Reflections on Jewish and Christian Encounters with Buddhism

Kasimow, Harold

doi:10.1353/bcs.2015.0020

Cited by 1 publication

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“…Many contemporary orthodox Jews, including rabbis, consider Buddhism (which they often subsume to the broader category of ‘Eastern religions’) as being involved in the central Jewish prohibition of ‘ avodah zarah (see Kasimow 2015). This refers to ‘illegitimate alien worship, equivalent to idolatry’ – the ‘battle’ against which has been ‘fundamental’ to Jewish identity (Goshen‐Gottstein 2012: 263‐4, 276).…”

Section: Secularizing Vipassanāmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secularization and its ethical consequences: orthodox Israeli Jews sanctifying ‘mundane’ Buddhist meditation

Mautner

2022

Royal Anthropological Inst

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Insight' or vipassanā meditation refers to meditative practices employed within Buddhist traditions. But following the secularization of vipassanā in recent decades -that is, its differentiation from Buddhism -orthodox Jewish Israeli meditators frame it as a religiously neutral, therapeutic technique centred on the mundane human body. They thus consider it as involving no forbidden 'Eastern' religious contents. Nevertheless, these 'Jewish Vipassanā' meditators also utilize insight meditation for improving their Jewish practice, characters, and ability to experience closeness to God; and some situate it within a national-religious historical narrative culminating in redemption. The secularization of vipassanā enables orthodox Jewish practitioners to engage with it in ways that are significant for them as observant Jews, and without continually being concerned over 'idolatry'. Secularization therefore has important implications for people's ethical projects, or attempts to foster what they consider good. Examining these implications can both stimulate secular studies and contribute to anthropological research on ethics.

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Section: Secularizing Vipassanāmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secularization and its ethical consequences: orthodox Israeli Jews sanctifying ‘mundane’ Buddhist meditation

Mautner

2022

Royal Anthropological Inst

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Reflections on Jewish and Christian Encounters with Buddhism

Cited by 1 publication

References 5 publications

Secularization and its ethical consequences: orthodox Israeli Jews sanctifying ‘mundane’ Buddhist meditation

Secularization and its ethical consequences: orthodox Israeli Jews sanctifying ‘mundane’ Buddhist meditation

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