Namaste Consulting Inc.

Raising Children in Complex Times with Sylvia Boorstein (Photo credit: On Being)

Here is a great clip from Sylvia Boorstein about being Jewish and practicing Buddhist meditation.

And here she is with Sharon Salzberg talking about compassion.

 I find it really interesting that Sylvia points out that people asked her how could she practice both paths as if there aren’t many ways to the Divine path of compassionate living.

I grew up Roman Catholic.  My dad had been a Lutheran and my grandfather still was.  I volunteered at the Jewish Home for the Elderly.  Mom’s co-worker sent home Matzo every Spring for Mike and I.  My best friend growing up had been Buddhist before coming to this country.  And I had (have) nuns in my family.

And I say, if it takes a village to help grow a child, it takes all faiths to help us grow into compassionate caring people.

This week, I think of those elderly patients at the Jewish Home who thought I was a good Jewish girl for serving them Tam Tams and herring on Thursday afternoons.

I wish everyone in the world was able to be surrounded by people of great differences so that they could come to see just how alike we really are.

I honor those friends I have that continue to inform my spirit path and teach me that there are other ways to see the world, to celebrate life, and to be filled with gratitude for the love I am surrounded by and the wisdom that has been passed down to all of us through our own faith paths.

I honor all those who have been wronged simply because of who they are and what they believe.  And I honor the coming together and breaking bread to celebrate our freedom from whatever slavery we have had to bare.

Peace and good tidings to all on earth.

Metta, Jennifer

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