I'm always on the lookout for others who write about the Jewish Buddhist phenomenon. An article that recently appeared on Ground Report notes that:
A majority of the board of directors of a leading Buddhist magazine, Tricycle: A Buddhist Review, are ethnic Jews. Half of the 10 Buddhist abbots to take charge of the Zen Center of San Francisco over the last 40 years were of Jewish ancestry.
This quantifies what has been reported anecdotally, and certainly has been much of my experience. And not unlike the the story in Chaim Potok's classic novel The Chosen, where two Jewish boys (one Hasidic and one not) not only become friends but eventually trade places in their relationship to the faith, the article tells the story of Rabbi Alan Lew and his friend Norman Fischer. In the 70s both of them studied Zen together under Berkeley Zen Master Sojun Mel Weitsman (who also grew up Jewish). Everyone thought that Lew would follow in his teacher's path and become a Buddhist priest, while Fischer would become a rabbi. The opposite happened. Though Lew's books, much influenced by his Zen practice, bring meditation to the tribe in ways that work for those who might find the practice somewhat suspect — placing it firmly within the tradition. In fact, Lew's book on the High Holiday's "This Is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared" has to be one of the finest books on the subject. And today Fischer is a high-ranking (there's an interesting Buddhist concept) Buddhist priest going under the name of Zoketsu. Check out the article — there is much more of interest there.
Meanwhile, over at didJEWknow, it is reported that while most American Buddhists are of Asian descent, approximately 30% of converts (another peculiar concept that does not really apply to Buddhism unless one would consider taking refuge conversion) are/were Jewish. In this story Rabbi Lew makes another appearance, along with Jubu regulars Jock Kornfeld and Ram Dass (who is really a HinJew but since he is also quite queer he's a Queer Jubu Hero — and why quibble over the HinJew title, since I consider Buddhism a Protestant reformation of Hinduism anyway). This post also covers the dramatic story of Buddhist nun Aya Khema, who was born Jewish in pre-war Germany, escaped the Nazis only to be interned by the Japanese. She was ordained in the 70s in Sri Lanka. One quibble I have with the author of this blog however is that he consistenly refers to Jubus as Bu-Jews, which is certainly in currency. But like any Lilliputian, I am ready to go to war over this stubborn insistence on a divergent locution (may I be free of anger and ill-will....).
Last, somewhat tangentially, over at the Indwelling Spirit Blog, a site that covers LGBT Christian concerns, queer Lutheran Pastor Dan Hooper writes about some other locutions — recent colloquial phrases current in the queer religious community (including Jubu) along with their definitions. Some of them are quite funny and sad at the same time, such as this entry:
gay church, n. jocularly, a gym. Editorial Note: Popularized by, if not originated by, the American television sitcom Will & Grace. Occasionally, in various nonce uses as in the 2004 citation, the term is applied to other places or activities stereotypically associated with homosexuals.
Now I never really watched Will & Grace (heresy! burn him!) so this is a new one on me and pretty funny. But of course, it led me for the first time to consider another meaning for the title of the show. The definition also reminded me of a phrase from an affirmation satire book from the 90s I love: I Am My Own Best Casual Acquaintance:
My body is a temple.
Want to come over for midnight mass?
And that's the Jubu webweek review.
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