Buddhism's Gift to the World: Mindful Meditation

We practice mindful meditation and can say that it can greatly improve your life. From the Times...

Lotus Therapy
By BENEDICT CAREY

The patient sat with his eyes closed, submerged in the rhythm of his own breathing, and after a while noticed that he was thinking about his troubled relationship with his father.

“I was able to be there, present for the pain,” he said, when the meditation session ended. “To just let it be what it was, without thinking it through.”

The therapist nodded.

“Acceptance is what it was,” he continued. “Just letting it be. Not trying to change anything.”

“That’s it,” the therapist said. “That’s it, and that’s big.”

This exercise in focused awareness and mental catch-and-release of emotions has become perhaps the most popular new psychotherapy technique of the past decade. Mindfulness meditation, as it is called, is rooted in the teachings of a fifth-century B.C. Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama, later known as the Buddha. It is catching the attention of talk therapists of all stripes, including academic researchers, Freudian analysts in private practice and skeptics who see all the hallmarks of another fad.

For years, psychotherapists have worked to relieve suffering by reframing the content of patients’ thoughts, directly altering behavior or helping people gain insight into the subconscious sources of their despair and anxiety. The promise of mindfulness meditation is that it can help patients endure flash floods of emotion during the therapeutic process — and ultimately alter reactions to daily experience at a level that words cannot reach. “The interest in this has just taken off,” said Zindel Segal, a psychologist at the Center of Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, where the above group therapy session was taped. “And I think a big part of it is that more and more therapists are practicing some form of contemplation themselves and want to bring that into therapy.”

At workshops and conferences across the country, students, counselors and psychologists in private practice throng lectures on mindfulness. The National Institutes of Health is financing more than 50 studies testing mindfulness techniques, up from 3 in 2000, to help relieve stress, soothe addictive cravings, improve attention, lift despair and reduce hot flashes.

Some proponents say Buddha’s arrival in psychotherapy signals a broader opening in the culture at large — a way to access deeper healing, a hidden path revealed.

Yet so far, the evidence that mindfulness meditation helps relieve psychiatric symptoms is thin, and in some cases, it may make people worse, some studies suggest. Many researchers now worry that the enthusiasm for Buddhist practice will run so far ahead of the science that this promising psychological tool could turn into another fad.

“I’m very open to the possibility that this approach could be effective, and it certainly should be studied,” said Scott Lilienfeld, a psychology professor at Emory. “What concerns me is the hype, the talk about changing the world, this allure of the guru that the field of psychotherapy has a tendency to cultivate.”

Buddhist meditation came to psychotherapy from mainstream academic medicine. In the 1970s, a graduate student in molecular biology, Jon Kabat-Zinn, intrigued by Buddhist ideas, adapted a version of its meditative practice that could be easily learned and studied. It was by design a secular version, extracted like a gemstone from the many-layered foundation of Buddhist teaching, which has sprouted a wide variety of sects and spiritual practices and attracted 350 million adherents worldwide.

In transcendental meditation and other types of meditation, practitioners seek to transcend or “lose” themselves. The goal of mindfulness meditation was different, to foster an awareness of every sensation as it unfolds in the moment.

Dr. Kabat-Zinn taught the practice to people suffering from chronic pain at the University of Massachusetts medical school. In the 1980s he published a series of studies demonstrating that two-hour courses, given once a week for eight weeks, reduced chronic pain more effectively than treatment as usual... more

//repost from 5/08//

Mozart's entire musical score free on internet

Now this is a good use of the Internet. Thank you HP - we saw The Magic Flute at the Met not long ago.

Mozart's entire musical score now free on internet

LONDON - Mozart's year-long 250th birthday party is ending on a high note with the musical scores of his complete works available from today for the first time free on the internet.

The International Mozart Foundation in Salzburg, Austria has put a scholarly edition of the bound volumes of Mozart's more than 600 works on a website http://dme.mozarteum.at.

The site allows visitors to find specific symphonies, arias or even single lines of text from some 24,000 pages of music.

"We had 45,000 hits in the first two hours...we would not have expected that," programme director Ulrich Leisinger told Reuters in a telephone interview.

A user who types in "Pamina" from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" will see the music for all five arias she sings, as well as critical texts discussing those passages.

The version appearing on the internet is a digitised copy of the New Mozart Edition published by Barenreiter, of Kassel, Germany.

