Nadav

Summer 2024 Student
(One-month)

Nadav

 

Why did you come to Tassajara?

“Tassajara has opened the door for me to Buddhism. I came here because I was deeply dissatisfied with life, after moving to the US from Israel to pursue a PhD studying the history of Israel and Palestine. I found that academia could only offer knowledge, when I was looking for wisdom. I attended a weeklong meditation retreat at Tassajara where I learned about the Five Aggregates [Skandhas] and was moved at how I could experience life. Through this practice, I experience “oneness”—that we are all beings who are part of the same universe. I am inspired to create safe spaces for Israelis and Palestinians to come together and do this practice.”

How does this practice support you in everyday life?

“The best thing I can do is to sit zazen, because what else can I do? The powers that are so much above my strength are pulling at this Israeli-Palestinian conflict…what else can I do but bring love and compassion to everything I do? My friends and family are suffering. If I can be compassionate, it supports them and it supports me. In a world that gets more polarized, I don’t want to be part of these camps. Meditation helps me stay centered and true to my values.”

What do you love about Tassajara?

“Firstly, the sincerity of people here and how everyone just brings themselves as they are is such a gift. Secondly, the connection with nature is so profound. I can lie on a rock in the Narrows [by Tassajara Creek] and feel like I am being hugged by my mom, that I am part of the rock.”


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