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168th out of 409 books
—
464 voters
The Jew In The Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery Of Jewish Identity In Buddhist India
While accompanying eight high–spirited Jewish delegates to Dharamsala, India, for a historic Buddhist–Jewish dialogue with the Dalai Lama, poet Rodger Kamenetz comes to understand the convergence of Buddhist and Jewish thought. Along the way he encounters Ram Dass and Richard Gere, and dialogues with leading rabbis and Jewish thinkers, including Zalman Schacter, Yitz and B
...morePaperback
Published
by HarperOne
(first published May 1994)
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i was really touched by this book. a congregation of jewish leaders and rabbis travels to dharmashala in india, home of the tibetan people in exile. and basically they sit down with the 14th dalai lama and compare notes on how a people live in exile, how to make traditions, language, literature and culture survive in exile. the similarities between the jewish peoples brillian survival and preservation of their culture outside of their homeland serves as a model for the tibetan people. it is grea...more
this book is about a group of jewish leaders who go to meet with the dalai lama to talk about spiritual survival in exhile. it was really moving for me. i think it's really effective because the author didn't go there on his own spiritual quest, he went as a journalist, to document the event, but ended up having this really transformative experience. it speaks a lot to why so many jews have a hard time relating spiritually to our own religion, and unearths some really compelling stuff that has b...more
I adored this book - the tale of a group of Jewish rabbis and intellectuals who travel to Dharamsala in India to converse with the Dalai Lama, all told by a poet.
The Jew in the Lotus is many things - a travel narrative (there's much about India, in here - snapshots built word-by-word of markets, temples, shrines, hotels, and the result is as vibrant as a color photograph); a personal journal (Kamenetz went to India as a secular Jew with some suspicion about Buddhism, and returned a spiritual Jew...more
The Jew in the Lotus is many things - a travel narrative (there's much about India, in here - snapshots built word-by-word of markets, temples, shrines, hotels, and the result is as vibrant as a color photograph); a personal journal (Kamenetz went to India as a secular Jew with some suspicion about Buddhism, and returned a spiritual Jew...more
“The Jew in the Lotus” is a true account of a delegation of Jews from a wide range of religious denominations who visit the Dalai Lama in 1990. The Dalai Lama, whose people and way of life are threatened, would like to learn about Jewish survival. The Jewish delegates each come with their own unique perspective on Judaism, which they plan to share. The author, Rodger Kamenetz, documents this journey in full, including the group dynamics, the intra-group tensions, and the dialogue with the Dalai...more
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"The Jew in the Lotus" is the archetypal JuBu book, and since I am of Jewish extraction and interested in Buddhism, I felt I should read it. I was surprised to find that this isn't a story of one man's personal conversion from one religion to another. Instead, it's a fairly journalistic retelling of the first embassy of Jews to the Dalai Lama, in 1990. Kamenetz is a famous poet, and his writing is frequently lyrical- so much so that by the end I kind of had a headache from all the high-minded se...more
What happens when the Dalai Lama invites a group of rabbis and Jewish scholars to travel to India for a dialogue between the two faiths? One reason his holiness called for this meeting was to find out what secrets the Jews had that allowed their religion and culture to survive in exile for two thousand years and how these secrets might be applied to preserve the Tibetan Buddhist tradition given its current situation. Along the way we also learn about the similarities between the two religions' e...more
It was fascinating to learn that traditional Jewish mysticism has many concepts and practices similar to those in Buddhism. Maybe all deeply developed mysticisms have such similiaries. However, when Kamenetz seems to argue that what will "save" Judaism in the contemporary world is a new infusion of mysticism... well, I don't know. This seems both simplistic and extremely unlikely to occur (mainstream Judaism becoming highly mystical), and are we so sure that Judaism, which has many varied and vi...more
A captivating account of the dialogue between Jewish scholars and the Dalai Lama in 1990. The Dalai Lama wants to know the secret of Jewish survival despite adversity, so he can ensure the future of Tibetan Buddhism during the Chinese occupation. This "Jewish secret" appears to be Judaism's involvement of the entire family, which makes every person a potential bearer of Jewish spirituality. Most forms of Tibetan Buddhism are the preserve of a monastic elite, leaving the lay "householders" partly...more
As a Jewish American, I can identify with his description of Jewish identity, but having experienced the Renewal movement, I can say whole-heartedly that I prefer Reform. The rabbi who followed Renewalism ( is it a movement? A manifesto?) was so out of touch with reality that it was difficult to believe anything he told you.
