Jews in Buddhism

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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Jews in Buddhism

Post by DNS »

[ Split from Why is Buddhism not growing? ]

DooDoot wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:58 am
SarathW wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:27 am In fact, Arthur C. Clarke a futuristic visionary, in one of his books, mentioned that Buddhism will be the only religion that will survive by the year 2050 and that scientist cannot hammer it down or destroy it.
It sounds like you think Arthur C. Clarke was a Buddha with psychic powers. The way the world is heading, Judaism will be the only religion to survive by the year 2050.
:lol:

Nah, the Jews only exist in Israel and some small pockets here and there throughout the Western world. They don't proselytize, are not interested in gaining converts. There is a huge divide in Israel between secular Jews and religious Jews. Secular Jews eventually will convert out of it or marry out of it with their kids being raised in another religion. There will be some small pockets here and there of the religious ones, especially those that are close-knit communities, for example the Hassidic. Eventually, even Israel won't be a nation any more as it gets subsumed into the surrounding Arab nations or into Palestine (the numbers of religious Jews are just not there and they are greatly out-numbered by secular Jews and Arabs, in the region).

Buddhism is not tied to any ethnicity or caste, so there is still some hope for the future of Buddhism, imo.

(Judaism is my tribe, Buddhism is my religion)
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by budo »

DNS wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 4:26 pm
DooDoot wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:58 am
SarathW wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:27 am In fact, Arthur C. Clarke a futuristic visionary, in one of his books, mentioned that Buddhism will be the only religion that will survive by the year 2050 and that scientist cannot hammer it down or destroy it.
It sounds like you think Arthur C. Clarke was a Buddha with psychic powers. The way the world is heading, Judaism will be the only religion to survive by the year 2050.
:lol:

Nah, the Jews only exist in Israel and some small pockets here and there throughout the Western world. They don't proselytize, are not interested in gaining converts. There is a huge divide in Israel between secular Jews and religious Jews. Secular Jews eventually will convert out of it or marry out of it with their kids being raised in another religion. There will be some small pockets here and there of the religious ones, especially those that are close-knit communities, for example the Hassidic. Eventually, even Israel won't be a nation any more as it gets subsumed into the surrounding Arab nations or into Palestine (the numbers of religious Jews are just not there and they are greatly out-numbered by secular Jews and Arabs, in the region).

Buddhism is not tied to any ethnicity or caste, so there is still some hope for the future of Buddhism, imo.

(Judaism is my tribe, Buddhism is my religion)
This is a pretty accurate description. Most of Judaism is already dying, and the authentic ones who follow the old tradition from 3000 years ago are a tiny portion. Sephardics are like the Theravadin Early Buddhists, Hassidics/Russian judaism are like Vissudhimaggists and the reformists/secular jews are like the Mahayanists.

Judaism suffers the same dilution issues as Buddhism and all religions.

Israel won't last long either as Islam will still outgrow it. Statistically there is no way to stop Islam in terms of population growth, only to reform it from within like the Imam Mohamed Tawidi who takes a more libertarian approach, but I doubt he will last long, as Islam usually eats its own through violence, hence why Ahmaddiya and Sufi muslims are a minority.

Imho the future will be half athiest, half Islamic.
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by SarathW »

DooDoot wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:58 am
SarathW wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:27 am In fact, Arthur C. Clarke a futuristic visionary, in one of his books, mentioned that Buddhism will be the only religion that will survive by the year 2050 and that scientist cannot hammer it down or destroy it.
It sounds like you think Arthur C. Clarke was a Buddha with psychic powers. The way the world is heading, Judaism will be the only religion to survive by the year 2050.
Well, one thing is very sure to me.
Jews will take the lead in spreading Buddhism in the world. :tongue:
Can you name a few leading Jewish Buddhist?
I think Bhikkhu Bodhi is a Jewish.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by Manopubbangama »

SarathW wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 9:13 pm
DooDoot wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:58 am
SarathW wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:27 am In fact, Arthur C. Clarke a futuristic visionary, in one of his books, mentioned that Buddhism will be the only religion that will survive by the year 2050 and that scientist cannot hammer it down or destroy it.
It sounds like you think Arthur C. Clarke was a Buddha with psychic powers. The way the world is heading, Judaism will be the only religion to survive by the year 2050.
Well, one thing is very sure to me.
Jews will take the lead in spreading Buddhism in the world. :tongue:
Can you name a few leading Jewish Buddhist?
I think Bhikkhu Bodhi is a Jewish.
Bhikkhu Bodhi, born Jeffrey Block in New York City was born into Judaism (which branch Im not sure), but is now 100% a Theravadin through and through.

