Buddhist temple in Israel!!

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SarathW
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Buddhist temple in Israel!!

Post by SarathW »

I just surprised to learn that there is a Buddhist temple in Israel.
My understanding was Buddishim is not allowed in the Middle East.
I like to visit holy land one day and wish visit this temple too.
Have any of you been to Isreal?


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Sam Vara
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

Post by Sam Vara »

SarathW wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 4:03 am I just surprised to learn that there is a Buddhist temple in Israel.
My understanding was Buddishim is not allowed in the Middle East.
I like to visit holy land one day and wish visit this temple too.
Have any of you been to Isreal?
I lived there for a year, but that was a long time ago - back in the 1980s. I'm not really surprised that there is a Buddhist temple there, as Israel seemed to be a very tolerant place and people were open to different ideas. Lots of Israelis travel extensively, so they would be exposed to different ideas and religions. I think Israel is different from some Middle Eastern countries, as it functioned then as a type of Western liberal democracy. I got the distinct impression that unless you represented a threat to the state and its interests, you could do pretty much what you wanted.

I wonder if they will ever get a Theravadan monastery? :thinking:
paul
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

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Sam Vara
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

Post by Sam Vara »

paul wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 6:35 am Theravada center:
http://www.bhavanahouse.org/index.php?o ... &Itemid=27
Wow! Many thanks.

My pleasant surprise is tempered, however, by one of the names listed. Oh dear.
budo
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

Post by budo »

I attended an Ajahn tong vipassana retreat in Europe, half of the people there were Israelis. There are even Israeli ordainded monks under Ajahn Tong. Israel has a healthy dhamma community.

Do not confuse Jews with Muslims. The average Jewish person is secular and non religious, many are openly atheists. Muslims do not tolerate other religions nor atheists, and resort to violence as a result. I am not aware of a sangha in any Islamic state, maybe at best Turkey but I have my doubts, Turkey is not yet an Islamic shariah state but is on the verge of becoming one.
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DooDoot
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

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budo wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:04 amDo not confuse Jews with Muslims.
Judaism is far less tolerant than Islam according to the Bible.
budo wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:04 amThe average Jewish person is secular and non religious, many are openly atheists.
So "Jewish" is no longer a religion? So Israel & Jewish is unrelated to the Bible?
budo wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:04 amMuslims do not tolerate other religions nor atheists, and resort to violence as a result.
Non-sense. Jews owe so much to Islam. It seems you don't know much about Jewish history. Also, its the Jewish Bible that instructs to murder non-believers.
budo wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:04 am I am not aware of a sangha in any Islamic state, maybe at best Turkey but I have my doubts, Turkey is not yet an Islamic shariah state but is on the verge of becoming one.
:alien:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_ ... iddle_East
Malaysia is a multicultural and multiconfessional country, whose official religion is Islam.
Last edited by DooDoot on Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:39 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Sam Vara
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

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DooDoot wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:50 am Judaism is far less tolerant than Islam according to the Bible.
The Bible expresses an opinion on Islam? Is this a prophecy?
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DooDoot
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

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Sam Vara wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:58 amThe Bible expresses an opinion on Islam? Is this a prophecy?
The Bible & Koran have their respective teachings. The Koran does not forbid any religion. But the Jewish Bible instructs to kill any Israelite that follows another religion and forbids other religions in Israel. The bottom line is Jews owe so much to Islam. Jews are highly indebted to Islam.
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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Sam Vara
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

Post by Sam Vara »

DooDoot wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:04 am The Bible & Koran have their respective teachings. The Koran does not forbid any religion. But the Jewish Bible instructs to kill any Israelite that follows another religion and forbids other religions in Israel. The bottom line is Jews owe so much to Islam. Jews are highly indebted to Islam.
Ah, thanks for the clarification. Your point is about the differences between the holy books of two religions. I would have thought that the more salient point in this thread is that Israelis are not taking a literal interpretation of any such textual imperative.
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DooDoot
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

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Sam Vara wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:15 am I would have thought that the more salient point in this thread is that Israelis are not taking a literal interpretation of any such textual imperative.
I would have thought they don't believe in religious Judaism of the Bible but only the political Judaism of the Bible.
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

:focus:
SarathW wrote:I just surprised to learn that there is a Buddhist temple in Israel.
My understanding was Buddishim is not allowed in the Middle East.
I like to visit holy land one day and wish visit this temple too.
Have any of you been to Isreal?
(If anyone wishes to discuss Israel in connection to Islam or Judaism then you may do that at Dharma Wheel: Engaged or Dharma Paths as you see fit...)

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Paul. :)
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DooDoot
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

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SarathW wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 4:03 amI just surprised to learn that there is a Buddhist temple in Israel.
Most of the Zionists, such as Theodor Herzl & Ben Gurion, who established modern Israel were atheists. Israel actually does not have strong religious roots, apart from the Protestant Christians who supported it. When I worked at meditation retreats in Asia, many Israelis attended.
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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budo
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

Post by budo »

DooDoot wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:50 am
budo wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:04 amDo not confuse Jews with Muslims.
Judaism is far less tolerant than Islam according to the Bible.
budo wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:04 amThe average Jewish person is secular and non religious, many are openly atheists.
So "Jewish" is no longer a religion? So Israel & Jewish is unrelated to the Bible?
budo wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:04 amMuslims do not tolerate other religions nor atheists, and resort to violence as a result.
Non-sense. Jews owe so much to Islam. It seems you don't know much about Jewish history. Also, its the Jewish Bible that instructs to murder non-believers.
budo wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:04 am I am not aware of a sangha in any Islamic state, maybe at best Turkey but I have my doubts, Turkey is not yet an Islamic shariah state but is on the verge of becoming one.
:alien:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_ ... iddle_East
Malaysia is a multicultural and multiconfessional country, whose official religion is Islam.
There is the Jewish religion and then there is the Jewish race (the people) with genetic haplotype.

There are 15 million Jewish people, most of which are non religious.

Discussion of Judaism, the religion, and the bible is irrelevant. If you expect me to defend the Jewish religion, that will not happen as I do not care for it.

Muslims do not have a genetic haplotype because Islam is a religion that depends on conversion via any means necessary, usually violence. Judaism is an exclusive religion that is extremely hard to become a member of, as the state of Israel does not recognize the reform movement as an official branch.

Islam on the other hand is extremely easy to convert to, but extremely difficult to leave, which can result in death. Leaving Judaism does not result in death.

For this reason the Jewish people have a genetic haplotype which can be traced thousands of years, and Islam does not, maybe if you check some Saudi princes you may find a unique haplotype marker.
Bundokji
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Re: Buddhist temple in Israel!!

Post by Bundokji »

I have heard of vipassana retreats in Israel, a colleague of mine attended one. I know that there are vipassana retreats in Lebanon too.

More people are becoming interested in Eastern religions in the Middle East, but they remain a minority focusing more on Yoga and meditation, and Buddhism has no official or organized presence in Arab countries as far as i know.

I am not sure if this is a bad thing though especially in the age of the internet. Even if they open a Buddhist temple where i live tomorrow, i would not go.
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