For the past twelve years I've been writing a book about my time at Brandeis University where my interactions with the religious Jewish community inspired me to become a more spiritually committed Buddhist. Lately, my Buddhist practice has all but slowed to a halt. I'd like to once again draw inspiration from Judaism in order to rekindle a once strong Buddhist practice. So, I've come up with a new practice that combines both traditions. First, some background info.

Meah Brachot literally means 100 blessings in Hebrew. Each Observant Jew is supposed to say at least 100 blessings each day. The implication is that if you can't find 100 things to bless each day, you're not paying attention.

Metta is the Pali word for loving-kindness. Interestingly enough, Hebrew has a word for this concept, too - Chesed - one of the ten attributes of G-d according to followers of Kabbalah - Jewish Mysticism. You begin the practice by repeating to yourself a set of affirmations:

May I be filled with loving-kindness
May I be well
May I be peaceful and at ease
May I be happy

You do this for 15 - 20 minutes a day. Once you cultivate loving-kindness within yourself, you move on to loved ones, acquaintenances, then to your "enemies" and finally to the whole universe.

Each entry will begin with a list of 100 things that I am grateful. I will then list the focus of my metta practice. As time permits, I may include a reflection of the day. I hope you enjoy this devotional journal and feel free to cheer me on!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

January 31, 2010

Today, I am grateful for….


  1. Job security
  2. Great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
  3. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
  4. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
  5. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
  6. Miles Davis recording of "Green Dolphin Street"
  7. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
  8. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
  9. Finally having responsible landlords
  10. Klezmer music
  11. My down to earth chiropractor
  12. The fact that winter biking is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be
  13. Buddhism being the one means that my mom and I could connect consistently to each other
  14. Studio Theatre shows at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
  15. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
  16. Reconnecting with old friends
  17. Breathing
  18. Any form of nuanced thinking
  19. The ridiculous number of good things to do with an egg
  20. Keeping my cynicism in check
  21. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
  22. Totino's frozen pizza
  23. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
  24. The fact that I no longer have to take any music theory classes
  25. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
  26. Krannert staff's unyielding desire to keep finding better ways of doing their jobs
  27. An important truckload needed at work finally showing up
  28. Two short, easy going shows to work at Krannert
  29. How wrong and delicious the Late Night Taco Doritoes tasted
  30. Finally finding someone who can install my car stereo equipment
  31. How easy going and fun all the low brass players I've met seem to be
  32. Having a President who understands that "criteria" is plural
  33. Hocketing
  34. The one truly no wrinkle shirt that I own
  35. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
  36. Tiki
  37. the Balvenie Doublewood I'm currently drinking
  38. My smart and talented friends old and new
  39. My increasingly reliable intuition
  40. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
  41. The music playing in my head - currently Schubert Great Symphony
  42. Free pens from my alma mater!
  43. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
  44. The fact that the good Chinese restaurants in town have a separate, more authentic menu they give to Asians
  45. Cracking jokes about retrogrades and puking
  46. This computer stand from Ikea
  47. The warm fire we have going in the fireplace
  48. The extremely humorous Mohel at the Rothstein bris
  49. Unexpectedly seeing old friends
  50. Jessica's cute faces
  51. Bluetooth
  52. Space heaters
  53. Chopped liver from Hungarian Kosher Foods in Chicago
  54. Corned Beef from Hungarian Kosher Foods in Chicago
  55. Pastrami from Hungarian Kosher Foods in Chicago
  56. The insightful and heartfelt speeches given by the Rothsteins at their son's bris
  57. Lady Gaga - only when performing live
  58. Google Wave
  59. Twitter being much more useful than I ever imagined
  60. Stuff White People Like
  61. Names that sound good as initials
  62. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
  63. My new Ted Baker glasses
  64. The moktak that my mom sent me
  65. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
  66. The word, doppelganger
  67. How good cracking various joints feel
  68. Don Byron doing Beatles convers
  69. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
  70. Berry Gordy's eulogy at Michael Jackson's funeral
  71. Everything I have yet to learn
  72. Actually being happy for Rabbi Rothstein that the Lakers won on the day of his son's bris
  73. Celtics hanging tough with the Lakers even though they're beat up
  74. Our Simmons Beautyrest
  75. The Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana
  76. Not having seen more than five minutes of Jersey Shore
  77. Not caring about the correct way to list a TV show
  78. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
  79. The Tanzanian Peaberry waiting for me at work tomorrow
  80. The fact that I used to get Tasmania and Tanzania mixed up as a child
  81. Picasso's little known mutilated sheep period
  82. The jokes that Joe Schick and I came up with when we saw the mutilated sheep paintings
  83. Cracking any forms of dirty jokes at an art museum
  84. Jessica's hourglass figure
  85. Convincing my brother to buy BRK.B just before it split
  86. The fact that my hair stylist knows how to make my hair look like Tom Brady's from his Movado watch ad
  87. Patton Oswalt's Sky Cake sketch
  88. Mikel Rouse's seamless combination of Dylanesque songs with free counterpoint
  89. Sensodyne
  90. Free floss from the dentist
  91. Orthotics
  92. Finally having a clean office
  93. How funny Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook is
  94. My brother's success in life and career
  95. The pajamas that Jessica bought me
  96. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
  97. Spooning
  98. Sleeping in today after 13 straight days of working
  99. Knowing more people than I thought I would at the bris
  100. ESPN talking about Ray Lewis's intelligence and football knowledge rather than his "instincts"


Object of my metta practice - myself


Reflection of the Day - I went to my first bris in 13 years. It was a good barometer for my mood and my spirituality at this point. I've known for quite some time that things haven't been quite right with me spiritually and emotionally but today I got a very clear idea of how off kilter I am. I just couldn't believe both the sheer number of and the cynical and judgmental quality of the thoughts and feelings I had. I thought back to how I was at the only other bris I've ever been to and that really brought home the point of how different I am today than I was in college. I want some of that old me back. The bris itself was amazing - couldn't have possibly gone better. It was me.


I'm making this new practice of mine public via a blog form in order to force me to keep it up. One of my friends suggested that I not be so rigid on always finding 100 things to write about. I disagree. If I am to break this cycle of cynicism, I have to be very disciplined about it. There HAS to be at least 100 things that I should be grateful for each day. I strongly believe that this will steer me away from the cynicism that has taken over my life in the past few years. In the coming posts, I'll write more details on the practices that I've adapted for this endeavor.


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