Easily the greatest non-Asian scholar of Buddhism of the 21st century (so far).

His translations of the Tipitika are nonpareil in the English language.

There are some inferior efforts that come out of Australia, but nothing by comparison.

The amount of good that the Venerable Bhante has brought the world is extremely high, especially for us English speakers who don't have the ability to understand Sinhalese (and Pali) on a native speaker level.

Israel also has several Mahasi centers, so the dhamma is alive and well there.
Last edited by Manopubbangama on Wed May 29, 2019 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by Dan74-MkII »

Manopubbangama wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 9:25 pm
SarathW wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 9:13 pm
DooDoot wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:58 am
It sounds like you think Arthur C. Clarke was a Buddha with psychic powers. The way the world is heading, Judaism will be the only religion to survive by the year 2050.
Well, one thing is very sure to me.
Jews will take the lead in spreading Buddhism in the world. :tongue:
Can you name a few leading Jewish Buddhist?
I think Bhikkhu Bodhi is a Jewish.
Bhikkhu Bodhi, born Jeffrey Block in New York City was born into Judaism (which branch Im not sure), but is now 100% a Theravadin through and through.

Easily the greatest non-Asian scholar of Buddhism of the 21st century (so far).

His translations of the Tipitika are nonpareil in the English language.

There are some interior efforts that come out of Australia, but nothing by comparison.

The amount of good that the Venerable Bhante has brought the world is extremely high, especially for us English speakers who don't have the ability to understand Sinhalese (and Pali) on a native speaker level.

Israel also has several Mahasi centers, so the dhamma is alive and well there.
:goodpost:

Bhikkhu Bodhi is a wonderful gift. :bow: :bow: :bow:
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by pitakele »

SarathW wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 9:13 pm
Can you name a few leading Jewish Buddhist?
I think Bhikkhu Bodhi is a Jewish.
The late Ven. Nyanaponika was Jewish, as are these American Buddhist teachers: Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sylvia Boorstein, Mark Epstein, Norm Fischer, Bernie Glassman, Sharon Salzberg, Taro Gold, Natalie Goldberg. Outside Theravada, there is Philip Kapleau, Surya Das, Jon Kabat–Zinn & others.
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by SarathW »

Joseph Goldstein
Joseph Goldstein is one of my (favorite) teachers. I think Joseph is one of the founders of the Vipassana movement in the US.
Perhaps even before Bhikkhu Bodhi.
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by Manopubbangama »

Jews tend to be overrepresented in virtually all intellectual areas.

Firefighters and carpenters? Not so much. :tongue:
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by DNS »

Manopubbangama wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:37 pm Jews tend to be overrepresented in virtually all intellectual areas.

Firefighters and carpenters? Not so much. :tongue:
Carpenters? Don't forget Jesus; he was a carpenter. Oh, wait a minute; he's only Jewish on his mother's side. :tongue:
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Re: Jews in Buddhism

Post by SarathW »

he's only Jewish on his mother's side. :tongue:
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What about his father?
Isn't he a Jewish?
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Re: Jews in Buddhism

Post by budo »

Ayya Khema was also jewish, she escaped the holocaust in Germany by fleeing to China.

Then learned the jhanas in Sri Lanka at Nissarana Vinaya from Nanarama Mahathera
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Re: Jews in Buddhism

Post by DNS »

SarathW wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 11:17 pm
he's only Jewish on his mother's side. :tongue:
What about his father?
Isn't he a Jewish?
Who knows?

