DHARMA IN ISRAEL
Pockets of peace in time of war

If you believe the media, there’s nothing but violence happening in Israel. I expected to see soldiers and tanks everywhere, to hear the sounds of gunfire and bombs, to feel fear and hatred in the air. The reality was quite different. I did not see or hear any signs of violence; the soldiers I saw looked fairly relaxed, and the people I met appeared to be living peaceful, normal lives. Of course, violence does take place, people do feel tense and afraid, and there’s a lot of denial and escapism. But there are also many positive things you don’t hear about in the media. There are about 250 organizations working for peace, justice, and human rights. And interest in spiritual teachings and practice, such as Buddhism, is growing steadily.

My visit was coordinated by the Dharma Friends of Israel, one organization that helps people work toward inner and outer peace. Over the last few years, Dharma Friends has invited a number of Western teachers from the Tibetan tradition – including Vens. Rita, Josh, and Robina, and Jimi Neal – to give talks and teach courses on Lam-rim, thought transformation, and philosophical subjects such as mind and knowing (lo-rig) and tenets (drub-tha). The courses, held in a kibbutz in the north of Israel, usually attract between 30 and 50 people, but attendance can sometimes be as high as 80 or 90 ....