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.
The origin of religious belief is an open question, with possible explanations including awareness of individual death, a sense of community, and dreams. Religions have sacred histories, narratives, and mythologies, preserved in oral traditions, sacred texts, symbols, and holy places, that may attempt to explain the origin of life, the universe, and other phenomena.
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.
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.
Title | Speaker | |
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Metta SuttaSerial: BZ-00370B Saturday Lecture Metta Sutta, Ego, Buddha Nature, Hate, Birth-and-Death, New Year, Monastic Practice,... |
Jan 07 1989 Berkeley Zen Center |
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January 9th, 1989, Serial No. 00327Serial: BZ-00327 Monday Evening Happiness, Enemies, Passions, Practice Period, Emotions, Equanimity, Mindfulness,... |
Jan 09 1989 |
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1989.05.07-serial.00049Serial: SF-00049 Sunday lecture Suzuki Roshi, Religion, Emptiness, Observe, Heart Sutra, Liberation, Vows, Zendo,... |
May 07 1989 Green Gulch Farm |
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Sesshin LectureSerial: BZ-00377A Sesshin Day 3 Duality, Buddha Nature, Subject-and-Object, Oneness, Dharma Transmission, Doubt,... |
Jun 23 1989 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Dzogchen Teachings Emptiness, realization, Transmission, Lineage, Mandala, training, Religion,... |
Oct 08 1989 4 San Jose |
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Dzögchen TeachingsSerial: SF-02717 Commercially produced cassette Gratitude, Nirvana, Peace, Offering, Religion, realization, Mandala, Non-violence,... |
Oct 09 1989 San Jose |
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Pope's EdictSerial: BZ-00503B Saturday Lecture Religion, Doubt, New Year, Practice Period, Renewal, War, Peace, Describe, Building... |
Dec 16 1989 Berkeley Zen Center |
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1990.MM.DD-serial.00075 Way-Seeking Mind, realization, Thich Nhat Hanh, Religion |
1990 |
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1990.01.27-serial.00071 Religion, zen meditation, Demons, Liberation, Lovingkindness |
Jan 27 1990 |
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January 27th, 1990, Serial No. 00089 Building, Tassajara, Bodhisattva Vow, Religion, Priest |
Jan 27 1990 |
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The Triple TreasureSerial: BZ-00499 Saturday Lecture Triple Treasure, Triple Treasure, Sangha, Big Mind, Teacher-and-Student, Buddha... |
Feb 03 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Vinaya: Rules of OrderSerial: BZ-00504 Saturday Lecture Vinaya, Precepts, Zazen Mind, Vinaya, Non-violence, Sangha, Priest, Hindrances,... |
Jun 02 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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September 15th, 1990, Serial No. 00492, Side A Buddha Nature, Building, Aspects of Practice, Separation, Culture, Fox, Rinzai, soto... |
Sep 15 1990 |
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October 13th, 1990, Serial No. 00494, Side A Heart Sutra, Chanting, Doubt, Hindrances, Complete Perfect Enlightenment, Posture,... |
Oct 13 1990 |
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November 17th, 1990, Serial No. 00695, Side B Religion, Bell, Building, Karma, Enthusiasm, Fox, Politics, Interview, Bowing,... |
Nov 17 1990 |
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GenjokoanSerial: BZ-00697B Rohatsu Day 5 Transmission, Birth-and-Death, Separation, Dragons, Hindrances, Religion, Peace,... |
Dec 06 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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GenjokoanSerial: BZ-00698B Enlightenment, Rohatsu Day 7 Enlightenment, Religion, Peace, Buddha Nature, Attachment, Diversity, Hindrances, Lay... |
Dec 08 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Appreciating the Different Religions of the WorldSerial: BZ-00699B Saturday Lecture Religion, Religion, Separation, New Year, Subject-and-Object, Tassajara, Politics,... |
Dec 22 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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March 2nd, 1991, Serial No. 00690, Side A Hate, Religion, First Principle, Evil, Doubt, Samsara, Mahayana, Politics,... |
Mar 02 1991 |
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All Being and Our Sense of SelfSerial: BZ-00691A Sesshin Day 1 Birth-and-Death, Impermanence, Buddha Nature, Ego, Platform Sutra, Priest, Religion,... |
Mar 16 1991 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Shuso LectureSerial: SF-00949 #shuso-talk Equanimity, Six Realms, Peace, Balance, Delusion, Happiness, Emotions, Zazen,... |
Mar 27 1991 Unknown |
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World Peace Through Compassion and Non-Violence Non-violence, Peace, Religion, Happiness, Freedom, Politics, Hate, Patience, Greed,... |
Apr 09 1991 |
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May 23rd, 1991, Serial No. 00277 Birth-and-Death, Buddha Nature, Thoroughness, Religion, Separation, Obstacles, Lay,... |
May 23 1991 |
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June 6th, 1991, Serial No. 00276 Birth-and-Death, Subject-and-Object, Interview, Duality, Religion, War, Emotions,... |
Jun 06 1991 |
