contemplating the mystery vedanta and judaism

7/28/2019 Contemplating the Mystery Vedanta and Judaism

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CONTEMPLATING THE MYSTERY is as old as humanity itself. People cannot help but wonder at the miracle of life, andhave found and developed myriad paths to meaning. Shrouded in deepest antiquity,the oldest religious traditions share many similar ideas, and may even sharecommon roots. Contemporary people seek ways to express their spirituality that arefreed from the baggage of the past, but the authority of antiquity lends an undeniablerichness. Like a fine wine, spirituality needs some aging and "gravity" to beconvincing. . .

Living traditions are growing traditions, enriched by their relationships with other paths, and "cross-pollination" has engendered a network of commonalities acrossthe religious spectrum. There is a sense of recognition when a familiar practice or concept is seen expressed in a different language or style. Religious traditions have

influenced each other in many ways, for better or worse.

Judaism and Vedanta have much in common, and we will explore here some of similarities and differences they share. The idea of "proving" or "disproving" aconnection between Judaism and Vedanta can be someone else's project.

SEED THOUGHTS

The idea that Judaism and Vedanta have common roots raises some eyebrows. Theantiquity of possible commonalities may make definitive proof, one way or the other,impossible. Outwardly, in many ways, the two traditions are quite different -iconoclastic Judaism's rejection of deist imagery contrasts sharply with Hinduism's

polytheism and rich panoply of God-forms and their images. These surfacecharacteristics conceal similarities in the underlying core concepts.

Both terms, "Judaism" and "Hinduism," are blanket words that describe hugecollections of varying "dialects" within each religion. Comprehensive parallels may beimpossible to draw, so prominent, selected threads will be compared, leaving finalconclusions as an open choice.

ABRAHAM AND THE BRAHMINS

Genesis 25:6:

"And to the concubine children who were Abraham's, Abraham gave gifts; then he



sent them away from Isaac his son, while he was still alive, eastward, to the land of the east."

These were the children of Hagar, Sarah's handmaiden with whom Abraham

fathered Ishmael, the progenitor of the Islamic strand of Abraham's ethicalmonotheism. Hagar was also called Ketura, which means "incense." Did these journeyers-to-the-east children of Abraham's become the Brahmins? The timingwould be right, Abraham lived around 2100 B.C.E., and the Upanishads and RigVeda emerged in India in about 1500 B.C.E. The similarity of "Abraham" and"Brahmin" may be purely coincidental. Like the fact that the Nordic version of Adamand Eve, the primordial couple, were called in the Eddas "Ask and Embla" [ash andelm trees].

SACRED LANGUAGE - SACRED TEXT

A hieratic language. The Greek word "hieratic" means "priestly," and was originallyused to describe Eqyptian hieroglyphics, a lanquage reserved for spiritual purposes.Hieratic languages like Hebrew and Sanskrit are seen as "vessels" that protectspiritual concepts. Each letter, each glyphic symbol contains and transmits"God-force." Each shape, and what it imparts, connects the immanent world to thetranscendant world, and is a path along which humans can share in that connection.This idea evolves in some thought into the idea that simply scanning the letters withthe eyes opens the soul to the divine, regardless of comprehension of the meanings.

Sacred Texts. The term "Veda," in its narrow sense, refers to the four primarybrahmanic "Samhitas," the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda.

Subsequent writings have been assimilated into the tradition, and "Veda" hasbecome a broader term including a body of literature much larger than the core texts.Similarly, in Judaism, the Sefer Torah [Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, andDeuteronomy], form the primary written law, with later works like the Talmud andZohar forming a vast body of thought that is sometimes referred to broadly as"Torah."

In both traditions, the primary texts, Torah and Veda, are thought of as entities muchgreater than simple collections of words. Both are seen as "living bodies" of theSpiritual manifested in the physical world. Both are seen as containing the sum of allknowledge, and capable of infinite exploration and permutation. Both are seen ascosmological principles, as essential, primary components of reality itself. Both areclosed canons, while still being seen as filled with endless meaning and sustenance.The import of these texts is often seen to transcend the literal meanings of thewords, and where human interpretation begins is where endless questions of authority begin.