It is considered the "gold standard" of Mozart editions and Leisinger said Barenreiter was paid US$400,000 ($581,550) for the digital publication rights.

The financial backing came from the Packard Humanities Institute of Los Altos, California.

"We hope we will be able to convince other people besides us to present their original materials online as well," he said.
- REUTERS

Locus, Focus and Davening

The core of Jewish liturgy is davening - the recitation and performance of Jewish prayers. With my class at JTS we now are exploring the ancillary aspects of the rituals, namely the places of davening, synagogues, and the states of mind associated with davening, namely kavvanah, forms of concentration.

This raises a question: to what degree are locus and focus ancillary and in what respects are they part of the core of the process of davening?

And more interesting. There are a variety of visions of the function of locus and focus at work in the system of davening.

Once you start to look for them, you see in the world of liturgy the distinctive conceptions of the minds of the various distinctive archetypes of the minyan of daveners.

Times: In Talmudic move lesser Rubashkin charges are dropped after conviction on greater charges

The Talmudic principal here is "קים ליה בדרבה מינה"...if you eat stolen food on Yom Kippur you are not liable for the theft... the greater offense subsumes the lesser.

Iowa: Immigration Charges Dropped in Raid Case

A federal judge dismissed dozens of immigration charges against the former manager of a kosher slaughterhouse, at the request of prosecutors who won a conviction last week against the man on multiple counts of financial fraud. Prosecutors said a conviction in that case would not affect the term of the man, Sholom Rubashkin, because he was convicted of the charges with the longest sentences. Both cases stemmed from a raid at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville in May 2008. Investigators found 389 illegal immigrants working at the plant.

///hat tip to yochanan iii///

Rabbi Ariel on davening with women: "Men are not able to concentrate..." and the same applies to golfing

I knew that eventually the real reason would come out for the construction of the mechitzah in Orthodox synagogues and for the prohibition of women in leading prayers.

A Ramat Gan rabbi has cleared it all up for us. It's to compensate for a problem that Orthodox men have, "Men are not able to concentrate..."

Ramat Gan chief rabbi slams 'radical feminist' egalitarian minyanim
Matthew Wagner , THE JERUSALEM POST Feb. 19, 2008

Ramat Gan Chief Rabbi Ya'acov Ariel said Tuesday that it is prohibited according to Jewish law to take part in an "egalitarian" or "partnership" minyan that permits women to read from the Torah or lead the congregation in prayer.

Ariel was reacting to the publication of The Guide for the Halachic Minyan by Michal and Elitzur Bar-Asher. The guide is a compilation of halachic sources on how to integrate women into prayer while at the same time purportedly adhering to all Orthodox strictures.

This is not the first time Ariel has proscribed attending partnership or egalitarian minyanim. Last summer, in a series of articles, Ariel publicized his opinion, specifically mentioning the Shira Hadasha minyan in Jerusalem, one of several "halachic egalitarian" minyanim in Israel. "These minyanim are the product of radical feminist agendas," said Ariel. "And they are a departure from normative Judaism."

Jewish law prohibits giving women the opportunity to read publicly from the Torah out of respect for the community [kvod hatzibur]. Ariel interprets kvod hatzibur to mean "distraction," including sexual distraction.

"Men who come to the synagogue to pray do not want to be distracted by the prominent appearance of women," said Ariel. "I do not necessarily mean only sexual distraction, although that is a real possibility since too many women dress provocatively these days.

"Rather I mean that women attract a lot of attention from men, both intentionally and unintentionally, on many different levels. And this hurts the quality of the prayers because men are not able to concentrate as well..."

And the Times today reports that a similar concentration problem apparently extends to men golfers in Massachusetts (not necessarily Orthodox Jewish men).

Barred From Men’s-Only Event, Woman Sues Public Golf Club

By MARCIA CHAMBERS

Elaine Joyce, a champion amateur golfer, and her father were not allowed to play in a tournament at the Dennis Pines course because the tournament was not open to women....more....

It's clear then that men are not able to concentrate when a woman is around. //repost from 2/19/08//

Miami Beach's Fontainebleau Hotel: Solid Swimming Pool - Leaky Finances

We were in Miami Beach to attend a wedding this weekend and had a chance to check out the high profile Fontainebleau Hotel mainly because it boasts one enormous swimming pool. We call it a great place to swim (~75 yards long).

