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Be Awake

The shofar’s call is telling us, “Awaken from your slumber! Examine your actions, return to your true selves, and remember your Creator. Those who forget the truth in the vanities of time… Look inside yourselves. Improve your ways and your actions and abandon the negativity in your life…” – Rambam, Laws of Teshuva 3:4


When the Buddha started to wander around India shortly after his enlightenment, he encountered several men who recognized him to be a very extraordinary being. They asked him: "Are you a god?" "No," he replied. "Are you a reincarnation of god?" "No," he replied."Are you a wizard, then?" "No." "Well, are you a man?" "No." "So what are you?" They asked, being very perplexed.  Buddha simply replied: "I am awake." Buddha means “the awakened one.” How to awaken is all he taught.


To be awake is to be aware.  Now, in our times, more than ever before, we need to be aware of prejudice, underlying hatreds and fight against them.  How else can we grow and succeed?


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