Judaism and Bhakti

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>"Yvette C. Rosser"

>EnlightenedChristians >To:

EnlightenedChristians >[EnlightenedChristians] Judaism

and Bhakti >Thu, 1 Aug 2002 20:23:19 -0500 > >I thought these notes from a

lecture I gave about Judaism and Bhakti >might be of interest: > >"Hin-Jews"

>Yvette C. Rosser > >During the sixties and seventies, numerous Hindu and

Buddhist >spiritual groups came to the West and established outposts of their

>religious teachings. These groups were called cults by the western >media...

the "Hare Krishna Cult", the "Tibetan Buddhist Cult"... >when in fact they are

centuries' old religious traditions practiced >by millions of people in their

countries of origin. > >A generation of American youths, the demographic bulge

of the baby >boomers, sought spiritual guidance from these wise men and women

from >the East. > >Why did several million Americans turn to the East for

wisdom and >inspiration? Who were these seekers who were drawn to Asian

>spiritual movements? What were their religious and social >backgrounds? Were

they children of secular humanists or atheists >who lacked religious training,

seeking to fill that void? Were they >children of fundamentalists, fed up with

the exclusivist, dogmatic >approach? Were they disenfranchised, disillusioned

malcontents >dissatisfied with the options offered by their own culture or were

>they contributing, creative members of our society? > >The majority of the

participants tended to be between their late >teens, twenties or early

thirties. In class or race, it is easy to >see that the "neo-Oriental

movements" were made up almost exclusively >of white, educated, middle- and

upper- middle- class people below the >age of forty, though a significant

number of older citizens were >drawn to participate in these religious groups.

The percentage of >African-Americans who were involved in these Eastern

spiritual >movements was far fewer than the proportion of blacks in the

>population at large, as also Hispanics. > >Women and men seemed to participate

equally, more seemed to come from >urban than rural areas, which is

understandable given the >availability of access to the teachings of these

non-Western >religious movements. 70% of the participants had been active

members >in a church or synagogue prior to their participation in Oriental

>religious practices. Most came from mainstream Christian churches:

>approximately 20% were Roman Catholic, 15% Methodists, Presbyterians >and

Episcopalians made up about 6 or 7% each, there is even about 3 >or 4% from

groups such at the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, these >statistics are

essentially parallel to the demographic distribution >of the American

population in general. > >The most amazing statistic that emerges from a

demographic survey of >these religious movements is the fact that people of

Jewish heritage >comprise at least 20% of the populations of most of these

groups, >when Jews comprise only 3 or 4% of the general American population.

>In some of these religious organizations, the number of Jews is even >higher,

approximating 30 - 50%! Why is this? > >In his book titled, "Turning East",

Harvey Cox, a noted Christian >theologian, enumerates several reasons why the

youth of this period >stepped outside the boundaries of their traditional

Judeo-Christian >religious backgrounds and studied Hindu and Buddhist

meditation >techniques and philosophies. First of all he found that these

people >were looking for friendship, and were "in search of a supportive

>community" in which they found a sense of belonging. > >Secondly, he found

that many of the "East Turners", as he called >them, were "looking for a way to

experience life directly", to >experience a direct relationship with God that

they did not get from >their traditional Western religious organizations. >

>Some were "refugees from uncertainty and doubt" and were looking for >an

authority figure in a teacher or guru. Others were looking for >something more

"natural" and were rejecting what they believed was >the "effete, corrupt or

outworn religious traditions of the West." >This group of seekers generally

shared a concern for health, >ecology, and the conservation of the earth's

dwindling resources." > >But why would the demographics of these Eastern

spiritual groups >obtain fifty to a hundred times greater percentages of their

members >drawn from the Jewish faith than are represented in the population at

>large? In asking this question, I telephoned several of my Jewish >friends who

have been closely involved with Indian Gurus and asked >them what they thought.

