Q: I am a Jew but have also read a little in the area of Buddhist thought. Are Kabbalah and Buddhism in some sense related? How should one relate to Chakras?
A: Our Sages teach us, "Believe wisdom from a non-Jewish source; do not believe Torah from a non-Jewish source." The wisdom which Jews are to believe, as referred to in this passage is the holy sparks of truth within the wisdom of the non-Jews. The Torah which Jews are not to believe is a way of life expounded by the non-Jewish source.
In every method of a non-Jewish source there are holy sparks which the Jew must clarify. This is done by identifying the true source for this wisdom in the Torah. However, it is forbidden to relate to this non-Jewish method as an all-encompassing method or way of life, and to give it a name. One must only clarify the holy sparks within it, and remember that the only true method, or way of life, is Torah.
Taking symbols, sounds, images, etc. from foreign sources is strictly forbidden. They come from impure sources, and thereby have an impure effect on the soul. Any symbols, images etc. should purely and exclusively derive from the Torah. This includes the sounds of the Hebrew letters, the sounds of words, and the basic verses in the Torah such as "Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad" (Deuteronomy 6:4), and also includes the forms of the letters.
Chakras are not clarified and not 100% true, being derived from foreign Eastern sources. In Kabbalah we have 15 contact points down the middle line of the body. These are true energy centers. We will G-d willing be posting more information on these subjects on our web-site in the future.
