Perle Besserman – författare

Jewish mystics from biblical times to the present have explored the hidden secrets of the Torah in quest of a single goal: to lose the self in the Infinite "No-thingness" (Ein Sof) and be at one with God. In language accessible to the layperson, this Shambhala Guide provides a detailed introduction to the complex world of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. With an extensive background in meditation practice, Perle Besserman emphasizes Kabbalah''s spiritual disciplines, grounded in righteous living, devotional practices, and meditation. She discusses the Kabbalistic universe, including the four worlds and ten sefirot; Jewish meditation techniques and instructions for beginning meditation; mystics and teachers from Rabbi Akiva and the Baal Shem Tov to Aryeh Kaplan; the often uneasy relationship between Kabbalah and mainstream Judaism; and applying the ancient wisdom of Jewish mysticism to life in the world of today.

Many Zen Buddhist practitioners have come to question some of Japanese Zen''s less democratic aspects-from the strict, male-dominated hierarchies to the racial overtones. At the same time, modern American Buddhists often find it difficult to integrate zazen (seated Zen meditation) with lives of family, work, and social engagement. This book offers a fascinating guide to overcoming both these dilemmas. A study of how one Zen group returned to an ancient Chinese tradition of community meditation practice without a leader or hierarchy, this book also outlines an authentic, "grassroots" approach, urging people from all walks of life to come together in meditation and the study of dharma. Grassroots Zen focuses on the challenge of truly becoming one with the moment in our frantically paced society; of finding a space for the passing self; and of achieving balance between Zen practice and daily life, as well as individuality in community. A thoughtful and absorbing work, Grassroots Zen is an important book for those seeking a practice that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Grassroots Zen envisions a socially engaged Buddhism where zazen is integrated each day with work, family, and social obligations.Though both authors have practiced traditional Zen for decades here they eschew the militaristic, patriarchal tendencies of Zen in favor of "an egalitarian community of socially mobile members who place less emphasis upon transmission and hierarchy than on individual responsibility."

Besserman's haunting novel of a modern day Kabbalah encounter is a cautionary tale about the spiritual/religious world as it exists today.

Sharon Berg, a middle-aged divorcee with two children has gainful employment working overtime for the mysterious Rabbi Joachim, spiritual director of the Center for Mystical Judaism. Set in Coney Island, Sharon’s efforts at making a life for herself and her children take readers on a journey though Hasidism as it exists today including its schools for children and the fundamentalist characters that run them. When the Rabbi travels to Israel on a mission, and fails to return, Sharon must confront difficult choices and herself.