SOMERSET
CLEANERS

L

compassion and non-violence is exactly
what I always thought Judaism was — and
still is."
But though the Dalai Lama called the
meeting to learn about Judaism, he was
not necessarily looking for consonance bet-
ween Judaism and Buddhism. About half-
way through the dialogue, he urged the
participants to be frank about the dif-
ferences between the two religions. These
"should be made clear," he said, although,
ultimately, he believs the two religions
share "common ground and common
responsibility."
A few days after the meeting, Blu
Greenberg said that the Dalai Lama's call
for candor was "one of the essences of
dialogue." Yet she, as had several other
Jewish participants, had come to the
meeting concerned that Buddhism may
violate the Judaic injunction of avodah
zarah, or idol worshipping. The Jewish
delegation especially sensed this in the
meditation room of the Tibetan Buddhist
Learning Center, where a lengthy altar was
jammed with photos or statues of the
Dalai Lama, his teachers, his predecessors,
and various Buddhas.
Immediately upon walking into the
room, Judith Hauptman had "a very in-
tense reaction. I knew for the first time
what the rabbis of the Talmud meant by
idol worshipping. It was so lush. It was the
antithesis of a synagogue."
But after meeting the Dalai Lama,
Hauptman was less concerned about her
initial idol-worshipping suspicions and
more intrigued by the "goodness that
emanates from the Dalai Lama."
Rabbi Glaser perceived the images in the -
meditation room as "really not being gods.
These are openings to gods, which is some-
thing Christianity has done, too. This is a
device to help human beings focus on the
divine, to go from the real to the cosmic."
And Blu Greenberg said she "can handle
more easily" Buddhist explanations that
they consider depictions of their spiritual
leaders "not idols, but images and attri-
butes which give form to a formless power
of being" than she can the Christian doc-
trine that Jesus was an embodiment of
God.
This is not to say, of course, that there
are seamless parallels between Judaism
and Buddhism. "The ideological differ-
ences have to be dealt with," said Arthur
Green. "I consider these people to be idol-
worshippers. But the divinity with which
they are in touch is the same, which I call
HaShem. How do I reconcile that state-
ment about idol-worshipping with the
experiences of my people? I'm not ready to
dismiss the tradition and say it has to be
thrown out. Nor am I ready to dismiss the
piety and the genuine religiosity of the
Buddhists I met in New Jersey."
At the end of the meeting in New Jersey,
the Dalai Lama presented each Jewish par-
ticipant with a signed photograph of
himself and a kadak, a white scarf tradi-

tionally given honored visitors by a Dalai
Lama. His Jewish guests gave the Dalai
Lama a taint ("You give me a scarf," said
Rabbi Glaser, "and I give you a scarf"),
books of Chasidic wisdom on con-
templative prayer, on the Jewish family
and on Jewish humor, a menorah — and a
shofar, which the Dalai Lama promptly
tucked into his belt and covered with his
robe.
Judith Hauptman said she will "trea-
sure" her white scarf: "'lb me, the scarf is
not holy, but it is special. It came from a
great man, a man who devotes himself to
his religion and the welfare of his people.
I want to know more about him and what
makes him such a radiant being."
Although it has been estimated that as
many as half the American-born Bud-
dhists in the United States are either
previously Jewish or still consider
themselves to be Jewish, none of the Jews
who met with the Dalai Lama was con-
cerned that their contacts with the Tibetan
could bestow, in a sense, a Judaic patina
of legitimacy upon Buddhism. Or that this
might enhance the eastern religion's
attraction for some American Jews. The
possibility of just the opposite occurring
was advanced by several participants.
Jewish spirituality, they said, has too often
played second fiddle to such issues as sur-
vival or fund-raising. If Buddhist spiritual-
ity eventually bolsters Jewish spirituality
it may entice Jews back to the faith into
which they were born, while also invigor-
ating Judaism for those who never ven-
tured from the faith.
As Rabbi Kushner said, "Jews who do
Christianity do it to spite their parents.
Jews who do Buddhism say it is Judaism
without hypocrisy. It is only loving, they
say, and it is only charity. We now see
Buddhism from a distance. Once inside,
I'm sure it has its own mishigas [craziness]
and nonsense."
But regardless of whatever nonsense
may prevail within Buddhism, the six
Jews' encounter with the Dalai Lama gave
them, at the very least, a sense of the man
whom Tibetans sometimes call "the
Presence." It was a presence that cheered
them in its down-to-earthness and de-
lighted them with its humor and lack of
pretensions. The "Protector of the Land of
the Snows," the "Holy Lord, Gentle Glory,
Eloquent, Compassionate, Learned De-
fender of the Faith," may not have con-
vinced anyone present that he was, indeed,
the 14th reincarnation of anything. But he
did persuade them, if only by his being,
that further dialogues between Tibetan
Buddhists and Jews can be of mutual
benefit; that the Hebrew and Tibetan
prayers at lunchtime were both praises to
some vision of formlessness which has
eternally awed Jews and Buddhists alike
and which, despite centuries of ignorance
about each other, could lead them down a
possibly holy, but surely intriguing
path. E

