Wednesday, February 2, 2022

What I Didn’t Find in a Tibetan Monastery, I Found at Chabad

 https://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/5103225/jewish/What-I-Didnt-Find-in-a-Tibetan-Monastery-I-Found-at-Chabad.htm

Rabbi Kushner told Paul that when he got back to the United States, he should buy Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan’s books on authentic Jewish meditation.

Paul did exactly that. He studied Rabbi Kaplan’s books like textbooks. Although Rabbi Kaplan’s books did not work for Paul since he had his heart set on peace in this world and not in higher Kabbalistic realms, they did have an intense impact on him. They had awakened his Jewish pride. For the first time in his life, he realized that “a Jew is a Jew,” and he can’t deny it or run away from that. Judaism and Kabbalah were a far cry from the monastery. The Dalai Lama’s opinion that spiritual seekers should first aim to preserve the religion of their ancestors started to make sense to him. He knew he would have to explore Judaism in earnest.
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4 comments :

  1. Kalonymus HaQatanFebruary 2, 2022 at 2:24 PM

    Apparently, the Lubavitcher Rebbe did not approve of Kaplan's methods








    https://www.academia.edu/2503448/The_Lubavitcher_Rebbe_s_Call_for_a_Scientific_Non_Hasidic_Meditation?email_work_card=title

    ReplyDelete
  2. Daas TorahFebruary 2, 2022 at 4:58 PM

    Nopez1 that is a biased reading Rebbe did not want Kabala or Chasidus involved

    e methods of Rabbi Kaplan and Rabbi Polit and their aim are not at
    all the aim and purpose I had in mind, of which I spoke with you. e
    intent is not that you should teach Kabbalah or Chassidus or Torah in
    general, but only and exclusively teach meditation and mental concentration
    and the like such as are kosher and permissible according
    to the Shulchan Aruch — it is possible to attain peace of mind, etc.
    Especially to attain peace of mind by those in whom this is acutely
    lacking, due to anxiety in business, Sholom Bayis, health, and similar
    stresses. erefore, you should not teach Kabbalah, mysteries of the
    Torah, Zohar and similar subjects in your sessions (or workshops). In
    other words, your function is that of physicians (not Torah teachers)
    and an essential purpose is preventive therapy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kalonymus HaQatanFebruary 2, 2022 at 5:48 PM

    Reads differently - he explicitly mentions reb aryeh Kaplan and says that his methods are not what he had in mind.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Daas TorahFebruary 2, 2022 at 6:36 PM

    yes and he says why - look at the last line in article

    ReplyDelete

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