HASHEM - BRAHMAN "Definitions" of "God" are very similar in Judaic and Vedic philosopy. According tothe monotheistic and panentheistic theologies of Hinduism, God (the SupremeBeing) is, in the highest sense, One: beyond form, infinite, and eternal. God is

changeless and is the very source of consciousness. God is beyond time, space,and causation and yet permeates everything and every being. God is beyond



gender. When God is thought of as this infinite principle, God is called Brahman.Brahman is the indescribable, omnipresent, original, inexhaustible, omniscient, first,eternal and absolute principle—the Supreme Cosmic Spirit—who is without abeginning, without an end, who is hidden in all and who is the source, cause,

material and effect of all creation known, unknown and yet to happen in the entireuniverse. Brahman is the Absolute Truth: it is pure existence, consciousness andknowledge. According to the Hindu philosophical school of Advaita Vedanta, nothingin the universe truly exists except Brahman.

In Judaism, many of the exact same ideas are invoked in the daily prayer service:God is One, without form, without beginning or end, beyond time and space, thesource of life and consciousness, indescribable, inexhaustible, omniscient,omnipresent, original, first, eternal and absolute principle—the ultimate transcendantreality, who is hidden in all and who is the cause, source, material and effect of allcreation known, unknown and yet to happen in the entire universe. The Creator is

described as: incomparable, without equal, unbounded by time, One but not in thesense of counting, preceding everything, and knowing of all secrets.

The idea of God's permeation of every aspect of life is summed up in both religioustraditions with a similar saying or mantra: in Sanskrit, "Tat twam asi" means "andthat, too" - with the idea of mentally acknowledging every thought and event as beingpart of God. The corollary in Judaism is a saying attributed to "Rabbi Ish Gam Zu":"Gam Zu la Tov" - "and that, too, is for the good."

Some threads of Vedantic thought posit many "sub-forms" of God, giving themnames and powers, with whole cults arising around these various personalities,

whereas Judaism rigidly avoids this, and doesn't indulge in any of thesesubdivisions. Another difference is the Jewish importance attached to the "names"used to describe the Creator, with levels of sanctity attributed to these names,including a name that cannot be pronounced - that was only pronounced in ancienttimes by the Kohen Gadol [High Priest] on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.Modern Jews use a variety of euphemisms for the Master of the Universe, andcarefully avoid using sacred names in non-prayer situations. One example is"HaShem," meaning literally: "The Name."

HOLY ABSORPTION

Devekut - Samadhi. Vedic and Chassidic thought share the ideal of "joining" withthe Divine, and myriad approaches to this goal have been described, named, andpracticed. The Hebrew: "bittul ha yesh," means "nullification of what I have," and ispart of "Devekut," or "cleaving" to the creator. This can be compared to the Sanskrit"moksha" meaning "liberation," dissolution of the sense of self as an egoisticpersonality, which is a precursor to "Samadhi," also called "Nirvana" - totalabsorption in Cosmic Consciousness. Both traditions prescribe comprehensivesystems of blessings, meditations and rituals for keeping the mind in constant focuson the Spiritual World. Both systems also have varying schools of thoughtconcerning "levels" of absorption, the purpose thereof, and ways to achieve it.

Another aspect of this unification with the divine is that there is no ulterior motive, not



even the motive of some reward at a future time, like the Christian or Islamic ideas of "heaven." In Jewish thought this is called "le shem shamayim," "for the sake of heaven," and in Vedic thought it's called "surrendering the fruits of your actions," or "karma yoga" - the yoga of works.

Another similarity is the concept of "Practice." The shared idea is that the poetry-like

repetition of sacred texts, ritualized recitation and action, is meant to work on deeper levels

than the immediate tangibles. Simply practicing the ethics, the G-d reminding blessings, the

daily, weekly, monthly, and annual cycles harmonises us with natural rhythms, and brings

connection and meaning, rootedness. Shared also is the sense of savoring the journey, and the

simple repetition, rather than anxiously grasping for some distant Heaven or Hell. With

practice, and years, we realize that each new situation is repeating something in our past, and

awareness catches us and says: "Pay closer attention this time..."