Same Day Service
Monday thru Saturday
No Extra Charge

r

to

■ 1 Now

MU= UM tta ow • son ino

TIMELY OFFER!

I

FREE

WATCH

with 5 functions with any incoming
dry cleaning order of $7.95 or more.
May not be combined with any
other coupon. One watch per
customer while supply lasts.

Expires 11-18-89

7473gorurETY

r

I

ISM

FREE

1 PAIR OF PANTS
CLEANED AND PRESSED

With any incoming dry cleaning order of $6.95 or more. May
not be combined with any other coupon. Expires 11 - 18 - 89

...

r-

SHEETS, PILLOW CASES
& BACHELOR BUNDLES

• 8 lb. Minimum
• Beautifully
laundered
and finished

Expires 11-18-89

lb.

SHIRTS

Beautifully
laundered and
finished. Reg. 90*

Same day shirt service available
at these two locations in
Southfield. Twelve Mile at
Evergreen and Middlebelt at
Northwestern Highway
in Farmington Hills.
Wdh any incoming dry cleaning order of $6.95 or
Lmore.

THIS COUPON WORTH THISCOUPON WORTH

When presented with
any $6.95 incoming
dry cleaning order.
Coupon must be
surrendered when
leaving order for
procesing. Not valid
with any other coupon.

Expires 11-18-89

When presented with
any $6.95 incoming
dry cleaning order.
Coupon must be
surrendered when
leaving order for
procesing. Not valid
with any other coupon'

L

Expires 11 - 18 - 89

• Suede & Leather Cleaning • Invisible Reweaving
• Alterations and Repairs
• Drapery Cleaning
• Executive Shirt Service
• Wedding Gowns
• Fur Cleaning

OPEN: Mon. - Fri. 7am - 7pm, Sat. 8am - 6pm

TROY 643-0807

LATHRUP VILLAGE 569-7440

2862 W. Maple (at Coolidge)

26079 Southfield Rd. (at 101/2 Mile)

TROY 583-1574

FARMINGTON HILLS 477-0818

5119 Rochester (at Long Lk. in Meadowbrook)

25882 Middlebek (at 11 Mile)

ROCHESTER 656-8544

FARMINGTON HILLS 474-2866

1978 S. Rochester (at Hamlin)

20417 W. 12 Mile Rd. (at Middlebeft)

BIRMINGHAM 644-6667

FARMINGTON HILLS 851-7665

794 N. Woodward (4 blks. N. of Maple)

31799 Middlebelt (at Northwestern Hwy.)

FRANKLIN 737-0721

32740 Franklin (3 blks. S. of Cider Mill)

SOUTHFIELD 559-9232

MasterCard

VISA

19715 W. 12 Mile Rd. (at Evergreen)

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

31

