That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist [Hardcover]

Sylvia Boorstein (Author), Stephen Mitchell (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1996

Why do Jews make up such an astonishing number of today's Western Buddhist leaders and practitioners? Sylvia Boorstein--beloved author of "It's Easier Than You Think"--and writer Sharon Lebell explore one of today's hottest religious topics--the encounter between Jews and Buddhism.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Boorstein is an accomplished and respected teacher of Buddhist Insight Meditation and has also remained an observant Jew. Here she thoughtfully and clearly discusses how she resolved these two aspects of her life in a fulfilling and complementary way. (LJ 2/1/97)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Booklist

Boorstein, author of It's Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness (1995), is a wonderfully commonsensical Buddhist teacher and an observant Jew. This combination of faiths is not uncommon; in fact, so many Jews are drawn to Buddhism, it is becoming a genuine spiritual movement. Rodger Kamenetz examined this phenomena in The Jew and the Lotus (1994), and now Boorstein devotes her newest book to answering the question, "How is it possible to be both a Jew and a Buddhist?" Warm and direct, she expresses her gratitude for knowing "two vocabularies" of faith: Buddhism is her "voice of understanding," and Judaism is the voice of her heart. Uneasy, at first, about this unsought "dual citizenship," Boorstein slowly realized that she became a more observant Jew because she has a meditation practice, that meditation brought her closer to her spiritual essence, which is, by birth, Jewish. Boorstein's mindful elucidation of her balance of faiths is inspiring and enriching. When it comes to spirituality, more is more. Donna Seaman

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 169 pages
• Publisher: Harper San Francisco; 1st edition (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060609575
• ISBN-13: 978-0060609573
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,680,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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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.