But what is with those tall guards all over the deck and the open pool side cabanas with flat screen TVs? We wondered if this was a scene come to life from Woody Allen's film Sleeper. A friend observed that many of the guests looked like they were affiliated with shady elements, whatever that means.

And now we learn from the Miami Herald that although the utterly swank hotel has undergone in solid reality a total renovation, it stands on the shakiest of financial footings, as the owners teeter on the verge of bankruptcy.

Fontainebleau hotel's glitzy rebirth tarnished by debts
The Fontainebleau hotel's grand launch -- with fancy parties and lingerie models -- is a dim memory as financial challenges mount a year later.
BY DOUGLAS HANKS

A year ago, developer Jeffrey Soffer presided over the most lavish hotel opening in South Florida history as supermodels, pop singers and movie stars celebrated his $650 million renovation of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

Just weeks from his 41st birthday, the real-estate heir joined family friends James Caan and George Hamilton in the VIP section for a private concert by Mariah Carey. Victoria's Secret models sashayed in a televised lingerie show hosted by Heidi Klum.

Exactly 12 months later, the $5 million weekend bash seems a mere financial footnote as Soffer confronts mounting challenges at South Florida's largest resort.

Among them:

• Contractors claiming more than $60 million in unpaid bills.

In court papers and interviews, contractors say they were ordered to work double- or triple-time to get the Fontainebleau ready for the Nov. 15, 2008, Victoria's Secret show, but that the resort stopped paying its bills at roughly the same time.

• The possibility of bankruptcy.

For the first time, a senior Fontainebleau executive on Saturday said publicly that bankruptcy was an option under consideration as the resort tries to reduce its $660 million construction loan and settle the contractor claims.

Last year, the investment arm of the Dubai government paid Soffer's ownership group $375 million for a 50 percent stake in the Fontainebleau. That deal gave the Dubai entity, part of Nakheel Leisure, the option to take over restructuring negotiations if there were problems with the resort's loans.

Days ago, Nakheel exercised that option, said Hamza Mustaffa, Nakheel's managing director. On Saturday, he said Nakheel and Soffer were waiting for recommendations from a restructuring consultant on the next step, and that one of the options could be a Chapter 11 filing that would let the resort continue operating while forcing creditors to negotiate.

``We haven't made a decision right now if we're going to file, or if we're not going to file,'' Mustaffa said.

While Nakheel has officially replaced Soffer as the lead negotiator with Fontainebleau's banks, Mustaffa said Soffer remains in charge of the hotel and that the partnership is solid.

``This is not us saying, `Jeff, you're out and we're in,' '' Mustaffa said while praising Soffer's role as the Fontainebleau developer. ``We've been working together.''...much more...

Times: Hobbes' Leviathan Complete in Hebrew Causes a Stir?

Some questions came to mind when we read this learned virtual roundtable discussion about the new and complete edition of Hobbes' Leviathan in Hebrew.

First, what do the previously missing passages say that is so challenging and how have Israelis, religious and secular, responded to them?

Second, is there an unexpurgated Arabic translation and how has the Arabic reading public, religious and secular responded to that? (If no, then how would we imagine that they would respond?) 

And also, has this book really caused a stir in Israel or is this little debate colored by wishful hype emanating from the Shalem Center?

Times: New Jewish-Muslim Book about the Temple Mount in Jerusalem

Any cooperative venture on this matter of political sensitivity is by definition a positive thing. Of course, extremists on both sides will burn this book. Accordingly, we recommend you buy the book and support the project.

Unusual Partners Study Divisive Jerusalem Site
By ISABEL KERSHNER
JERUSALEM — At the heart of this contested city, the holy site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, has become, for many, the epicenter of the conflict between Israel, the Palestinians and the wider Muslim world.

Israel captured East Jerusalem, and the Old City, in 1967.

The mere mention of the place stirs passions and memories of centuries of bloodshed. Its alternative names evoke the depth of religious devotion and the competing claims.

Many of those contradictions are encapsulated in a new book, “Where Heaven and Earth Meet: Jerusalem’s Sacred Esplanade,” to be published here on Monday. The book is a collection of essays by renowned scholars on the history, archaeology, aesthetics and politics of the place that Jews revere as the location of their two ancient temples, and that now houses the Al Aksa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam...more...

