Jewish Dharma: A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen - Hardcover

Shoshanna PhD, Brenda

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1600940439 ISBN 13: 9781600940439

Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2008

Synopsis

Books like the Jew in the Lotus have helped to define the intersection of Jewish and Zen experience and custom. Now, in the first guide to the practice of both Judaism and Zen, Dr. Brenda Shoshanna, a long-time practitioner and student of both, shares her insights with over one million people who identify as “JuBus,” as well as Jews, Zen students, non-Jews, and everyone in the interfaith community who seeks understanding, meaning, and a life grounded in these authentic faiths. Each chapter of Jewish Dharma focuses on common issues that introduce disorder to our lives, using personal narrative, parables, quotations from both Jewish and Zen scriptures, anecdotes, and exercises. Specific guidelines and exercises help readers integrate both practices into their everyday lives-and thereby gain deeper understanding and happiness.

About this title

About the Author

Brenda Shoshanna, Ph.D., is a psychologist, workshop leader, and interfaith counselor. The author of several books, she is the relationship expert on iVillage.com and SelfGrowth.com. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

Raised as an Orthodox Jew in Borough Park, Brooklyn, Shoshanna always struggled with the structure of not only her religion but her lifestyle. When a teacher exposed her to Zen in high school, she found happiness, then confusion, and then of course guilt. After a lifetime of studying Zen and returning in fits and starts to a devout Jewish observance, she has found a way to balance the contradictions of a religion that covets community and devotion to God with one that centers on the individual and the quest for the essential self. The story of her struggle, while interesting—and in some cases, deeply personal—lacks consistency. Despite chapter sections on practice, there are few tangible prescriptions, and readers looking for the how-to guide that's promised in the subtitle may feel cheated. Shoshanna never quite finds the balance in writing for the casual seeker versus one already familiar with both Orthodox Judaism and Buddhism—and who wants, like her, to maintain a deep connection to both traditions. (Sept.)
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Edition details

• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1600940439
• ISBN 13: 9781600940439
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304