Last week I was in a Moroccan restaurant in Seattle and had a unique experience: The very nice Palestinian man who ran the restaurant started speaking to me in his Shammi (Eastern) Arabic, and I responded in my good Moroccan Darija over mint tea and cookies. He was shocked to hear a non-Arab speak Arabic in a proper dialect, and when I told him I was Russian he said “No, no it can’t be! Arab blood runs in your veins!”
“How Do Hinduism and Buddhism Influence Me as a Rabbi?”
In Appreciation of the Bhagavad Gita
Mirabai Starr – An Interview about Writing God of Love
Mirabai Starr’s new book, God of Love – A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, will be disconcerting to many in an arena that seems sometimes to have been written to death – the complexities of the Abrahamic faiths. The interconnections Starr explores seem novel but obvious at first. As the interconnections accumulate, though, familiar sacred texts become powerful and compelling in new ways, a source of hope for those who’ve concluded that Abrahamic violence is forever intractable.
March 2012 Resources
Guide to Religious Tolerance In A Hostile Environment – New Golden Rule Video – New Video: From A Village in India to Multi-Cultural Toronto – Meaning Making Involves Us All
The Fiery Force that Sparkles in Everything
What is the positive core at the heart of who I am? My response: “You are I, recognizing the fiery force that sparkles in everything.”
Ice-breakers, Dancing, and Meaning Making
During the ice-breaker at a recent interfaith gathering, we each shared our ‘faith journey’ with the group. We were mostly strangers. The facilitator had created a set of cards, each with a simple line drawing of something from everyday life. She asked us to choose a few of the cards to illustrate our faith journeys. Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Pagans, and more, each chose some cards and told their different stories. Then it was my turn.
State of Formation Weighs in on Meaning
State of Formation (SoF), which publishes a weekly newsletter, is a forum for emerging religious and ethical leaders. SoF draws from more than 100 young adult writers representing all sorts of religious, spiritual, philosophic backgrounds. Founded by the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue, it is run in partnership with Hebrew College and Andover Newton Theological School, in collaboration with the Parliament of the World’s Religions.
One Thousand Words on “Meaning”
My source of meaning is God. For me, God is a character in the stories from the Talmud that are the scaffolding of my life. These stories begin with God consulting the angels: Should I create human beings or not? The angels, as argumentative as the Jews telling the story, break into factions and debate the issue. Some argue that human beings will be so morally flawed as to make a mess of the world, others that they will bring healing. While they fight, God sneaks off and creates Adam. The stories continue with God creating human beings in God’s own image. No exceptions. And further, God tells us that we are responsible for shaping that likeness. But how? Just as God clothed Adam and Eve in the garden, so are we to clothe the naked. Just as God buried Moses, so are we to bury the dead. Finally, the story I love the best. The rabbis debated for two and a half years if it was a good after all that humans were created. They finally came to a conclusion: it was a mistake. But, they added, as long as we are here, we ought to watch our ways or, as some would put it, scrutinize our deeds.
What is Most Meaningful in My Life as a Buddhist
Before writing this short essay, I puzzled for some days over what is most meaningful to me, especially pertaining to my Buddhist identity. There are many candidates. I value my relationship with my teacher; I value my sangha or community; I value being a Western Buddhist, which allows me to critically evaluate which aspects of Buddhism to take on and which, such as its sexism and patriarchy, to reject; I value all the training and inspiration I have received over the years.
Starting with Moksha and Karma Yoga
Finding meaning in life is an age-old quest that has perplexed people across geographical frontiers and transcended religious and spiritual affiliations. It attracts the interest of sages, religious scholars, and ordinary individuals alike. From distinctions between faith traditions to individual differences within a single religion to variances in time and space, every person will answer this question their own way, uniquely. It is therefore a quintessentially individual and personal search involving a diversity of perspectives.
Faith and the Journey towards Meaning
In thinking about this short article, I struggled with the question: How do I make meaning out of life? It can be read and answered in many ways from one person to the next. What is meaning, exactly? Still, I admit to being pleased at the invitation, but also for being acknowledged for the six-year journey since converting to Islam, the journey to find and define what brings meaning to my life.
How I Make Meaning of Life
My wife and I drive out of the city. On the way, we share stories with each other.
We laugh about how complicated and intertwined the tales of our lives have become with each
other, and with and among the people we know.
We are amazed at how disparate events and people come together over time, in surprising
combinations.