The half-closed door doesn’t completely muffle the sound of the morning news and I hesitate before entering, at once anxious but reluctant to hear or see the recent updates on the Israeli-Hamas war. I cannot ignore the existence of this conflict by turning down the volume nor avoid the reality of the anti-Semitic protests occurring on college campuses across the United States. Shuddering at these latest displays of violence, I return to my original intention of heading upstairs, desiring to be sitting in the solitude of the room designated as my meditation space. Carefully navigating the staircase, I leave the cabin’s cozy warmth coming from its native Wisconsin stone fireplace. I am grateful to have regained enough strength to return to my sacred space after a fall that has taken my 83-year- old- body a long time to heal. This lofted upstairs, with its wooden beams carved into the vaulted ceiling of my log home, is well supplied with all that is necessary for my immediate mission: a wool lap blanket, a candle, favorite family photos, and a singing bowl whose vibrational sound will help center me in readiness for meditation. Taking in these welcoming surroundings, I realize that I need to pause before lighting the candle and sounding the singing bowl and instead, reach for my laptop. I cannot ignore how deeply disturbed I am by the mornings news and recognize my need to write about it. Meditation, along with meditative journaling, have become my paths for coping with unresolved problems, allowing an inner peace to settle over me. Because of the lack of promise in the near future for a cease fire or hostage release, combined with my absorption over the rising hatred of Jews, I decide to suggest this practice of quieting the mind to others who may also need to find serenity in the midst of chaos.
Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg are two Americans of Jewish heritage who have made their practice of Buddhist meditation compatible with Jewish values that incorporate karuna or compassion (rachamim), metta or loving-kindness (chesed), and social justice or repairing the world (tikkun olam). Their guided meditations reflect other mutually meaningful concepts such as asking for forgiveness of ourselves and others (Selichot) as well as the goal of being present in our relationships (Hineyni). Finding another path to my Jewish spirituality has brought with it a deepening appreciation of who I am as a Jew. Especially helpful during this troubled time is the idea of mindfulness, that peace and happiness are attainable if we can quiet our distracted thinking long enough to come back to the present moment. Like Jewish prayer, the habit of repetition and practice give meaning. Going back to the ancient practice of Judaism, meditation was an important part of Hasidic devotional practice, the idea being that when a Jew davens with true intention, they rise closer to G-d.
If our goal is for the betterment of the world, our values are synonymous when we seek to be good to people and take care of each other. V’ahavta is the metta (loving-kindness) practice of Judaism—You shall love the Lord your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.
Today I select a metta, a loving-kindness, meditation. I strike a match and sound the gong. With eyes gently closed, I become aware of the rhythm of my breathing as I allow my mind to settle, breath by breath. Being still invites feelings of calm as I inhale and feelings of ease as I exhale. The words of the meditation bring immediate reflection: May I be happy. May I be peaceful. May I be free of suffering; May I live with ease. The first recipient of loving-kindness is ourselves. In the refrains that follow, we are asked to call to mind a friend and after that, we open our hearts with phrases of loving kindness to all beings everywhere, near and far, known and unknown. This mantra leaves me in a contemplative mood with promise of transformation to become a kinder, more compassionate person.
Since retiring as a school administrator In Illinois and Iowa, Judith took up residence in Door County, Wisconsin. Her love for nonfiction writing and meditation journaling are nurtured through instruction at Write-On Door County, where she facilitates a memoir writing class for seniors. She has compiled Holiday and Shabbat services based on her spiritual journey beginning as a child at Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston, Illinois, continued at the Tri City Jewish Center in Rock Island, Illinois, and continuing today mostly via zoom with Congregation Cnesses Israel, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.