"A lesson repeated 100 times cannot be compared to a lesson repeated 101 times" Chagigah

9b2 [Talmud]

MINDFULNESS PRACTICE Techniques for keeping one's attention in the spiritual realm vary widely. Judaismaccompanies virtually every act with some kind of blessing, or "bracha," and thereare many other physical objects and movements that keep one's attention focusedon the higher impulses. The daily Jewish prayers, if done completely, involve hoursof 'mantra' chanting - Psalms, Biblical and Talmudic excerpts, Piyyut [hymns],meditations, wordless niggunim [tunes], and poems. Many dharmic traditions featuresimilar routines. In the Buddhist end of the spectrum, many forms of meditationpractice cultivate non-attachment - a "dispassionate mindfulness." This is a key

departure from Judaism's "passionate mindfulness." Buddhists don't dance andlaugh and cry all the time like Jews do, nor do they celebrate [sanctioned] sexualactivity. Judaism's challenge is to spiritualize all of life, to have all of the emotions inplay, available, and fully tasted, while Buddhism seeks independence from thesestates - to have the mind be like Teflon, letting emotions pass without 'grasping'them. People familiar with both systems tend to agree that Judaism has more heart,and a wider dynamic range of moods.

FOUR WORLDS- FOUR YOGAS "Yoga" means "union," or "yoke," referring to the idea of a system of practicesintended to bring samadhi or devekut - union with the Source of Creation. The oxen'syoke is a primordial symbol, and is also prominent in Judaism. The "Ohl MalchutShamayim," the "Yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven," is the system of "Halacha," or "path," which organizes Jewish life into a constant meditation on Holiness. "RajaYoga - Kingly Yoke," and the "Ohl Malchut - Yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven" arealmost identical twins - a spiritual ox-team.

Brahmanic philosophy has defined four "branches" of yoga, acknowledging thevarious personality types and levels of dedication in aspirants. [This is one way inwhich Vedic and Jewish thought differ , in that Judaism doesn't explicitly describe any"types." There are the distinctions of "Kohanim," "Leviim," and "Yisrael," and it might

be interesting to explore using the 12 Tribes as a model for this type of taxonomy.]The four types or "margas" of yoga are: Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, Raja yogas. Each



type has numerous traditions and schools of thought that flow from them, and theyare often intertwined. They can easily be compared to the four levels in the KabalisticTree of Life.

Karma yoga, mentioned above, is the yoga of work, the physical world, and humaninteraction. In Hebrew, spiritual work is "avoda," the work of the Priests in theTabernacle. It's earthy, material associations correspond to the foundationalKabalistic world, "Assiah," the world of making, and the "Birchat ha shachar ," or Morning Blessings, the beginning of the prayer service and the "lowest" level. Thissection of the Jewish service includes meditations on the physical body - and "KarmaYoga" includes "Hatha Yoga," whose purpose is the exercise and "tuning" of theflesh-and-blood vehicle. This section concludes with the "korbanos," the dailysacrificial prodecures. The primary Brahmanic texts, the "Vedas," are a series of "mantras," "p'sukim," or "verses," that are sacrificial instruction manuals.

Bhakti yoga is the yoga of praise, song, and dance. "Kirtan" is the Sanskrit term for the countless tunes, hymns, singing styles and dance rituals applied to the mantrasof praise and gratitude contained in the tradition. Judaism is also a singing religion,with "niggunim," "wordless tunes," at the top of the list of ways to find devekut, and ahuge variety of psalms, Biblical songs, and tunes collected from 3,000 years of Jewish travels. Singing and bits of melody are woven through every moment of theday in Judaism. The P'sukei d'Zimra, the singing part of the prayer service,corresponds in Kabalistic thought to the second world, the world of " Yetzirah," or "formation," and includes Psalms of David, The Song at the Sea [from Exodus],excerpts from Chronicles, and more. In both traditions, song and movement arerecognized as important and effective ways to soften the ego, open the heart, and

engender love and welcoming of the Source of Life.

Jnana Yoga is the yoga of meditation, concentration, and union. In Hinduism "Jnana- knowing" means true knowledge, the knowledge that one's self is identical withUltimate Reality, Brahman. In Buddhism, Jnana refers to pure awareness that is freeof conceptual encumbrances, and is contrasted with vijnana, which is a moment of 'divided knowing'. These two states are comparable to "mochin gadlut," "big mind,"and "mochin katlut" small mind, in Chasidic thought. This corresponds to the "KriyasShema" level of the prayer service, Briah, or "creation," and is said sitting, andfocusing the mind and heart on Deuteronomy 6:4, the "Shema:" "Listen-hear, OIsrael, G-d is One," and on the Omnipresent Unity of the Creator.