Here is a narrative summary of their answers: > >There seems to be a need for

devotionalism. Several of my friends >agreed that in their Jewish tradition,

the learning was by rote, with >a lack of experiential emphasis. They felt

alienated from a direct >relationship with God, there was too great a gap

between God and >humans, too great a duality. They felt that Hinduism, and

>specifically Bhakti Yoga, which is the path of devotion, gave them a >greater

access to the divine, a closer relationship with God, an >immediacy of the

spiritual moment. "The Jewish faith", a male >informant from Chicago said,

"doesn't have a devotional aspect of the >supreme deity that can be easily

accessed". > >The Hindu tradition gives them an opportunity to open up and

develop >a personal relationship with God. "In the Jewish faith", I was told,

>"there is little opportunity to experience God as living in your >heart". We

discussed the concept of subject-object dichotomy, which >is greater in Judaism

than Hinduism. Increasing the intensity of >belief in dichotomy increases the

amount of fear of the "divine >other", a tangible part of the Judao-Christian

belief of being damned >or unfulfilled. Either way, "you are not living in the

moment, you >are living in fear of some future reprisal". Whereas "in the Hindu

>devotional sects, especially the Bhakti aspect, there is an immediacy >of the

moment", experienced as "spiritual gratification". > >We also discussed ancient

Jewish traditions in comparison with >Hinduism. My friends noted that "It's laid

out very clearly in the >Zohar and the Kaballa, which is the mystical aspect of

Judaism: the >tree of life and the many different planes of consciousness

connected >with that Tree. The corresponding chakras in Hinduism are the

>analogous format through which the different expressions of energies >can

manifest." > >Both of these faiths have multiple myths and tales and books

written >reflecting their parallel ideas that "Godhead was not dual, not two,

>but one". However, "in Judaism you usually have to read between the >lines to

get that idea, whereas in Hinduism, it IS the idea". The >mystical aspect of

Judaism is much closer to Hinduism, but most Jews >in America have lost touch

with this mystical element of their >religion. "This mystical element has been

lost and Jews can fill >this mystical need in Hinduism". There is also an

emphasis on >learning in the Jewish tradition has correlations in the Hindu

>religion's approach to contemplation and speculation. > > From the comments of

another Jewish informant, a female in California: > >"Ultimately, is doesn't

matter if you use the format of Hinduism, >Judaism, Islam or Christianity, it's

the act of talking to God, of >becoming ecstatic with love for God and

communication with Him or >Her. The act of talking to God, of opening your

heart to God, the >act of humility towards God, are the components through

which you can >become absorbed in God, drunk with God as they say in the Bhakti

>tradition. The more the intensity and the thirst for God, the more >that God

will reach out to you. And the main block for most of us >Jews and Christians

is that we are caught up in externals, we worship >the externals, including our

minds. When we get out of our heads and >into our hearts, where we really feel

the love of God, then the >journey is really beginning." > >There are also

several similarities and correlations between the >rituals found in Hinduism

and Judaism: food is offered to God and >consecrated by God which is

accomplished by praying over the food and >then sharing it. The lighting of

candles and the Hindu arti, or >waving of the lights, is also analogous.

Shabbat is also similar to >the Hindu idea of taking time out for reflection

and meditation. >Additionally, they are both nonproselytizing traditions, more

than a >set of religious tenets, a way of life, with historically situated

>cultural associations beyond the mandir and the synagog. > >Another reason

that Jewish people often join these groups is that >they want to become

conscious of the Goddess. They want to >experience the mother as Kali, as

Durga. "In Judaism," one of my >friend commented, "we live in denial, but in

Hinduism we face the >negative and try to understand it. In Judaism the

teachings are in >austere tones, more measured, but Hinduism doesn't do this at

all, it >brings everything to the forefront. There is a lot of shame and >blame

in Christianity and Judaism, Hinduism doesn't get into that. >Hinduism says,

'stop blaming everyone else and then stop blaming and >shaming yourself'.

Hinduism brings you closer to the moment. Stop >trying to produce-produce all

the time and change everything, >Hinduism is like a full time Shabbat." > >An

important thing that happens is that Jews who get involved in >Asian religions

do not reject their Jewishness. Judaism is a culture >as well as a religion.

Even Jews who actively and sincerely follow a >Hindu guru, or the Dalai Lama,

still have barmitzvahs, still often >send their children to synagogue schools,

they celebrate Passover, >Hanukah, yet they feel comfortable in their embrace

of Hinduism as >well, after all Hinduism is, one informant mentioned, "the

ultimate >inclusive religion". > > >To from this group, send an

email to: >EnlightenedChristians > > > >Your use of

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