Religion Talks
Religion is a range of social-cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements—although there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion. Different religions may or may not contain various elements ranging from the divine, sacredness, faith, and a supernatural being or beings.
Religious practices may include rituals, sermons, commemoration or veneration (of deities or saints), sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trances, initiations, matrimonial and funerary services, meditation, prayer, music, art, dance, or public service. Religions have sacred histories and narratives, which may be preserved in sacred texts, symbols, and holy places, that primarily aim to give life meaning. Religions may contain symbolic tales that may attempt to explain the origin of life, the universe, and other phenomena; some followers believe these to be true stories; others regard them as myth. Traditionally, both faith and reason have been considered sources of religious beliefs.
There are an estimated 10,000 distinct religions worldwide, though nearly all of them have regionally based, relatively small followings. Four religions—Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism—account for over 77% of the world's population, and 92% of the world either follows one of those four religions or identifies as nonreligious, meaning that the remaining 9,000+ faiths account for only 8% of the population combined. The religiously unaffiliated demographic includes those who do not identify with any particular religion, atheists, and agnostics, although many in the demographic still have various religious beliefs.
Many world religions are also organized religions, most definitively including the Abrahamic religions Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, while others are arguably less so, in particular folk religions, indigenous religions, and some Eastern religions. A portion of the world's population are members of new religious movements. Scholars have indicated that global religiosity may be increasing due to religious countries having generally higher birth rates.
The study of religion comprises a wide variety of academic disciplines, including theology, philosophy of religion, comparative religion, and social scientific studies. Theories of religion offer various explanations for its origins and workings, including the ontological foundations of religious being and belief.
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Buddha Has Reasons For Teaching Non-Self And Buddha Has Reasons For Teaching Self Addiction, Nirvana Sutra, Impermanence, Religion, Nirvana, Letting Go, practicing... |
Feb 01 2020 AM No Abode Hermitage |
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Stories of EnlightenmentIn our class this fall we will contemplate and converse about several stories of Zen practice and enlightenment. Our contemplation and conversations will naturally bring up questions and concerns... YRB-2019-Fall, Four Noble Truths, Book of Serenity, Daily Life, Suzuki Roshi,... |
Oct 10 2019 2/7 The Yoga Room |
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Teachings for the Welfare of the WorldIn this summer series, teachings will be offered for those who aspire to embrace and sustain the great earth and all living beings in order to realize peace and freedom in our troubled world. YRB-2019-Summer, Silence, Transmission, true dharma, Religion, Passions, Suzuki Roshi... |
Jul 02 2019 2/7 The Yoga Room |
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Silent Sitting & Social ActionZen students often ask how our practice of silence and stillness relates to injustice and our environmental crisis. In this class we explore this question and study the intimate interplay of... YRB-2018-Fall, Silence, Bodhidharma, cognitive process, Observe, Fundraising, Lay,... |
Nov 13 2018 5 of 7 The Yoga Room |
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The Bodhisattva's Mind of No AbodeThe Bodhisattva’s Mind of No Abode Religion, Four Noble Truths, Zendo, Attachment, Chanting, Don't Know Mind,... |
Sep 01 2012 Afternoon No Abode Hermitage |
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When Dharma fills Body and MindWhen Dharma Fills Body and Mind Nirvana, Teacher-and-Student, Religion, Lineage, Non-violence, Culture, Passions,... |
Jul 13 2012 Morning No Abode Hermitage |
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The Four Aspects of Practicing the Threefold Ethics of Bodhisattvas Desire, Bodhisattva Precepts, Passions, Triple Treasure, Complete Perfect... |
Feb 04 2012 Morning No Abode Hermitage |
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Stimulating Bodhisattva's courage and entering reality Observe, Rinzai, Gratitude, Bodhisattva Vow, Enemies, Japan, Bodhidharma, Religion,... |
Oct 15 2011 Afternoon No Abode Hermitage |
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The Mind of Enlightenment Enthusiasm, Patience, Duality, Balance, Emotions, Doubt, Mahayana, Tassajara,... |
Jul 29 2010 The Yoga Room |
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On the Eve of Going for Refuge in the Triple Treasure Confession-and-Repentance, Commitment, Repentance, Nirvana, Separation, Complete... |
Apr 17 2010 Morning No Abode Hermitage |
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On Enlightenment and Delusion Intimacy, Politics, War, Silence, American, Birth-and-Death, Desire, Buddha Mind,... |
Dec 17 2009 The Yoga Room |
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Causation and Non-Self causation, Faith, Attachment, Evil, Commitment, Non-attachment, Continuous, Religion... |
Apr 02 2009 The Yoga Room |
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Faith that Allows Doubt and the Idea that All Ideas are Contingent and Empty War, American, Doubt, Faith, Bodhisattva Precepts, Letting Go, true dharma, Perfect... |
Dec 13 2008 Morning No Abode Hermitage |
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Embodying the Lotus Sutra Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Religion, Branching Streams, Separation, Ordination,... |
Mar 13 2008 The Yoga Room |
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Only a Buddha and a BuddhaThe Lotus Sutra says that the desire to help beings open to Buddha's wisdom is the condition for Buddha's appearing in this world. Lotus Sutra, Religion, Desire, Soto Zen, Non-duality, soto, Bell, Separation,... |
Jul 28 2007 Afternoon No Abode Hermitage |
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The Light of Buddha's Wisdom - Precepts of CompassionBuddha sheds the light of wisdom on the true nature of suffering, liberation, and the human mind, on the teachings of compassion, moral causation, and the whole phenomenal universe. This retreat... Letting Go, Karmic Consciousness, Book of Serenity, Teacher-and-Student, Religion,... |
May 06 2007 Part 7 Mount Madonna Center |
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The Light of Buddha's Wisdom - Precepts of CompassionBuddha sheds the light of wisdom on the true nature of suffering, liberation, and the human mind, on the teachings of compassion, moral causation, and the whole phenomenal universe. This retreat... Evil, practicing generosity, Letting Go, Judgement, Buddha Nature, Greed, Darkness... |
May 05 2007 Part 2 Mount Madonna Center |
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HappinessThe pursuit of happiness vs. wanting others to be happy; happiness from absorption in activity Teachings on Happiness for Dancing Mountains Sangha newsletter Desire, zen meditation, Religion, Bell, Culture, Patience, Confession-and-Repentance... |
Feb 03 2007 AM No Abode Hermitage |
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Crisis: A Spiritual Turning PointSpiritual life exists in crisis, which can be used as a turning point. To the extent that we recognize that where we sit right now is a turning point, we are able to understand the possibility of... Transmission, Faith, Religion, Priest, Culture, Doubt, War |
Jan 08 2006 Part 1 Green Gulch Farm |