Jewish Dharma: A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen by Brenda Shoshanna

Jewish Dharma: A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen



Download Jewish Dharma: A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen




Jewish Dharma: A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen Brenda Shoshanna
Language: English
Page: 304
Format: pdf
ISBN: 1600940439, 9780786731657
Publisher:

From Publishers Weekly

Raised as an Orthodox Jew in Borough Park, Brooklyn, Shoshanna always struggled with the structure of not only her religion but her lifestyle. When a teacher exposed her to Zen in high school, she found happiness, then confusion, and then of course guilt. After a lifetime of studying Zen and returning in fits and starts to a devout Jewish observance, she has found a way to balance the contradictions of a religion that covets community and devotion to God with one that centers on the individual and the quest for the essential self. The story of her struggle, while interesting—and in some cases, deeply personal—lacks consistency. Despite chapter sections on practice, there are few tangible prescriptions, and readers looking for the how-to guide that's promised in the subtitle may feel cheated. Shoshanna never quite finds the balance in writing for the casual seeker versus one already familiar with both Orthodox Judaism and Buddhism—and who wants, like her, to maintain a deep connection to both traditions. (Sept.)
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Review

Tricycle
“Offers insights on how the two practices can coexist and even inform each other.”

Roger Kamenetz, author of The Jew in the Lotus and The History of Last Night’s Dream
“The living encounter between Jewish and Buddhist practice has been unfolding over the past three decades, in the lives of many individuals, as Buddhism comes to the West. While Brenda Shoshanna’s book appears at first to be a practical manual seeking to compare and integrate two very different traditions, Zen Buddhism and Judaism, at another level it tells the story of a woman’s coming to terms with the deepest part of each tradition, with a full awareness of the opportunities and contradictions involved. Her personal anecdotes of a childhood in an Orthodox enclave in Brooklyn and of her encounters with Japanese Zen teachers are captivating. They ground this book in the life of an admirable and honest narrator, one who has worked her way through seeming contradictions to peace. Brenda Shoshanna has found a constructive way to integrate both traditions, for instance by using meditative practices to prepare for Jewish observances. She is creating a unique path. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a foot in more than one world.”

Robert Kennedy, S.J., Roshi, author of Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit and Zen Gifts to Christians
“Dr. Brenda Shoshanna flies on two wings: A deep love of orthodox Jewish faith and her Zen practice of 36 years. Her vision embraces both traditions with fidelity and beauty.”

Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within and other books, and founder of Dzogchen Meditation Centers
“Like so many Jewish Buddhists from Brooklyn, including myself, Brenda Shoshanna strives to be both a mensch and a Bodhisattva. Her Torah as well as her Dharma, her good heart and wisdom mind, shine through in this delightful, interesting, psychologically astute, and practical book. Anyone interested in finding deeper understanding and meaningful purpose in life will be rewarded by reading any one of Jewish Dharma’s pages.”

Rabbi Marcia Prager, author of The Path of Blessing
“I couldn’t put Jewish Dharma down. With wisdom, humor, depth and dedication, Dr. Brenda Shoshanna guides us into the heart of Jewish and Zen practice, which enrich one another in ways that will enhance your practice of both, or either. A must read for anyone who wishes to explore Zen meditation and Jewish life.”

Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, Buddhist teacher and author of Buddhism for Beginners and Working with Anger
“This rewarding book is a must-read for Jews who want to enrich their spiritual practice through Zen meditation. Dr. Shoshanna highlights the similarities and complementary differences in approaches of these two great spiritual traditions in a way that is clear and easy to put into practice in daily life.”

Rabbi Shefa Gold, author of Torah Journeys: The Inner Path to the Promised Land
“Jewish Dharma uniquely captures the dynamic complementarities that exist between the Buddhist and Jewish worlds. Dr. Shoshanna’s adamant refusal to give up the riches of one tradition in order to embrace the treasures of another serves to deepen the power of both Jewish and Buddhist practice. She keeps her Jewish passion while opening to the spaciousness of Zen.”

Rabbi Joseph Gelberman, PhD, pioneer of the interfaith movement in the United States and founder of All-Faiths Seminary International
“A magnificent exploration of the heart of both Judaism and Zen. Beautifully written, Jewish Dharma brings two worlds together in a way that shines light on both and will bring wisdom and unity to people of all religions and paths. I cannot recommend the book highly enough.”


Rabbi Roger Ross, executive director, Rabbinical Seminary International
“Dr. Brenda Shoshanna gently and clearly teaches the core messages of both Judaism and Zen Buddhism and shows how compatible and complementary these practices are. Jewish Dharma is an important book because it focuses on the truths of these two major streams of spiritual and ethical living. It is a must read for all of us who are following a spiritual path.”
 


Lewis Harrison, Author of The Mystic Teachings of the Taoist Masters, Director, the Harrison Center for Self Actualization
“This is a profound work of great importance to both the merely curious as well as the serious spiritual seeker—a wonderful bridge, merging and magnifying the best of Judaism and Zen.”
 


Spirituality & Practice
“An extraordinary book that vividly demonstrates the rich cross-fertilization that can take place when your spiritual practice stems from two traditions…Shoshana uses many colorful anecdotes…A rich and practical book.”
 


Blogcritics.org, 2/10/09
“Useful, engaging…One will refer back to this book for years to come.”


MetapsychologyOnline.com, 7/21/09
“This is a book that on one side ultimately overthrows the prejudices about the impossibility of a real communication between religions by presenting us a new way of understanding the relationship between them, in this case between Judaism and the practice of Zen; on the other side it is a practical guide of the serenity of soul, giving useful pieces of advice for a serene and rich spiritual life. Thus it is a book both for the mind and for the soul, and I recommend that you read it slowly as a practical guide, the value of which will reveal itself completely only if it is followed as a spiritual exercise.”

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