Raja Yoga is the culmination of the other yogas - "raja" meaning "king." This is totalabsorption and immersion, connecting the transcendant and immanent worlds. Hereis where all of the preparation comes to fruition, and the aspirant merges with thespiritual realm. In the Jewish prayer service, this could be compared to the"Amidah," the standing prayer that is said in silence. Chasidut connects the Amidahto Atzilut, the highest world in the Kabalistic Tree of Life, the world of intimacy, andemanation.

STREAMS OF THOUGHT

"Ivri," root of the word "Hebrew," means to cross over; and it first appears at Genesis14:13, referring to Abraham, after he has crossed the Euphrates River. This



"crossing over" is seen as the advance of moving into a spiritual life from a worldlylife. In Buddhism, distantly related to Brahmanism, "crossing the river" is a metaphor for the long process of acheiving enlightenment. The two main strands of Buddhismtake their names from this powerful symbol, Mahayana [big vessel] and Hinayana

[small vessel] are the broader and narrower approaches. Key symbols in Judaismare the Hebrews crossing the Red Sea on dry land, and Moses "surrendering thefruits of his labors" by not crossing the River Jordan at the end of the 40 years in thedesert.

IMPERMANENCE - HEVEL In Buddhism, a "Dharmic Religion" that grew out of Brahmanic philosophy, a keyconcept is anitya, a Sanskrit word meaning impermanence, the only end of which isNirvana, dissolution of self and unification with the Divine. The Jewish prayer serviceincludes a dramatic section culminating with the concept that all humanaccomplishment and even "superioriity of man over beast" is called "hevel," or "futile

- impermanent," and that the only remedy is in the acknowledgement that "God isOne." "Hevel" also means "breath," which provides an opening to another set of shared ideas between the two traditions.

BREATH AND GOD An entire branch of Yoga is dedicated to the purification and care of the body withthe purpose of deepening the connection with the Divine. Hatha Yoga [ha - sun / tha- moon] recognizes that the physical vehicle, the body, is a rare opportunity, and our only chance for spiritual development. Health problems are an impediment tomeditation. Prana is the Sanskrit word for "breath." Prana is the "life force," the vitalenergy that supports the entire natural process of the universe, and a complex

science has grown around it in Vedic practice, called "Pranayama."

There are important references to breath in the Jewish texts, but there have beenfewer developments in the area. As mentioned above, "hevel" means "breath," or "vanity." The book of Kohelet [Ecclesiastes], begins with the words:"Havel, havalim, ha khol, hevel" - "vanity, vanity, all is vanity." Since "vanity" alsomeans "breath," this could be seen as an exact corraboration of the Vedic idea of prana's permeation of the universe. The last verse of Psalms [Ps. 150:6] says "Kholha neshama t'halel Ya," "Every soul will praise God." "Neshama," or "soul," also means "breath," - so here King David is saying "every breath should praise God" -exactly what Pranayama does by connecting breathing exercises with sacredmantras. In the twice daily readings of the "Shema" passage of Deuteronomy, in thetwo paragraphs that follow [Deut 6:5-9, and Deut 11:13-21], both contain versesexhorting the Jew to "love God with all your soul - breath," another suggestion thatbreath is part of Devekut.

In modern terms, we know that the brain uses more oxygen than any other organ inthe body, and that efficient brain function is vitally dependant on an adequate supply.The deep, rhythmic breathing of yoga systematically oxygenates the entire body,especially the brain, sharpening focus, concentration, and enthusiasm. Passingreferences in the Jewish literature mention breathing as a valuable practice, and

certain early Kabalists are said to have employed breathing techniques with their prayer to achieve deeper kavanah, but until recently there have been few explicitly



developed routines for including breathing with Jewish prayer.

Lunar - Solar Calendars

The Sanctification of the Moon is the first commandment given to the Jews in the

Torah. The annual cycle of Festivals, Torah readings, fasts and other holidays in theJewish calendar are determined by the moon. This is a shared characteristic amongalmost all religions - only the Gregorian calendar is exclusively solar. Vedic sciencehas created a complex lunar system of Astrology that parallels an equally complexsolar system. Judaism, especially in its more Conservative or Orthodox strains, isskeptical of astrology and avoids it, limiting the issue to the monthly KiddushLevanah - Blessing of the New Moon.

KEY DIFFERENCES Brahmanic, or "Dharmic" religions frequently tend to asceticism, in the forms of celibacy, fasting, and other physical privations. Seen as ways to reduce the influence

of the physical and make way for the spiritual, these practices are often carried to the



extreme. Jewish law, halacha, also curbs or channels the physical, with some keydifferences.

