Who Gnows? Episode I: Aspiring Jewish Cantor turned Buddhist political consultant David Goldstein

Who Gnows? with Matthew E. Smith

John Lennon famously stated, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." In the case of my friend David Goldstein, he was planning on using his singing talents to become an opera singer or potentially a cantor (similar to a rabbi). That was until his life was derailed with a cancer diagnosis. Unhappy with some of the answers he was getting within his own faith, he went looking for practical applications for dealing with suffering and found them in the Buddhist tradition. After recovering from cancer, he spent time studying under Zen monks and considered a career in hospice before his brother's untimely death forced yet another career change into the world of politics.
In this episode we explore questions surrounding suffering, the ready availability of esoteric religious traditions in a modern world which had formerly been kept secret, the pro's and con's of religious hierarchies, dreams as a spiritual pursuit and much, much more.

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