A Guide to Buddhism for the Perplexed Jewish Meditator | Institute for Jewish Spirituality
$149
at Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Each Tuesday for six weeks
Online
More Info / Registration
As is well known, mindfulness meditation originated in Buddhist contemplative traditions over 2,500 years ago. Since then, the theory and practices of mindfulness have evolved in many ways, first within Asian religious traditions, and later in Western spiritual and secular contexts. Today, practitioners of Jewish mindfulness take a wide range of approaches to the Buddhist roots of mindfulness: some practice mindfulness entirely within a Jewish context, some embrace aspects of both Buddhist and Jewish traditions, and many are just perplexed!
The Institute for Jewish Spirituality invites you to learn with rabbi, author, and meditation teacher Rabbi Dr. Jay Michaelson in a six-week online course, A Guide to Buddhism for the Perplexed Jewish Meditator. Through text study, practice, and discussion, we’ll learn about the teachings of Buddhism that have influenced contemporary mindfulness, and explore their original contexts as well, from the Four Noble Truths to Nirvana, Dukkha to Metta. Which Buddhist concepts and goals are similar to those of Jewish mindfulness, and which diverge? And how might we wisely choose our own paths through these intersections, mindful of concerns regarding cultural appropriation, spiritual materialism, and other potential pitfalls? All questions, backgrounds, doubts, and curiosities are welcome – our aim is to enrich whatever Jewish, BuJu, or other forms of mindfulness and meditation you practice.
This is a weekly course, running six Tuesdays from October 15 – December 1, 2023. The fee is on sliding scale.
