Recently, I came across a book called Everything Is God - The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism.This idea of nonduality is similar to what is found in many eastern religions such as Buddhism. The main idea of nondual Judaism, is אין סוף (Ein Sof), the infinite, or the act of Being. This is one way of saying that everything is God, and God is everything. In other words, everything is made up of God and the reason that we as humans can not comprehend God, is because we can not comprehend what the sum of all things is. This idea has persisted in the Kabbalah as well as being a core teaching in the Hasidic branch of Judaism. Unfortunately, it seems to me as though Hasidim have gotten too caught up in the religion aspect of the Jewish faith. I believe the idea of אין סוף to mean that everything in life is a part of God and that all things should be treated as though they were holy. As Jay Michaelson emphasizes in his book, it is crucial to remember that this does not mean that you God or more holy than any other person or thing, but we are each a piece of the ultimate holiness that is God.
This reminds me of a Christian monk who wrote, "The Practice of the Presence of God." He described what is essentially mindfulness meditation, but included awareness of God, or Grace, in every moment. Hence, he experienced intense awe and wonder simply by cooking or cleaning in the kitchen he spent his whole life working in, or in looking out the window at a blooming tree. This kind of spirituality, whatever tradition it is shaped by, is so beautiful and healthy.
ReplyDelete