Meditation and Judaism: Exploring the Jewish Meditative Paths

by DovBer Pinson

Overview

Meditation and Judaism is a comprehensive work on Jewish meditation, encompassing the entire spectrum of Jewish thought_from the early Kabbalists to the modern Chassidic and Mussar masters, the sages of the Talmud, to the modern philosophers. Both a scholarly, in-depth study of meditative practices, and a practical, easy to follow guide, Meditation and Judaism is for anyone interested in meditating the Jewish way. The word meditation calls to mind the traditional, obvious associations that society has accumulated. Meditation and Judaism attempts to broaden our view of meditation, demonstrating that meditation is prevalent within so many of the common Jewish practices. While there are many paths that lead in the same direction, the ultimate destination of meditation is a metamorphosis into a more G-dly and spiritual person. This scholarly work is sourced in authentic Jewish thought, yet it has been written in a manner that will appeal to the modern reader. It is an enlightening read for the scholar and the layman alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765700070
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/04/2004
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

DovBer Pinson is a world-renowned scholar, thinker, teacher, and author. His books include Reincarnation and Judaism, Inner Rhythms, and Toward the Infinite. Presently he is Dean of the Iyyun Institute in Brooklyn.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Meditation. .. A Jewish Concept?
Chapter 2 Defining Meditation
Chapter 3 Extraordinary Phenomena Encountered Through Meditation
Chapter 4 Preparing for the Meditative Session
Chapter 5 A Classification of Jewish Meditations
Chapter 6 Meditation and the Five Senses
Chapter 7 The Four Who Encountered the Orchard: The Spiritual Trappings of Advanced Meditations
Chapter 8 The Spirituality of the Torah as It Relates to Meditation
Chapter 9 Intellectual Analytical Meditation
Chapter 10 Divine Ecstasy: Achieving the State of No Self-Awareness
Chapter 11 The Ayin of Jewish Meditation Versus the Nothingness in Other Meditations
Chapter 12 Character Refinement—Meditating to Achieve a Better Self
Chapter 13 Eight Steps to Meditation