For the JuBu's...

[Tumah]

As I wanted to get a response specifically from Buddhist-following Jews, I thought I should put this here. If I am mistaken please correct me.

My question is, are there any Buddhist-following Jews, that have read the books "Letters to a Buddhist Jew" By David Gottleib and "Jewish Meditation" by Aryeh Kaplan? What were your thoughts on them?

Also, why do you think that so many Jews specifically seem to find Buddhism more fulfilling than their own religion, when it seems as though many of the principles of Buddhism have their parallel in Judaism? If I like ice cream, why would I go to the Baskin Robbins in the next neighborhood when I have one right next door?

 

[LuisDantas]

I'm not even remotely a JuBu, but I would guess that for many of them Judaism is an inheritance rather than a choice of religion - or even a religion at all.

Sometimes people simply need to step out of the shadow of their own inheritance and seek a new perspective.

 

[Tumah]

I'm not even remotely a JuBu, but I would guess that for many of them Judaism is an inheritance rather than a choice of religion - or even a religion at all.

Sometimes people simply need to step out of the shadow of their own inheritance and seek a new perspective.

But wouldn't it seem logical to you that when searching for a religion you would start at the one you are closest to?

It seems to me that speaking about the "shadow of their inheritance" implies an emotionally negative perception of something. When there is something you look up to, you don't speak about it as being in its shadow you speak about it as something you strive towards. "I want to be as great as X" vs. "I wish people would stop comparing me to X".

 

[LuisDantas]

But wouldn't it seem logical to you that when searching for a religion you would start at the one you are closest to?

Sure. Inevitable even. But it does not follow that adhering to it or sticking to it would be a more appealing path.

It seems to me that speaking about the "shadow of their inheritance" implies an emotionally negative perception of something.

That was not what I mean, sorry if it came that way.

What I mean is that in every culture, and among the Jewish People perhaps a bit more explicitly than in most, we end up being shaped to a large extent by our inheritance and by the expectations of our peers.

And that is not always something that we can easily adapt to.

Sometimes there is a legitimate need to seek another perspective in order to attain a proper understanding and make informed decisions. To be able to tell what one seeks from what people expect one to.

It may be significant that both Judaism and Buddhism emphasize the idea of being the inheritors of a culture, albeit in very contrasting ways. It seems to me that it is the very core of Jewish identity, and also the main tenet of Buddhist Dharma (as the Principle of Interdependent Origination).

When there is something you look up to, you don't speak about it as being in its shadow

Maybe you do not. I easily could, as can so many others. Even loved and respected tradition can be a weight and a burden.

you speak about it as something you strive towards. "I want to be as great as X" vs. "I wish people would stop comparing me to X".

Those are in fact two very compatible if conflicting drives, you realize. For that very reason it is so usual to see brothers spontaneously developing contrasting personalities and interests.

 

[crossfire]

We do have at least 1 (but prolly more,) JuBu's on the forum. You might want to ask in the Judaism DIR

 

[Tumah]

Sure. Inevitable even. But it does not follow that adhering to it or sticking to it would be a more appealing path.

And that is where my question lays.

What I mean is that in every culture, and among the Jewish People perhaps a bit more explicitly than in most, we end up being shaped to a large extent by our inheritance and by the expectations of our peers.

And that is not always something that we can easily adapt to.

Sometimes there is a legitimate need to seek another perspective in order to attain a proper understanding and make informed decisions. To be able to tell what one seeks from what people expect one to.

It may be significant that both Judaism and Buddhism emphasize the idea of being the inheritors of a culture, albeit in very contrasting ways. It seems to me that it is the very core of Jewish identity, and also the main tenet of Buddhist Dharma (as the Principle of Interdependent Origination).

Is that true though? If I wanted to know about Catholicism, I could ask my friend. If I want to know about Christianity I can read the NT. Meaning, if I want to know the concepts rather than the culture that arose around them, I can just read the material without the periphery of societal expectations.

[

Those are in fact two very compatible if conflicting drives, you realize. For that very reason it is so usual to see brothers spontaneously developing contrasting personalities and interests.

When I think of someone I want to be like, I think of waking in their footsteps. When I think of someone who is so large that I feel constricted, I think of being stuck in their shadow.

Anyway I guess it doesn't really matter.

We do have at least 1 (but prolly more,) JuBu's on the forum. You might want to ask in the Judaism DIR

I thought I might be more likely to catch them here. You don't think so?