Christians say it is God. Is God (the father) Jewish?
South Park says God is buddhist.
Some say his father was a Roman soldier.
Some say it was Joseph.
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by pilgrim »

DNS wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:57 pm
Manopubbangama wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:37 pm Jews tend to be overrepresented in virtually all intellectual areas.

Firefighters and carpenters? Not so much. :tongue:
Carpenters? Don't forget Jesus; he was a carpenter. Oh, wait a minute; he's only Jewish on his mother's side. :tongue:
Perhaps early in his career but not only did Jesus become a Buddhist he was a monk to boot, at least according to the BBC. :jumping:
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by DooDoot »

Interesting replies but the OP referred to the "religion" or "doctrine" called "Judaism" rather than a "race" or "DNA" called "Jews". It seems like the apparent confusion in each answer validates the OP; that the "Buddhists" on this thread are not discerning "what is what" but instead are engaged in racial identitarianism. Instead, similar to the religion or doctrine of Judaism, the posters here appear to mix "religion" with "tribe/race" when convenient. If religious "Judaism" means being "Jewish", per the apparent rationale of the posters, then all of the names cited, such as Bhikkhu Bodhi, cannot be "Buddhist" because they are "Jewish", which is the religion of "Judaism". This shows the posters here are **thinking** similar to the Judaic religion and shows how the religion of Judaism is actually growing. :smile:
"Buddhism" means "the Teaching of the Enlightened One." A Buddha is an enlightened individual, one who knows the truth about all things, one who knows just what is what.
:alien:
budo wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 5:24 pm Most of Judaism is already dying...
Its not "dying". It is just transforming into different forms; as demonstrated by the thinking displayed on this topic where "Jews" are regarded as "Buddhists" and where the religion of "Judaism" was correlated with "Jewish people". The OP didn't ever mention "Jewish people" yet the answers did.

Also, the religion of Judaism is also a geo-political doctrine about the Promised Land and the destruction of the nations. Since the Promised Land is actually growing, Judaism is obviously growing. Since the US Congress is bringing in laws saying criticism of the State of Israel is "antisemitism" and laws prohibiting trade boycotts of State of Israel, the religion of Judaism is obviously growing.
DNS wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 4:26 pm Eventually, even Israel won't be a nation any more as it gets subsumed into the surrounding Arab nations or into Palestine (the numbers of religious Jews are just not there and they are greatly out-numbered by secular Jews and Arabs, in the region).
The above does not appear to be happening. Israel appear to be growing, including US recognition of the Golan Heights and the financing of more West Bank settlements by Kushner & Co.

:smile:
Last edited by DooDoot on Thu May 30, 2019 3:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why Buddhism is not growing?

Post by DNS »

DooDoot wrote: Thu May 30, 2019 12:57 am Interesting replies but the OP referred to the "religion" or "doctrine" called "Judaism" rather than a "race" or "DNA" called "Jews". It seems like the apparent confusion in each answer validates the OP; that the "Buddhists" on this thread are not discerning "what is what" but instead are engaged in racial identitarianism. Instead, similar to the religion or doctrine of Judaism, the posters here appear to mix "religion" with "tribe/race" when convenient.
Maybe so, because that is the reality. "Jewish" refers to the religion of Judaism and also an ethnicity. Most are both. Some are only one; for example converts from Christianity or other religions to Judaism as the religion component only. Or ethnic Jews who don't follow the religion as the ethnic part only (secular Jews).
Also, the religion of Judaism is also a geo-political doctrine about the Promised Land and the destruction of the nations. Since the Promised Land is actually growing, Judaism is obviously growing. Since the US Congress is bringing in laws saying criticism of the State of Israel is "antisemitism" and laws prohibiting trade boycotts of State of Israel, the religion of Judaism is obviously growing.
So in your view, basically anyone who is a pro-Israel globalist follows "Judaism." We are probably veering off into politics and a mod might remove our posts, but what about the Jews who are not pro-Israel globalists; and who support 2 state solution? They are not [real] Jews, in your view?
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