Circumcision is the primary physical covenant every Jewish male undergoes, and

there is no evidence of this on any formal level in the Dharmic religions. While manyelaborate forms of alterations to the physical body occur in Hinduism especially,Jewish law firmly forbids any mutiliation of the body, including tattoos and piercings.Removal of the foreskin at the age of 8 days is the only exception.

Fasting is practiced across the spectrum of religions, and the Dharmic paths includemany prescribed and self imposed periods of food deprivation. The Jewish fasts arefewer, and prescribed for specific days. Self-imposed fasting is less common, andcases of extended fasts are almost unheard of, with the exception of Moses. Thereare even allowances to eat on the prescribed fasts for pregnant women, older peopleand the infirm.

While sexual abstinence and / or withdrawal from social life for extended meditationis celebrated in the Vedic world, it is rare and not encouraged in Judaism. Whilethere are famous and revered cave-dwelling holy men in the Jewish past, Jewry ingeneral is enjoined to participate in the material world, to work for a living, to havesex (within a sanctified marriage), to drink (in controlled and prescribed ways), and todance. Jewish prayer is said to be more effective when done with the community,and the tradition of "Minyan," ten adult (male) Jews required for the recitation of Kaddish and certain other parts of the service is a foundation of Judaism. Thischallenging prescription of maintaining Holiness while fully participating in the worldis distinctly Jewish, and helps to curtail more fantastic manifestions like the Indian

fakirs with their nail beds and hot coal walking.

Dietary traditions between Judaic and Dharmic worlds have various differences andsimilarities. While Vedic philosophy has an extended science of diet, it frequentlyeliminates meat from the menu entirely, in the interest of ahimsa or "nonviolence."Judaism has a complex dietary regimen, called "Kashrut," which does allow meat,but with serious controls, both in the slaughtering and consumption. Similar to therejection of hermitism and celibacy, this forces the Jew to face the harsh realities of life while sanctifying them at the same time.

Holy Days

The Brahmanic traditions have a rich variety of festive and holy days throughouteach year, many religious, and others peculiar to local customs. Judaism differs inthat its primary Holy Day, the Sabbath, happens weekly , and that all of the variousspecial days are fairly consistent throughout the Jewish world, as opposed to thewide variety existing in Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. In both traditions, complexassociations and rituals impart spiritual lessons while also serving the purpose of bringing people together.

Daily Practice

Both traditions feature daily rituals, and as with the larger cycle of holidays, Judaism

is much more codified and consistent across the Jewish spectrum. The wide varietyof practices in Dharmic religions share the common underlying urge to unification



with God, as do the less varied Jewish liturgies. Vedic and Judaic systems both havedetailed systems of blessing, or sanctifying virtually every part of the day's activities,even the most mundane. Thus, waking, washing, excretion, and the first words of theday are sanctified with God-consciousness by accompanying these activities with

"Brachot," "Mantras," or "Blessings." An important difference is that in many strandsof the Dharmic tradition, "God Images" are used to focus meditation, whereas inJudaism, such images are strictly avoided. The only "images" in Jewish practice, arethe Hebrew letters themselves, which are, as indicated above, seen as physicalmanifestations of Holiness.

DEATH RITUALSIn both the Torah and Vedic traditions, emphasis is placed on life in this world, withthe afterlife receiving passing or sketchy attention. Over attention to life-after-death isseen as a morbid "ego trip." Both traditions posit forms of reincarnation, with somestrands of the Vedic tradition creating detailed taxonomies of incarnational structure,

and even assertions of "lineage" extending into the past for certain exaltedindividuals. Midrash, Jewish oral tradition, refers to the souls of prominent Biblicalpersonalities as resurfacing over time, but specific, hard cast claims are avoided.

Funerary rituals vary widely in the Vedic world, with cremation being a common formof disposal of the body, which sharply contrasts with the Jewish insistence on leavingthe body in its natural state, with no chemicals, and a coffin with holes in it thatpermits rapid deterioration and assimilation-into-the-earth of the body. TibetanBuddhists accompany the dead with readings from the Bardo Thodal [lit. "liberationthrough hearing in the intermediate state"], which are mantras designed to guide thedeparting soul towards a positive outcome: either ultimate release, or rebirth into a

favorable incarnation. Similarly, Jewish tradition has the deceased accompanied bythe reading of Tehillim [Psalms of David], ideally from the moments before deathuntil the burial is complete. Varieties of "ancestor worship" or commemorations of thedeceased are common among Vedic traditions. In Judaism, a special "Kaddish" issaid for the dead by close relatives for 11 months after the death, and yearly death-anniversaries are also commemorated. It is often said in Judaism that the after-deathrituals are done for the benefit of the survivors, not the dead, whereas in Vedicthought there is more possibility to "influence" the fate of the departed.

