<div>Again responding to a number of posts at once:</div> <div> </div> <div>1) A am grateful for R. Micha Berger for clarifying his original post and position. I find his ideas about <EM>avodas hashem</EM> always insightful and personally meaningful. </div> <div> </div> <div>So MB does say that Judaism does not have Mindfulness 2.0. Rather we don't have Mindfulness. So someone, Jewish or otherwise, who seeks Mindfulness should seek it elsewhere. Personally, I find it difficult when people in Jewish education or Kiruv tell people that Judaism teaches something that it does not or has a value is that is not manifest in most Orthodox Jewish communities. </div> <div> </div> <div>I find it disturbing when when young idealistic Jewish activists who have been active in liberal, left-wing political causes, are told by Kiruv professional that these ideas could be find in Judaism, when the Kiruv worker knows, quite
well how politically and culturally right-wing most Orthodox Jewish communities are.</div> <div> </div> <div>2) Many strains of Buddhist teach the idea of non-Judgementally, contemplating the moment and the world and cultivating compassion for all suffering creatures. This aquisition of true compassion can and often does lead to acting to r<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">elieve s</SPAN>uffering in the world. I believe that propotionally, at least as many Western Buddhists as Western Jews are involved in relieving suffering in the world. </div> <div> </div> <div>(I don't think that this is the forum to discuss the four vows of the Buddha, but if anyone wants we can get into that topic.)</div> <div> </div> <div>3) I
think that there is a distinct LACK of mindfulness and inner-cultivation within many Jewish communities. Of course, as members of the list have pointed out, this should be the case. We should constantly strive, strive, strive. It's just a matter of striving for the right things (e.g. mastering <EM>shas</EM>, being a better Jew) and not the wrong things (e.g. material wealth). </div> <div>Of course a Buddhist would say that this cycle is bound to end in want and misery as desires are left unfulfilled and people are left without inner peace.. </div> <div> </div> <div>4) Perhaps, if inner-peace and Mindfulness was more of a Jewish value, many of the problems within the Jewish communities (Orthodox and otherwise) could be avoided. Of course, this then means that these values are just a stepping stone towards another problem (which many members of the list have expressed a comfort with).</div> <div> </div>
<div>Have a good Shabbos,</div> <div>Yonatan</div><p> 
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