 

[punkdbass]

As I wanted to get a response specifically from Buddhist-following Jews, I thought I should put this here. If I am mistaken please correct me.

My question is, are there any Buddhist-following Jews, that have read the books "Letters to a Buddhist Jew" By David Gottleib and "Jewish Meditation" by Aryeh Kaplan? What were your thoughts on them?

Also, why do you think that so many Jews specifically seem to find Buddhism more fulfilling than their own religion, when it seems as though many of the principles of Buddhism have their parallel in Judaism? If I like ice cream, why would I go to the Baskin Robbins in the next neighborhood when I have one right next door?

I'm not a big fan of labels but you may feel free to most definitely refer to me as a "Jewish Buddhist." I have not read Letters to a Buddhist Jew, although I would like to someday.. I also want to read the famous book: "The Jew and the Lotus." I have read Aryeh Kaplan's "Practical Jewish Meditation" (I think it was called?) and I absolutely loved it.

As for your main question, I think LuisDantas offers some great points. For many Jews, Judaism is an inheritance.. and sometimes, when one feels lacking in their spirituality, it is nice to get an outside perspective.

I do not want you to get the idea that because Judbus are looking outside of their religion for spirituality, that this means they have not deeply looked within their own religion for spirituality. Trust me when I say I have looked very deeply within my own religion. My situation is pretty complicated, but I will try to summarize it as best as I can. I was raised Reform Jewish, had my Bar Mitzvah, conformation, etc.. but it wasn't until freshman year in college that I really developed an insatiable passion for spirituality and finding God. Believe me when I say that I most definitely have looked deep and hard within my own religion to fill this hole in my life. I've read dozens of books on Judaism - about philosophy of mitzvot, talmud, the entire Tanakh, commentaries, Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, Jewish meditation.. the list goes on.. but the spiritual hole just never seemed filled for me. I started to really explore Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah, hoping it would help fill this hole. I must say I find Kabbalah very interesting, but ultiamtely it is simply too esoteric for me, way to shrouded and wrapped in layers upon layers of "myth" that it feels like walking through a labyrinth to try and decode the truth of the matter. This is okay I guess, but for myself, I prefer the mystical teachings of Buddhism or Hinduism that are less shrouded in myth and are more up front in directly putting the truth - plain and simple, in front of your face. I like this, I like how Buddhism and Hinduism has felt very "direct" for my mind.

Part of the reason why I think I wish to look outside my religion, is because I feel like Judaism does not have a whole lot to offer me spiritually, or in terms of faith. Let me explain - the main spiritual powerhouse of Judaism has always been the commandments(mitzvot)/rituals. But as I am a Reform/Liberal Jew, I just simply do not view the mitzvot as binding, that we must observe them. I've tried being observant but it has just never felt the right path for me. Interestingly, I very much like Jesus's view of the mitzvot - that they are made to enhance human life, to make human like more fulfilling rather than to restrict human life. I guess I've always thought of laws that are binding and a must - which is how conservative/orthodox jews look at the law, to be more restricting than life enhancing, IMO. I like Jesus's idea that it is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean (i.e. keeping kosher), but that it is what comes out of a man, from the depths of his heart that tells if he is unclean. this is a greater focus of mine. So the point is, if I do not feel a strong connection with observing the mitzvot.. what exactly does Judaism have to offer me in terms of spirituality and developing faith? Historically the mitzvot have always been the gateway to experiencing God for Jews, but I just don't jive with this idea that well I guess.

Now, before you get super worried about me abandoning my Jewish ties, I will say this: The Oneness of God and the connectedness of all things has always been my sole intuition about life, and the core Jewish Belief that God is One (the Shema) is something I will always hold onto and never let go of, for it reverberates in my soul. So in this sense, Judaism will always be a "root" of my being, something that anchors me and that I can always come back to, to connect with at any moment. But that being said, I feel completely free to explore eastern religions right now, and I've been finding it extremely fulfilling. Its just where my path has taken me, and I'm very excited to see where it takes me.. I am sure Judaism will always play a role in that path.

 

[George-ananda]

@punkdbass......Here's another positive cutesy term I've heard for Jewish followers of my advaita Hindu teachers .........HinJews

 

[punkdbass]

@punkdbass......Here's another positive cutesy term I've heard for Jewish followers of my advaita Hindu teachers .........HinJews

hahah perhaps someday I will use that term. I definitely like the sound of "HinJew" more than "JuBu" lol

 

[crossfire]

I thought I might be more likely to catch them here. You don't think so?

No. (Short and direct answer is prolly best.)

