Theravadan
Buddhism addresses the illusion of the ego and its grasping onto
impermanent phenomena. Nondual Judaism addresses the
illusion of the ego and
its grasping onto the unreal. The solution in Theravadan
Buddhism is training in wisdom, concentration, and virtue; in nondual
Judaism, it is the three paths of contemplation, ecstasy, and fulfillment
of the commandments.
Come to East/West Living in NYC for a discussion about whether there's a difference between saying "all is one,” “all is empty,” and
"all is God". (Dec 9)
God is who is reading these words and writing them, who is thinking and what is thought. This is the world without an observer, with no inside and no outside, in which That (what seems to be without) and You (what seems to be within) are the same.
For most spiritual folks, state change is what it's all about. Spiritual states have the power to open the mind, nourish the heart, and change the world. They are, I think, the most important force for social and environmental sustainability on the planet. And they can be lots of fun, too.
In America, we're used to hippies being for peace and love not just rhetorically, but politically as well. But in Israel, many "fundamentalists" are actually part of the "peace and love" hippie crowd. These people are pulling a trigger and experiencing the Divine.
The jhanas are states of heightened concentration that have been cultivated by Hindus and Buddhists for three thousand years. They are altered states, full of bliss and, I would say, holiness. Here I describe my experiences of the jhanic states and their significance for spiritual practitioners.
Some believe that without free will, we are mere biological instruments, with no soul. But from a nondual perspective, this argument is theologically backward. The autonomous soul isn't the gateway to God; it's the gateway to delusion. This is the yetzer hara, the selfish, separating and, occasionally, evil inclination that sees the self as the center of the universe.
Imagine a world in which everyone understood that all of us are God. According to one interpretation of prophecy, the messianic age is already unfolding, and the gradual emergence and dissemination of nonduality is among its signal phenomena.
Sometimes, prayer language rings hollow and empty. Sometimes, I prefer dance music to blues. But as Leonard Cohen said, "there is a crack in everything, that's where the light comes in."
Religion can be fairly straightforward; it brings us together and marks important occasions. But what about those of us who make spirituality the center of our lives? Are we sick and scarred?
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