I've always felt a strong connection to Judaism; my reference has always been this wonderful Reform synagogue in Tennessee that my family belonged to until we moved away. It'...more
I've always felt a strong connection to Judaism; my reference has always been this wonderful Reform synagogue in Tennessee that my family belonged to until we moved away. It'...more
A nonfiction about a group of Jews who visit Dharamsala in 1990 to talk with the Dalai Lama... He wants to know their secret to preserving their religion which turns out to be how they never forgot their past, especially how they have suffered... Interestingly enough is that this goes against what Buddhists believe since they preach detachment from (among other things) your past... A very interesting chapter on how both Jews and Buddhist believe in angels... Another interesting chapter on JUBUs-...more
I generally read books about religion for two reasons: one, to educate myself with general background and historical knowledge of the world’s primary religions and, two, to gain deeper insight into my own religion and enhance my own spiritual journey. The Jew in the Lotus satisfied both of my hopes for religious nonfiction.
I found my second motivation for reading such works to be especially well described by several participants in the interfaith dialogue depicted in this book, including Omer-Ma...more
I found my second motivation for reading such works to be especially well described by several participants in the interfaith dialogue depicted in this book, including Omer-Ma...more
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I read this book in hopes of re-kindling an interest in learning and reading about Judaism. I turned to this book after I could no longer stomach reading God is a Verb, a book on Jewish mysticism. There are certain aspects of Buddhism that are appealing and I thought that reading a book about a conversation between Jewish and Buddhist scholars would be interesting.
I think that this book was well written. It is the story of a diverse group of Jewish scholars that journey to India to speak with t...more
I think that this book was well written. It is the story of a diverse group of Jewish scholars that journey to India to speak with t...more
The fascinating story of a group of Jewish religious figures who go to visit the Dalai Lama.
Kamenetz does a great job of outlining the various flavors of and splits within Judaism, while also giving an impressive overview of Tibetan Buddhism.
The really amazing parts, though, are the various sections that discuss where the two religions intersect. And there are a lot more than I thought.
Kamenetz wraps up the book with a call to arm for the increasingly broken American Judaism to fix itself, and...more
Kamenetz does a great job of outlining the various flavors of and splits within Judaism, while also giving an impressive overview of Tibetan Buddhism.
The really amazing parts, though, are the various sections that discuss where the two religions intersect. And there are a lot more than I thought.
Kamenetz wraps up the book with a call to arm for the increasingly broken American Judaism to fix itself, and...more
This book spoke to both my chosen religious affiliation (Judaism_ through my husband) and my life's passion. I am a Yogi and the sutras and practices are intertwined with Buddhism. My favorite passage is about a rabbi saying that he thinks that religious pluralism is God's will. When Ram Das makes an appearance near the end, I was delighted.
I have been noting the commonalities that I encounter between Yoga and Judaism for the past 18 months, but it was an enlightening experience to read about o...more
I have been noting the commonalities that I encounter between Yoga and Judaism for the past 18 months, but it was an enlightening experience to read about o...more
Though this book is from over ten years ago, the pieces of it that are timeless are great. There are fantastic and poignant nuggets (can a "nugget" be poignant? I feel like the word nugget means at best somethings dense, at worst, juicy. Anyway...) there are moments of the book which are beautiful, thought-provoking, and fun.
The story of a group of Jews from across the ideological spectrum going to Dharamsala for the first ever dialogue between Jewish thinkers and the Dalai Lama. The story prov...more
The story of a group of Jews from across the ideological spectrum going to Dharamsala for the first ever dialogue between Jewish thinkers and the Dalai Lama. The story prov...more
In 1990, the author traveled to Dharamsala with a group of Jewish scholars and holy men to report on their dialogue with HH Dalai Lama. His account of what he witnessed and heard while in attendance is one of the most compelling I've ever encountered. An utterly lively page-turner for anyone who wishes to track the pathway convergences of superficially distinct pilgrim roads.
