Jewish Buddhist

A Jewish Buddhist (also Jubu or Buju) is a person with a Jewish ethnic or religious background who practices forms of Buddhist meditation and spirituality. The term "Jubu" was first brought into wide circulation with the publication of "The Jew in the Lotus" by Rodger Kamenetz. In some cases, the term can refer to individuals who practice both traditions, in other cases "Jewish" is no more than an ethnic designation, where the person's main religious practice is Buddhism. In yet other cases, a Jubu is simply a Jew with an interest in Buddhism. A large demographic of Jewish Buddhists, constituting its majority, still maintain religious practices and beliefs in Judaism coupled with Buddhist practices and perhaps beliefs.

Origins

The first recorded instance of an American being converted to Buddhism on American soil occurred at the 1893 exposition on world religions and the convert had been a Jew named Charles Strauss. He declared himself a Buddhist at a public lecture that followed the World Conference on Religions in 1893. Strauss later became an author and leading expositor of Buddhism in the West. [The Jew in the Lotus [http://users.cyberone.com.au/myers/lotus.html Jewish Identity in Buddhist India] Retrieved on June 5, 2007] After World War II, there was increasing interest in Buddhism, associated with the Beat generation. Zen was the most important influence at that time. A new wave of Jews involved with Buddhism came in the late 1960s. Prominent teachers included Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg, who founded the Insight Meditation Society and learned vipassana meditation primarily through Thai teachers. Some Jewish Buddhists claim that the two religions are compatible, while other Jews believe this represents a serious adulteration of both traditions. [cite news |url=http://www.dzogchen.org/surya/surya.htm |title=Lama Surya Das Biographical Details |publisher=Dzogchen Foundation |accessdate=2006-12-29] Buddhist-influenced rabbis also exist, such as Alan Lew, a Conservative rabbi in San Francisco. [Cite web
last = Abernethy
first = Bob
url = http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week126/cover.html
title = Jews and American Buddhism
accessdate = 2006-10-31] A number of Jewish Buddhists have found a religious home in the inter-spiritual community of Unitarian Universalism, where they lead Sanghas (Buddhist meditation groups).

According to the Ten Commandments and classical Jewish law, known as Halacha, it is forbidden for any Jew to worship any deity other than the way God is worshipped in Judaism. It is likewise forbidden to join or serve in another religion because doing so would render such an individual an apostate or an idol worshipper. Nonetheless, most Buddhists do not consider the Buddha to have been a "god." In addition, many Buddhists (particularly Theravada Buddhists) do not "worship" the Buddha but instead "revere" and "express gratitude" for the Buddha's (and all buddhas') accomplishment and compassionate teaching (that is, discovering and teaching the Dharma so others might be released from suffering and achieve Nirvana).

List of well-known Jewish Buddhists

* Leonard Cohen
* Allen Ginsberg [ [http://www.allenginsberg.org/bio.php Allen Ginsberg dot org :: Biography ] ]
* Goldie Hawn [ [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0602/24/lkl.01.html CNN.com - Transcripts ] ]
* Kate Hudson
* Lama Surya Das [Lama Surya Das [http://www.dzogchen.org/surya/surya.htm Biography] ]
* Robert Downey, Jr. [De Vries, Hilary. "Robert Downey Jr.: The Album", New York Times, 2004-11-21. ] [cite news | last = De Vries | first = Hilary | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/21/arts/music/21devr.html | title = Robert Downey Jr.: The Album | publisher = New York Times | date = 2004-11-21]
* Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys

ee also

* God in Buddhism

References

Further reading

* "The Jew in the Lotus" by Rodger Kamenetz
* "" by David M. Bader
* "Letters to a Buddhist Jew" by Akiva Tatz

External links

* [http://www.nachalnovea.com/breslovcenter/articles/OY_VAY_School_of_Buddhism.pdf The “Oy Vey” School of Buddhism]
* [http://www.acfnewsource.org/religion/jubu.html AFC News Source - Jews by birth who practice Buddhism]
* [http://www.indojudaic.com/searching.htm Story of a Jewish Buddhist]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_200307/ai_n9286071 You dont look Buddhist]
* [http://users.cyberone.com.au/myers/lotus.html A frank encounter between religious Jews and Tibetan Buddhists ]
* [http://www.targum.com/excerpts/letters_to_a_buddhist_jew.html Excerpt from "Letters to a Buddhist Jew"] by Akiva Tatz