big day for the Institute of Holiness: Kehilat Mussar! We’re so happy to announce the launch of our brand new website! Visit https://kehilatmussar.com/ and learn more about Mussar Mindfulness, the Institute, and Rabbi Chasya! #mussar #musar #meditation #judaism #dharma #dhamma #buddhism #mussarmindfulness #mindfulness #jewish #spirituality #jewishspirituality #jewishmindfulness #theravada #vipassana #jewbu #rabbichasya #mussartransforms #instituteforholiness #kehilatmussar #selfcare #personalgrowth #dailypractice #dailydiscipline #tikkunhamiddot #appliedmindfulness #hitlamdut https://www.instagram.com/p/CZfI6qkNuT7/?utm_medium=tumblr

[hillbillybubbeleh]

I'd missed my nightly meditation the last two nights in a row (though I was still doing daily meditations). One of my neighbors has taken to sitting outside in his truck all night, playing music quite loudly until 6am. It's been something the whole area has lost sleep over (literally), myself included. Unfortunately, it's been impacting my meditations as well. I don't usually struggle to meditate when things are chaotic or noisy, but that particular situation has been very frustrating and I didn't feel like trying to sit through it all.

Tonight, he started playing his music again. It went on for hours. I decided I was still going to try and meditate tonight regardless.

I often just meditate without candles or anything for my nightly meditations, but, since I was already a little aggravated, I decided to just calm myself and make my space feel welcoming and comfortable despite what was happening outside. I opened the doors of my butsudan, opened the panels of my antique Buddhist triptych, lit a mantra candle of mine. I sat down, mala beads in hand. I took my handwritten sutra book down from its shelf (I love to recite sutras before sitting in silent meditation).

And then, before I even vocalized the first line of the first sutra, my neighbor turned off his music, cut his truck engine, and went inside.

Is this what one could call a Vesak miracle (lol)? Or maybe the spirits of this area said, "LET KEZIAH MEDITATE!" Whatever it was, I'm grateful for it. I had a lovely, lengthy meditation tonight, and recited extra sutras before and after.

[hillbillybubbeleh]

The chrysanthemums had a moment today. ✨

[hillbillybubbeleh]

can I ask what buddhism fulfills for you that Judaism couldn't meet? I'm Jewish and we have meditation as well so I guess I'm just confused about why you'd rather outsource that to buddhism than explore Jewish meditation.

There seems to be a misunderstanding here that I'm Buddhist to practice meditation. That is not the case. Anyone can meditate. One needn't be Buddhist to meditate. Hell, one needn't even be Buddhist to practice and take part in Buddhist meditation sessions or practices. Yes, there are Jewish meditation practices, and I'm extremely familiar with them.

Still, though, meditation has nothing to do with why I was drawn to Buddhism. I've been through a lot in life that I don't mention on my blog and probably never will. It hasn't been easy, and that's okay. But, for a long time, I wasn't okay. I had a lot of pain, anger, and resentment, and I wanted, more than anything, peace. I did go seeking peace, understanding, explanations within Judaism. Some of what I found helped, and some didn't. I hit a wall, and I needed another way.

What Buddhism fulfills for me, personally, that I hadn't had before is a way to peace, healing, and forgiveness. Buddhism is not the only way to pursue these things, but it is the way for me, personally.

[hillbillybubbeleh]

If it isn't too personal to ask- what does your personal jewish/buddhist combo look like in practice and lifestyle ? I've enjoyed reading your answers about it in general and was just curious what it is like for you specifically in practice. Hope you're doing well and having a good passover!

I don't think this is too personal at all, and thank you for enjoying the previous answers. And thank you for the Passover wishes! I am having a very good Passover! Now to the answer:

First and foremost, Judaism is an integral part of my life. I am an observant, practicing Jew. I keep shabbos, keep kosher, keep holidays, and keep traditions. I also practice Buddhism. I consider myself a student of the Buddha and a student of the world, I follow the Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts, and I actively utilize Buddhist teachings and techniques in my daily life to cultivate mental clarity and discipline, compassion and loving kindness (mettā), enlightenment and wisdom, and the cessation of suffering. I meditate and have been doing so for several years, trained in both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist meditation practices; I follow both Jewish and Buddhist ethical practices, with heavy emphasis on harming none (ahimsa), helping all (paropakāra/dāna/tzedakah), and pursuing equity and justice/"the repairing of the world" (tikkun olam); and I am an active participant and member of both Jewish community and the Sangha. I am a Jewish Buddhist, and devoutly and passionately both of those things simultaneously.

[hillbillybubbeleh]

...at the table, Shabbat candles; in the living room, incense; at the doorway, a mezuzah; in the meditation room, a five-foot-high Buddha. If he glanced at the bookshelf, he would have seen dharma and kabbalah competing for space, and one was as likely to find Pali as Hebrew.

-Kamenetz — the Jew in the Lotus (1994); ch. 1, pg. 10