 

[Tumah]

I'm not a big fan of labels but you may feel free to most definitely refer to me as a "Jewish Buddhist." I have not read Letters to a Buddhist Jew, although I would like to someday.. I also want to read the famous book: "The Jew and the Lotus." I have read Aryeh Kaplan's "Practical Jewish Meditation" (I think it was called?) and I absolutely loved it.

As for your main question, I think LuisDantas offers some great points. For many Jews, Judaism is an inheritance.. and sometimes, when one feels lacking in their spirituality, it is nice to get an outside perspective.

I do not want you to get the idea that because Judbus are looking outside of their religion for spirituality, that this means they have not deeply looked within their own religion for spirituality. Trust me when I say I have looked very deeply within my own religion. My situation is pretty complicated, but I will try to summarize it as best as I can. I was raised Reform Jewish, had my Bar Mitzvah, conformation, etc.. but it wasn't until freshman year in college that I really developed an insatiable passion for spirituality and finding God. Believe me when I say that I most definitely have looked deep and hard within my own religion to fill this hole in my life. I've read dozens of books on Judaism - about philosophy of mitzvot, talmud, the entire Tanakh, commentaries, Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, Jewish meditation.. the list goes on.. but the spiritual hole just never seemed filled for me. I started to really explore Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah, hoping it would help fill this hole. I must say I find Kabbalah very interesting, but ultiamtely it is simply too esoteric for me, way to shrouded and wrapped in layers upon layers of "myth" that it feels like walking through a labyrinth to try and decode the truth of the matter. This is okay I guess, but for myself, I prefer the mystical teachings of Buddhism or Hinduism that are less shrouded in myth and are more up front in directly putting the truth - plain and simple, in front of your face. I like this, I like how Buddhism and Hinduism has felt very "direct" for my mind.

Part of the reason why I think I wish to look outside my religion, is because I feel like Judaism does not have a whole lot to offer me spiritually, or in terms of faith. Let me explain - the main spiritual powerhouse of Judaism has always been the commandments(mitzvot)/rituals. But as I am a Reform/Liberal Jew, I just simply do not view the mitzvot as binding, that we must observe them. I've tried being observant but it has just never felt the right path for me. Interestingly, I very much like Jesus's view of the mitzvot - that they are made to enhance human life, to make human like more fulfilling rather than to restrict human life. I guess I've always thought of laws that are binding and a must - which is how conservative/orthodox jews look at the law, to be more restricting than life enhancing, IMO. I like Jesus's idea that it is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean (i.e. keeping kosher), but that it is what comes out of a man, from the depths of his heart that tells if he is unclean. this is a greater focus of mine. So the point is, if I do not feel a strong connection with observing the mitzvot.. what exactly does Judaism have to offer me in terms of spirituality and developing faith? Historically the mitzvot have always been the gateway to experiencing God for Jews, but I just don't jive with this idea that well I guess.

Now, before you get super worried about me abandoning my Jewish ties, I will say this: The Oneness of God and the connectedness of all things has always been my sole intuition about life, and the core Jewish Belief that God is One (the Shema) is something I will always hold onto and never let go of, for it reverberates in my soul. So in this sense, Judaism will always be a "root" of my being, something that anchors me and that I can always come back to, to connect with at any moment. But that being said, I feel completely free to explore eastern religions right now, and I've been finding it extremely fulfilling. Its just where my path has taken me, and I'm very excited to see where it takes me.. I am sure Judaism will always play a role in that path.

I hear what you are saying. My follow up question would then be: All that being said, what would you say you do find as the spiritually fulfilling aspects of Buddhism. You mention the mystical teaching of Buddhism. Can you elaborate?

 

[punkdbass]

I hear what you are saying. My follow up question would then be: All that being said, what would you say you do find as the spiritually fulfilling aspects of Buddhism. You mention the mystical teaching of Buddhism. Can you elaborate?

Sure. What I find incredibly fulfilling is something that is present in Hinduism and Christianity, and more subtly present in Buddhism. I will focus primarily on the Hindu portion of it though - for I realize there is a lot of "tension" between Christianity and Judaism, so I try to resist using Christian terminology when talking with other Jews - since many have a predisposition to vehemently close their minds to any such ideas if Christian language is used.