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Suffering and IntentionSerial: BZ-00968A Sesshin Day 5 Suffering, Intention, Emotions, Karma, Don't Know Mind, Religion, Lay, Tassajara... |
Jun 30 1991 Berkeley Zen Center |
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July 19th, 1991, Serial No. 00970, Side B true dharma, Religion, Composure, resistance, Heart Sutra, Concentration, Daily Life... |
Jul 19 1991 |
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World Peace and HealthSerial: SF-04064 Copyright California Diamond Sangha Right Speech, Mahayana, Attachment, Right Effort, Zazen, Daily Life, Vows, training,... |
Aug 21 1991 Unknown |
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Talk to Tokubetsu SesshinSerial: BZ-00624 Sesshin Practice Period, Tassajara, Building, Gratitude, confusion, American, Dragons, soto,... |
Oct 13 1991 |
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November 9th, 1991, Serial No. 00703, Side B American, Building, Heart Sutra, Interview, Tassajara, Posture, Religion, War, Peace... |
Nov 09 1991 |
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Title UnknownSerial: BZ-00693B Rohatsu Day 7 Religion, Ordinary Mind, Discrimination, Duality, Don't Know Mind, Greed,... |
Dec 07 1991 Berkeley Zen Center |
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December 14th, 1991, Serial No. 00681, Side A Eka, Echo, Bodhidharma, Four Noble Truths, Buddha Ancestors, Soto Zen, Greed, Birth-... |
Dec 14 1991 |
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Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi, Tozan's Five RanksSerial: BZ-00732 Sesshin Day 4 Concentration, Religion, Absolute-and-Relative, Doubt, Mindfulness, Transmission,... |
Dec 16 1991 |
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Images of FireSerial: SF-01848 Commercially Produced cassette: Sounds True, PO Box 8010, Boulder CO 80306 Faith, Passions, Silence, Religion |
1992 Unknown |
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January 11th, 1992, Serial No. 00683, Side A training, Religion, New Year, War, Chanting, Priest, Forgiveness, Demons, Commitment... |
Jan 11 1992 |
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January 16th, 1992, Serial No. 00282 Four Noble Truths, Lay, Renunciation, Religion, Lineage, Fasting, Dependent... |
Jan 16 1992 |
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January 23rd, 1992, Serial No. 00281 Four Noble Truths, Impermanence, Heart Sutra, Lay, Sangha, Karma, Buddha Mind,... |
Jan 23 1992 |
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Is Buddhism a Religion? Yes, NoSerial: BZ-00684A Saturday Lecture Religion, Buddhism, Religion, Subject-and-Object, Pure Existence, Discrimination, zen... |
Jan 25 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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March 1st, 1992, Serial No. 00686, Side A Posture, Right Effort, Culture, Lineage, training, Beginners, Vows, Religion... |
Mar 01 1992 |
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May 18th, 1992, Serial No. 00713, Side B American, Monastic Practice, Demons, Culture, Silence, Lineage, Describe, Religion... |
May 18 1992 |
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Mumonkan: Case #19Serial: BZ-00711A Ordinary Mind Is the Way, Saturday Lecture Ordinary Mind, MM-19, Ordinary Mind, Doubt, confusion, Religion, Hate, Culture,... |
Jun 07 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Mumonkan: Case #45: Who Is that Other?Serial: BZ-00711B Buddha and Maitreya Are Servants to Another, Saturday Lecture Buddha, Maitreya, MM-45, Ego, Anger, Five Ranks, Absolute-and-Relative, Bodhisattva... |
Jun 13 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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August 22nd, 1992, Serial No. 00635, Side A Subject-and-Object, Big Mind, Absolute-and-Relative, Duality, Religion, Impermanence... |
Aug 22 1992 |
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Family, Friends, and PracticeSerial: BZ-00636A Sesshin Day 1 Family Practice, Mundane Life, Family Practice, Daily Life, American, Anger,... |
Sep 05 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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September 12th, 1992, Serial No. 00637, Side B Buddha Mind, Religion, Politics, Non-violence, Doubt, Concentration, American, Peace... |
Sep 12 1992 |
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October 3rd, 1992, Serial No. 00639, Side A Happiness, Right Effort, Offering, Enthusiasm, Mindfulness, Patience, Heart Sutra,... |
Oct 03 1992 |
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Women in Japanese Soto ZenSerial: SF-00097 Author reading from her book on the subject. Soto Zen, training, Monastic Practice, Ordination, soto, Ceremony, Religion, Lay,... |
Nov 25 1992 |
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Title UnknownSerial: BZ-00645A Rohatsu Day 7 resistance, Doubt, stubbornness, Duality, Fundraising, Harmonizing, Obstacles,... |
Dec 06 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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December 12th, 1992, Serial No. 00645, Side B Concentration, Nirvana, Culture, Buddha Nature, Attachment, Beginners, Describe,... |
Dec 12 1992 |
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ial No. 00215 Precepts, Fifth Precept, Humility, Sangha, Gratitude, New Year, Happiness, Religion,... |
1993 |
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ial No. 00216 Sangha, Religion, Fifth Precept, Precepts, Describe, Culture, Aspects of Practice,... |
1993 |