This book is best intended for the Jewish audience. Although the central event is the dialog between Dalai Lama and Jewish leaders, The book describes the current dilemmas in the Jewish community that become apparent in the light of this dialog. The author attempts to explore questions like, why do people choose to leave the Jewish faith, how can we bring all the different denominations to work together (rather than against each other) to resolve current problems, How did spirituality disappear...more
May 13, 2007
Greg
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
jews, buddhists, JUBUs
Shelves:
religion
What do you get when you cross a group of Jewish scholars (I believe they are all Rabbis) and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people?
- Lots of bickering about what it means to be a Jew
- Some perspectives on similarities between Buddhism and Judaism
- An inquiry into Jewish values that seeks to explain why Jews gravitate towards Buddhism much more than other members of other religions
- A strong desire to go travel in India (or travel in India again)
- Plenty of wisdom from the Dalai Lama, which...more
- Lots of bickering about what it means to be a Jew
- Some perspectives on similarities between Buddhism and Judaism
- An inquiry into Jewish values that seeks to explain why Jews gravitate towards Buddhism much more than other members of other religions
- A strong desire to go travel in India (or travel in India again)
- Plenty of wisdom from the Dalai Lama, which...more
I got the impression that the JUBU's needed their "ex" to meet the "new or chosen" one, so that the ex would know why they left and how much better the new one was. They needed the "chosen" one to meet the ex so that it could see from whence they came.
I found it interesting that the Jews went thinking that they were going to teach the Dalai Lama about how a religion could survive in the diaspora. I laughed at Zalman's idea of a Tibetan seder before even meeting the Dalai Lama. Instead of only t...more
I found it interesting that the Jews went thinking that they were going to teach the Dalai Lama about how a religion could survive in the diaspora. I laughed at Zalman's idea of a Tibetan seder before even meeting the Dalai Lama. Instead of only t...more
A delightful look at the world of the Jews and the Tibetans -- about exile and cultural survival. The discussions at this historic meeting in the mid-1990s between the Dalai Lama and Jewish religious leaders in Dharamsala (India),called by the Tibetan leader, were essentially about their mystical traditions, spiritual wisdom and the practicalities of political survival. It gave me a new and increased understanding of both the Jewish and Buddhist faiths.
Aug 07, 2011
Scott Harvey
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
religion,
philosophical
I read this book for an introductory class on world religions and approached it as a chore initially. It ended up being an interesting read which taught me a bit about both Judaism and Buddhism. I enjoyed the book though it does not stand out in my memory as anything spectacular.
I enjoyed this book, and it makes me look forward to studying with Zalman Schacter-Sholomi next month. I enjoyed the discussion of angels. According to the Talmud, each blade of grass has a team of angels cheering it on to grow. And each human is preceded by a relay of angels saying "Look out, the image of God is coming!" I wonder how my life would be different if I could be mindful of the angels?
Although this book explores a great topic (the connection of Jewish and Buddhist faith/followers and the strong connection they have), it ends up reading more as a travel journal and misses some real 'juice'.
Generally a report of a meeting between certain Jews, including some religious and some cultural Jews and the Dali Lama, together with several of his leaders. Similarities and differences between Judaism and Buddhism are discussed and during their time together they each discovered that there was far more they had in common than there were differences. The original motive behind the meeting was for the Dali Lama to gain some insight into what the Jews have done to survive admist the scattering a...more
thought about faith for the first time in YEARS.
most interesting revelation: "in the beginning" is interpreted as "in a beginning" in many versions of the Hebrew bible. that makes it a wee bit of a different story, mind blowing.
most interesting revelation: "in the beginning" is interpreted as "in a beginning" in many versions of the Hebrew bible. that makes it a wee bit of a different story, mind blowing.
This story facinated me. I really enjoyed it and came from reading the book with an enormous passion for Tibeten orphans. This is a book that a lot of people should read.
Explores the parallels between Eastern philosophy and Kabbalah from the perspectives of an eclectic group of travelling Jews, including orthodox, reform, and secular.
reread parts of this when I found it on our basement bookshelf. Hard to believe how long ago these events were and what an impact it made.
Read this while "working" in Maui. Literally... I was at the counter reading it at work, in Maui :)
jewish buddhists, buddhist jews, tibetan buddhism, tibetans in exile in northern India ...
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