Basically, what I find extremely fulfilling about Hinduism is the idea that one's true essence is essentially one with God. One's true identity is one with God. We Westerners seem to refer to this concept as "Incarnation Theology", I'm pretty sure. But when I say my true identity is divine, I do not in any way mean the literal, naive idea that "John Doe" IS God. This is why Jews have such trouble opening up to Incarnation Theology, because they vehemently resist the idea that "John Doe" is God, and rightly so. "John Doe" is not a real thing, it is one's ego, the "idea you have of yourself." And one's ego is finite and by no means is one's ego God. Krishna, as an ego - a finite "idea", is by no means God. Jesus, as an ego - a finite "idea," is by no mean God. God is not an idea. But Krishna's true identity - his true essence - not the "idea" he has of himself (his ego), but his real, true essence is one with God. As Alan Watts (who is not Christian) brilliantly puts it: the "good news" of the Christian Bible is that Jesus is not the ONLY "son of God" (literally, "of the nature of God"), but the "good news" is that we are ALL sons of God i.e. we are all of divine nature in essence. The key difference, however, is that Jesus, or Krishna, fully realized this truth - while most of us do not yet realize it.

So Hinduism, and Christianity for that matter, put great emphasis on one's true identity/essence being one with God. This idea, admitably, is not completely foreign to Judaism - for we have the concept that we are all made in the "Divine image," that some part of our essence is essentially one with God. That being said, such ideas are extremely, extremely downplayed in Judaism and pushed away into the dark shadows of a rarely used storage room - IMO, Judaism does this in order to create opposition to the force of Christianity. Yes there are many great Jewish mystics who achieved a sense of self-realization analogous to Jesus or Krishna's realization - but such Jewish mystics are rarely, if ever heard about or talked about by the Jewish masses. How relevant is Kabbalah or Jewish mysticism to the masses of American Reform Jews? It is given literally no emphasis at all, in my experience, hopefully you get my point. The idea that our true essence and identity is of divine nature is an idea that receives very little attention in Judaism, and this idea is something I find extremely fulfilling, and that is why I have turned to eastern philosophy.

 

[LuisDantas]

Is that true though? If I wanted to know about Catholicism, I could ask my friend. If I want to know about Christianity I can read the NT. Meaning, if I want to know the concepts rather than the culture that arose around them, I can just read the material without the periphery of societal expectations.

Periphery? I think it is rather a strong part of the core of the matter, personally. More so in Judaism than in Buddhism, in fact. But in most religions, societal expectations are a major and necessary component. There are exceptions, but I don't think they involve either Buddhism nor the Abrahamic Faiths.

 

[metis]

As I wanted to get a response specifically from Buddhist-following Jews, I thought I should put this here. If I am mistaken please correct me.

My question is, are there any Buddhist-following Jews, that have read the books "Letters to a Buddhist Jew" By David Gottleib and "Jewish Meditation" by Aryeh Kaplan? What were your thoughts on them?

I have read the former but was not too terribly impressed with it.

Also, why do you think that so many Jews specifically seem to find Buddhism more fulfilling than their own religion, when it seems as though many of the principles of Buddhism have their parallel in Judaism? If I like ice cream, why would I go to the Baskin Robbins in the next neighborhood when I have one right next door?

Like with the branches in Judaism, much depends on how one looks at Torah for starters. If they consider it divinely inspired and inerrant, they're more apt to be orthodox of some type. If not, more likely one of the reform branches.

But what if one really questions if there is a God or not, but yet doesn't go all the way to the point of believing there is/are none? This is where I'm at.

Now, when I found myself in this position about a dozen years ago, I had a choice to either leave my synagogue or stay, so I invited my rabbi over for dinner one evening, explained where I was coming from, and asked him if there would be a problem staying because that was my inclination. It was quite a lengthy conversation, but the bottom line was he said that I didn't have to leave because doubt simply goes with the territory. Therefore, I have remained very active, including co-teaching the Lunch & Learn program with him.

Since Buddhism in non-theistic, I can use the more philosophical and moral aspects of it (no, I don't have a statue of the Buddha ), which really has helped me.

Sorry, but I gotta cut this short as I have to leave for a while.

 

[punkdbass]

Metis, great reply. I feel like I can relate to your struggles. Do not give up on Buddhist meditation and practices. Meditation is a key resource in developing one's conviction/faith that God is a real, living, presence - whatever it is you want to call "God" (the Ultimate Reality) that is, anyways. This has been my experience,

Namaste and Shalom.

 

[Tumah]

Sure. What I find incredibly fulfilling is something that is present in Hinduism and Christianity, and more subtly present in Buddhism. I will focus primarily on the Hindu portion of it though - for I realize there is a lot of "tension" between Christianity and Judaism, so I try to resist using Christian terminology when talking with other Jews - since many have a predisposition to vehemently close their minds to any such ideas if Christian language is used.