TRIBES AND CASTESBrahmanic tradition has taken the idea of classes of holiness and racial purity togreat lengths, creating complex social stratification referred to as the "caste system."Judaism's version of this is first of all, the concept of a "Holy Nation;" that is, the"Children of the Covenant," or the "Chosen - or Singled Out People." Stratum existwithin Judaism itself, namely the Kohanim, Leviim, and Israel. These Biblicaldivisions are much less restrictive, especially in modern times, than the Indian castesystem. Today, there are definite "levels" of authority, credentials based on familyhistory or modern criteria of educational achievement. A strong Jewish distaste for charlatanism creates a reliable barrier against false claims of "holiness," and hard-won spiritual authority is maintained through reputation and works in the community.

Another distinguishing feature of Judaism is the sense of national loyalty and groupcohesion. Though there are several "strands" of Judaism, there is still a strong sense



of community - family connection, borne of generations of group life. The Hebrew of the Torah also provides a common language that holds the community together.Vedic religions share Sanskrit in the same way, but have had no desert-dweller rigor of system. The spiritual imaginations of the yogis proliferated like the jungles they

lived in, while the Avot [fathers], "built a fence around the Torah," whose edifice of liturgy and ritual has kept the original prophetic vision consistent and pure. Thedifference between Zen Buddhism and Kali-cult Hinduism, though they both grewfrom the Vedas, is vast. Though there is a wide spectrum of Jewish levels of observance, details of the basic cosmology and practice remain fairly consistent. TheTorah concept of an entire nation of slaves being liberated, and then experiencingprophecy simultaneously at Mount Sinai, is unique.

CONVERSIONBecoming a Hindu, Buddhist, or member of any of the other Dharmic religions is notdifficult, and simply requires study, ritual, and purity of intention. The Dharmic

religions are distinctly non-evangelical, and rarely proselytize, much like Judaism.Conversion to Judaism, on the other hand, is a daunting task. Midrash enjoins aRabbi approached by a potential convert to refuse the seeker three times. Partlybecause of social problems arising from the surrounding community in reaction toconversion to Judaism, and the difficulty of maintaining a Jewish life after conversion, Judaism has substantially smaller numbers than most other worldreligions. Serious converts are held in great respect, and despite the difficulty, morepeople are converting to Judaism today than at any time since the time of Greekascendency.

BIBLIOGRAPHY / READING LIST

Most of the information on this page is patent knowledge within each tradition, andwidely communicated, though parallel comparisons like this are rare and tend to bescholarly, voluminous, impenetrable. This page a only a "nutshell" analysis of anincredibly vast and deep reservoir of knowledge and practice, and an invitation todeeper study. Commonalities or sharp contrasts were the focus of this abbreviatedoverview, and both traditions include volumes of activity not discussed here.

Veda and Torah: Transcending the Textuality of Scripture by Barbara A. HoldregeState University of New York Press (December 1995)

Encyclopedia Judaica Volume 10 :: 1972 Keter Publishing House Jerusalem Ltd.

Sefer Yetzirah - The Book of Creation :: Aryeh Kaplan : 1990 Samuel Weiser Inc. ::York Beach, Maine

The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali :: Translated by Swami Prabhavananda andChristopher Isherwood 1953 Vedanta Society of Southern California :: Hollywood,California

On The Possibility of Jewish Mysticism in Our Time :: by Gershom Scholem

Translated by Jonathan Chipman 1997 The Jewish Publication Society ::



Philadelphia, Jerusalem

The Myth of Freedom- and the Way of Meditation :: By Chogyam Trungpa :: 1976Sambhala Publications :: Berkeley, California.

The Path of Blessing :: By Rabbi Marcia Prager :: Bell Tower :: New York :: 1998

And of course, WIKIPEDIA.

Visit my Yoga pages at: bodyawn.org

Rafi Metz 2011

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