Bergen Record: Dar-ul-Islah mosque in Teaneck adds security precautions after Ft. Hood Shootings

There are fears of a backlash against Muslims in the aftermath of the shootings at Ft. Hood.

Area mosques step up security after massacre
BY ELIZABETH LLORENTE
At the Dar-ul-Islah mosque in Teaneck, congregants are being extra vigilant these days — looking for anything that might signal a potential attack or vandalism.

Mosque officials have also asked Teaneck police to patrol the surroundings more.

In Paterson, mosque officials at the Islamic Center of Passaic County are also stepping up scrutiny of suspicious activity around the mosque, even if it's just an unfamiliar car in the parking lot or on the street near the place of worship.

Across the nation, mosques are taking heightened security steps following the shooting last week at Fort Hood, Texas, that left 13 dead and dozens of others wounded. Muslim and Arab organizations advised mosques to increase security after learning that the suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was Muslim — and that they could be at risk of bias attacks.

"There was a car by the mosque that we didn't know," said Mohamed El Filali, ICPC's outreach director. "I saw a man by the car and I told the imam, 'Maybe I should go out and see what he's doing.' [The man] said he was trying to fix something on his car. I asked if he needed help. He said no, and I went back inside.

"We have the regular security we've always had; the cameras are rolling, people have their eyes more opened. We have not received any particular threat, but we're just taking extra measures for safety."

Condemning violence

Hasan's religion has become an issue since investigators said the psychiatrist allegedly made efforts to reach out to radical Islamists.

Muslims and others, including President Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, have stressed that religion should not be seen as the cause of the massacre, and that Islam condemns violence.

The Dar-ul-Islah mosque has made a point of condemning the Fort Hood shooting on its Web site, as well as reiterating that Islam is about peace.

"We're suggesting that mosques nationwide ask for stepped up police patrols in their area," said Ibrahim Hooper, communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington. "Some mosques have received threats, but we haven't seen a major backlash except for e-mails, hate e-mails."

Sholom Rubashkin Goes Directly to Jail

The verdict in the Kosher slaughter scandal could put the culprit in prison for 1,255 years.

Rubashkin awaits bail ruling
By GRANT SCHULTE
Sioux Falls, S.D. - Sholom Rubashkin will spend this weekend in the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City until federal agents move him back to eastern Iowa for more court hearings, a U.S. Marshals Service spokesman said Friday.

The former vice president at Agriprocessors Inc., the northeast Iowa slaughterhouse, was moved to the jail one day after his conviction on 86 felony business fraud charges. Rubashkin was taken into custody immediately after his conviction and sent overnight to the South Dakota State Penitentiary, a state prison in Sioux Falls.

Bill Kiesau, a supervisory deputy with the U.S. marshals, said agents will return Rubashkin to the Cedar Rapids area - he did not know which jail - for a bail hearing Wednesday in U.S. District Court.

A South Dakota jury convicted Rubashkin on Thursday on all but five of the 91 federal charges, after more than two days of deliberation. The maximum sentence for his combined convictions adds up to 1,255 years.

U.S. District Chief Judge Linda Reade denied a request by defense lawyers to continue Rubashkin's release on bond, pending a second trial on 72 immigration-related charges.

Defense lawyers Guy Cook and F. Montgomery Brown insisted in court papers filed late Thursday that their client was not a threat or a flight risk.

Rubashkin "remains steadfastly committed to his community both in Postville, Ia., and the larger religious Jewish community," they said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan Jr. argued in court that Rubashkin might flee if released. Lawyers will debate his status at the Wednesday hearing.

Rubashkin was charged with bank, mail and wire fraud, making false statements to a bank, money laundering, and ignoring an order to pay livestock providers in the time required by law.

A sentencing for the 50-year-old has not been set.

News of the conviction continued to ripple through northeast Iowa on Friday. U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley said the verdict was just.

"This week's verdict allows the community of Postville to finally see some closure and marks an important step forward for our country's broken immigration system," Braley said in a statement. "Our government cannot allow employers to break the law and take advantage of cheap labor."

Sister Mary McCauley, former pastoral administrator at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Postville, said she felt a sense of relief with the verdict. She commended jurors for "listening with open minds and hearts to both sides of the issue and then coming to a decision that they believed to be just."

She added: "There are really no winners in such a case since lives have been changed and dreams shattered forever."

[hat tip to yochanan iii]