Basically, what I find extremely fulfilling about Hinduism is the idea that one's true essence is essentially one with God. One's true identity is one with God. We Westerners seem to refer to this concept as "Incarnation Theology", I'm pretty sure. But when I say my true identity is divine, I do not in any way mean the literal, naive idea that "John Doe" IS God. This is why Jews have such trouble opening up to Incarnation Theology, because they vehemently resist the idea that "John Doe" is God, and rightly so. "John Doe" is not a real thing, it is one's ego, the "idea you have of yourself." And one's ego is finite and by no means is one's ego God. Krishna, as an ego - a finite "idea", is by no means God. Jesus, as an ego - a finite "idea," is by no mean God. God is not an idea. But Krishna's true identity - his true essence - not the "idea" he has of himself (his ego), but his real, true essence is one with God. As Alan Watts (who is not Christian) brilliantly puts it: the "good news" of the Christian Bible is that Jesus is not the ONLY "son of God" (literally, "of the nature of God"), but the "good news" is that we are ALL sons of God i.e. we are all of divine nature in essence. The key difference, however, is that Jesus, or Krishna, fully realized this truth - while most of us do not yet realize it.

So Hinduism, and Christianity for that matter, put great emphasis on one's true identity/essence being one with God. This idea, admitably, is not completely foreign to Judaism - for we have the concept that we are all made in the "Divine image," that some part of our essence is essentially one with God. That being said, such ideas are extremely, extremely downplayed in Judaism and pushed away into the dark shadows of a rarely used storage room - IMO, Judaism does this in order to create opposition to the force of Christianity. Yes there are many great Jewish mystics who achieved a sense of self-realization analogous to Jesus or Krishna's realization - but such Jewish mystics are rarely, if ever heard about or talked about by the Jewish masses. How relevant is Kabbalah or Jewish mysticism to the masses of American Reform Jews? It is given literally no emphasis at all, in my experience, hopefully you get my point. The idea that our true essence and identity is of divine nature is an idea that receives very little attention in Judaism, and this idea is something I find extremely fulfilling, and that is why I have turned to eastern philosophy.

This concept that you are describing is presented by the Zohar "The Holy One Blessed be He, the Torah and Israel (the Jewish people, not the land) are one". And is an idea much expounded on even in non-mystical literature. There is also the phrase that the soul is a "part of G-d [Who is] from on High (Job 31:2)", discussed in a variety of sources from the Halachic to the Hassidic.

It's surprising you researched into Judaism in depth without hearing about the divine nature of the human soul. I would say that virtually every work that I have come across in my studies that speaks about the soul, speaks about this concept. Hardly something downplayed, I can probably list you 10 mainstream books that discuss this idea at length off the top of my head without resorting to the kabbalistic works. Maybe I'm not understanding the concept you're speaking about? Or maybe there is a language barrier that prevents you from accessing these works?

Maybe you are right about mysticism and its irrelevancy to the average American Reform Jew. I don't know any, so I can't relate to their mindset. I am an average American Orthodox Jew and I find its relevancy daily.

 

[Tumah]

Periphery? I think it is rather a strong part of the core of the matter, personally. More so in Judaism than in Buddhism, in fact. But in most religions, societal expectations are a major and necessary component. There are exceptions, but I don't think they involve either Buddhism nor the Abrahamic Faiths.

I definitely agree that societal expectations form a part of the Jewish experience. There is a dictum in the Talmud that says "do not separate from the public (ie. do conform)". But in my experience that is only on a superficial level, because we are supposed to express that we are one nation. The difference between the average Jewish person and the exceptional is how far he is willing to ignore societal norms for the sake of G-d. One of the biggest Orthodox Jewish leaders of today is known to have covered his head with a bag when he met his prospective mate for the first time so that he could evaluate her for herself without being waylaid by his eyes. Hardly a societal norm.

...This is where I'm at.

Now, when I found myself in this position about a dozen years ago, I had a choice to either leave my synagogue or stay, so I invited my rabbi over for dinner one evening, explained where I was coming from, and asked him if there would be a problem staying because that was my inclination. It was quite a lengthy conversation, but the bottom line was he said that I didn't have to leave because doubt simply goes with the territory. Therefore, I have remained very active, including co-teaching the Lunch & Learn program with him.

