THE DARK STREET [Hardcover]

PETER CHEYNEY (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Collins (1946)
• ASIN: B000J2O4U6
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,487,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Jewish/Buddhist teachers, September 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist (Paperback)

A significant number of Westerners practicing Buddhism are Jews. What is the attraction of Buddhism? In this book, Boorstein shares how her experience of twenty years of meditation practice deepened and enriched her Judaism. Using her own story she shows how mindfulness meditation can lead to the appreciation of every moment, which imbues any religion with renewed meaning. I also recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold - another great Jewish/Buddhist teacher.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat disappointing and muddled, July 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist (Paperback)

The book was an enjoying, light read, but at the end of the day, I came away with the impression that the author was trying very hard to "make" Buddhist precepts fit into her Jewish spiritual practice. I found her discussion of how the "Godhead" concept gibes with Buddhist precepts somewhat confusing; there are some surface similarities between things like "Buddha-mind" and "Ayn Sof" but also doctrinal differences; truth be told Judaism in its mystical form may have more parallels with certain Hindu concepts, especially with respect to the idea of the universal and eternal soul.

I think for folks with just a passing background in Budddhist or Jewish academics or philosophy the book may present a picture of how to harmonize two belief systems in a complimentary way. But for those who scratch the surface a bit deeper, her book seems to lead to more questions than answers, and seems a bit schizophrenic at times. But as far as personal memoir goes, not bad.

For more in depth discussions of this topic, I recommend Rodger Kamenetz's books "Jew In the Lotus" or "Stalking Elijah". "Zen Rabbi" Alan Lew's book "One God Clapping" is also interesting and a bit clearer in its conclusions In addition, although he is a Catholic by birth, Dinty W. Moore's book "The Accidental Buddhist" is a very decent, funny read and probes the issues concerning religious syncretism/harmonization more thoroughly, while at the same time providing helpful info regarding his own experiences.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, deeply felt, but not very useful to me., June 30, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist (Paperback)

I both enjoyed, and was frustrated by this book. Clearly, the author has experienced a new phase in her practice by incorporating Jewish prayer elements, and by returning to synagogue after an absence.

But, the book lacks structure for those uninitiated in Buddhism, and wondering if it is compatible with Judaism. The author talks a lot about the liturgy generally, but does not go into detail. Similarly, she writes about Buddhism as if you've been taking classes with her all along...which most of us have not.

This approach is underscored by a device the author uses to introduce topics. She starts out by relating conversations she has had, and then decides, on the page, to flesh out the issue in greater detail. This makes the book seem haphazard.

Nevertheless, I finished the book, and adopted some of her ideas into my daily life, to good effect. Thus, it is not a waste of time to read. But beware: if you are looking for a structured text, this is not it.