Since Buddhism in non-theistic, I can use the more philosophical and moral aspects of it (no, I don't have a statue of the Buddha ), which really has helped me.

Sorry, but I gotta cut this short as I have to leave for a while.

Why could you not do the same thing- retaining your agnostic view while still using the philosophical and moral aspects of Judaism? I am trying to understand what special lure Buddhism holds for Jews. What special characteristic does Buddhism have that Judaism is lacking?

 

[punkdbass]

This concept that you are describing is presented by the Zohar "The Holy One Blessed be He, the Torah and Israel (the Jewish people, not the land) are one". And is an idea much expounded on even in non-mystical literature. There is also the phrase that the soul is a "part of G-d [Who is] from on High (Job 31:2)", discussed in a variety of sources from the Halachic to the Hassidic.

It's surprising you researched into Judaism in depth without hearing about the divine nature of the human soul. I would say that virtually every work that I have come across in my studies that speaks about the soul, speaks about this concept. Hardly something downplayed, I can probably list you 10 mainstream books that discuss this idea at length off the top of my head without resorting to the kabbalistic works. Maybe I'm not understanding the concept you're speaking about? Or maybe there is a language barrier that prevents you from accessing these works?

Maybe you are right about mysticism and its irrelevancy to the average American Reform Jew. I don't know any, so I can't relate to their mindset. I am an average American Orthodox Jew and I find its relevancy daily.

I have many introductory books on the Zohar and Kabbalah - most of which are by Arthur Green (if you are familiar with him), and a few by Harold Kushner and Gershom Scholem. I have read several of them recently took a break to more fervently explore eastern philosophy. I think we are both slightly talking about 2 different things (i.e. there is a little communication going on, I will try to help clarify, and I have very poor Hebrew skills so virtually all of the Jewish texts I study are English translations). I am very happy to hear that Jewish mysticism has been highly relevant to your daily life - part of the problem with my experience, I hope you will understand, is that I have lived in small towns my entire life (I am only 21) and thus I have only been connected with very small Jewish communities (next year this will change as I am moving to a big city for grad school). Also, I am visiting Israel at the end of this month so that should be a very enlightening, spiritually nourishing experience for my Jewishness I'm sure.

Perhaps the following thread I created a while ago will help to give you a better idea of the concept I'm talking about, and also the "uncomfortableness" most Jews here have with the concept. Check out my thread here. Basically, in light of our agreements that Judaism does in fact have room for this concept, I fail to see, for example, how Jesus claiming to be a son of God (literally, of the nature of God, i.e. of divine nature) is blasphemous. I just don't see how this is blasphemy anymore. Yes, of course it would be blasphemy to equate your ego - the idea you have of yourself with God, that would be blasphemy.. but I do not believe Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, etc are guilty of this. Rather I think all of them were expressing the realization that their true inner nature is one with God, that their essence/true identity is divine... and I fail to see how this is blasphemy.. and if it is not blasphemy, then I fail to see why Jews so vehemently oppose Jesus and the "Incarnation Theology" that I have been describing in my replies (that is present in Hinduism, Christianity, and very subtly in Buddhism).

I would love to hear any book recommendations you have after we clear up the miscomunication.

 

[metis]

Metis, great reply. I feel like I can relate to your struggles. Do not give up on Buddhist meditation and practices. Meditation is a key resource in developing one's conviction/faith that God is a real, living, presence - whatever it is you want to call "God" (the Ultimate Reality) that is, anyways. This has been my experience,

Namaste and Shalom.

Thanks, and much the same to you.

 

[metis]

Why could you not do the same thing- retaining your agnostic view while still using the philosophical and moral aspects of Judaism?

Actually I do. I am a firm believer that halacha is important and that probably most of the Law, especially as far as its basic direction is concerned, is also important, even if it turned out that it wasn't divinely inspired at all. This is what separates me from being an atheist.

I am trying to understand what special lure Buddhism holds for Jews. What special characteristic does Buddhism have that Judaism is lacking?

It's very hard to answer that question if a few sentences or even paragraphs. Let me just put it this way, namely that Buddhism is tailor-made for a non-theistic approach whereas Judaism is not. Therefore, its teachings all orient in that direction, and the basic teachings tend to be very objective to the point of pretty much mimicing the scientific method. However, there are some teachings that became attached over the centuries that somewhat defy the word "objective", so those I pretty much ignore.

BTW, just to be clear, I certainly do not mind being asked this, nor do I mind being challenged on this, but neither do I propose that my approach is somehow the best for all.