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 | |
---|---|---|
May 24th, 1998, Serial No. 00065 Manjushri, Religion, Vimalakirti, Diversity, Commitment |
May 24 1998 |
|
May 24th, 1998, Serial No. 00119 Manjushri, Religion, Vimalakirti, Diversity, Commitment |
May 24 1998 |
|
May 30th, 1998, Serial No. 01817Serial: SF-01817 Gil (Intro) Soto Zen, soto, Suzuki Roshi, Religion, Lay, training, Five Ranks, Priest, Bell,... |
May 30 1998 Sati Center |
|
June 6th, 1998, Serial No. 00350, Side A cognitive process, Observe, Mahayana, Dependent Origination, Describe, Religion,... |
Jun 06 1998 |
|
Five Aspects of PracticeSerial: BZ-00352B Sesshin Day 3 Practice, Five Ranks, Absolute-and-Relative, Continuous, Renunciation, Aspects of... |
Jun 26 1998 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Universe As MedicineSerial: BZ-00356B Saturday Lecture Ummon, Koan, Religion, Manjushri, Bell, Sixth Patriarch, Demons, Ego, Attachment,... |
Aug 22 1998 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
September 26th, 1998, Serial No. 00439, Side A Dragons, Religion, American, Vimalakirti, Priest, Lineage, Describe, Evil, Culture,... |
Sep 26 1998 |
|
October 3rd, 1998, Serial No. 00439, Side B Dharma Transmission, Transmission, Berkeley Zen Center, Precepts, Religion, Priest,... |
Oct 03 1998 |
|
October 3rd, 1998, Serial No. 01068 Dharma Transmission, Transmission, Precepts, Tassajara, Bowing, Religion, Priest,... |
Oct 03 1998 |
|
November 19th, 1998, Serial No. 00837 Chanting, Separation, Harmonizing, Lotus Sutra, Subject-and-Object, Offering,... |
Nov 19 1998 |
|
Sunday Lecture Religion, Priest, Buddha Mind, Vows, Precepts, Zazen, Chanting, Hate, Freedom, soto... |
Nov 22 1998 Green Gulch |
|
November 28th, 1998, Serial No. 00168, Side A Lay, Sangha, Culture, Liberation, Bodhisattva Vow, Monastic Practice, Mahayana, Birth... |
Nov 28 1998 |
|
December 3rd, 1998, Serial No. 00184, Side B Demons, Priest, Interview, Tassajara, Precepts, Religion, Non-attachment, War,... |
Dec 03 1998 |
|
On His Health & BZC's FutureSerial: BZ-00186 Rohatsu Day 6 Sojun Mel Weitsman, Doubt, Emotions, Practice Period, Describe, Tassajara,... |
Dec 05 1998 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
January 9th, 1999, Serial No. 00189, Side B War, Precepts, Separation, Culture, Religion, Building, Renunciation, Hate, Doubt,... |
Jan 09 1999 |
|
Warm-hearted PracticeSerial: BZ-00190B Saturday Lecture Precepts, stubbornness, Composure, Bodhisattva Precepts, Posture, Religion, American... |
Jan 23 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
March 13th, 1999, Serial No. 04079 Suzuki Roshi, Posture, Monastic Practice, Lay, Anger, Daily Life, Observe, Religion,... |
Mar 13 1999 Unknown |
|
April 1st, 1999, Serial No. 00862 Lotus Sutra, Chanting, Mahayana, Peace, Vows, Happiness, Priest, Lay, Buddha Nature,... |
Apr 01 1999 |
|
April 24th, 1999, Serial No. 00073, Side B Priest, Culture, War, American, Precepts, Religion, Peace, Emotions, Anger, Rinzai... |
Apr 24 1999 |
|
August 14th, 1999, Serial No. 00192, Side A Lay, Lay Practice, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Aspects of Practice, Describe, Beginners,... |
Aug 14 1999 |
|
October 23rd, 1999, Serial No. 01114 realization, Blue Cliff Record, Faith, Soto Zen, Religion, Peace, Sangha, resistance... |
Oct 23 1999 Unknown |
|
Branching Streams Flow in the DarknessSerial: BZ-00201A Into the New Millennium, Saturday Lecture Sandokai, Branching Streams, Branching Streams, New Year, Big Mind, Religion, Two... |
Dec 11 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Religion and Culture in This Century and the Next.Serial: BZ-00201B Saturday Lecture New Year, Religion, Culture, American, Offering, Cultivation, Interview, Evil, Vows,... |
Dec 30 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Surangama Sutra Class Emptiness, Manjushri, Karma, Impermanence, Emotions, Nirvana, Lotus Sutra, Religion,... |
May 30 2000 Green Gulch |
|
June 12th, 2000, Serial No. 00520 Don't Know Mind, Doubt, Culture, Religion, Conversation, Hate, Manjushri,... |
Jun 12 2000 |
|
Five Spiritual Controlling Factors of the MindSerial: BZ-00056A Sesshin Day 3 Concentration, Mindfulness, Buddha Nature, Posture, Religion, Attachment, Bodhisattva... |
Jun 16 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Branching Streams Flow in the DarknessSerial: BZ-00160A Polishing Tiles, Sesshin Day 5 Sandokai, Branching Streams, Emotions, Rinzai, Religion, Bodhidharma, Nirvana,... |
Jun 18 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Buddhism and RacismSerial: BZ-00058B Saturday Lecture Discrimination, Diversity, Hate, American, Non-discrimination, Religion, Doubt,... |
Jul 08 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
July 22nd, 2000, Serial No. 00057, Side B Complete Perfect Enlightenment, Religion, Four Noble Truths, Concentration, Culture,... |
Jul 22 2000 |
|
Women Ancestors Class Ceremony, Religion, Teacher-and-Student, Emotions, Sangha, Commitment, Conversation,... |
Jul 25 2000 Unknown |
|
The Tenth PreceptSerial: SF-03571 Wednesday Lecture Triple Treasure, Precepts, Sangha, Suzuki Roshi, Priest-and-Lay, Bodhisattva Precepts... |
Aug 09 2000 Green Gulch |
|
Sunday Lecture Monastic Practice, Zazen, Religion, Commitment, Big Mind, Buddha Ancestors, Soto Zen... |
Aug 20 2000 Green Gulch |
|
Sunday Lecture Suzuki Roshi, Conversation, Doubt, Don't Know Mind, Religion, Faith, Letting Go... |
Oct 08 2000 Green Gulch |
|
December 9th, 2000, Serial No. 04011 Letting Go, Emptiness, Daily Life, Religion, Patience, Impermanence, Birth-and-Death... |
Dec 09 2000 City Center |
|
January 5th, 2001, Serial No. 00128 Dharma Transmission, Priest, Transmission, training, Religion, Ordination, Building,... |
Jan 05 2001 |
|
February 17th, 2001, Serial No. 00130, Side B Priest, Ordination, Vows, Culture, Monastic Practice, Chanting, Religion, American,... |
Feb 17 2001 |
|
March 10th, 2001, Serial No. 00098, Side B Bodhisattva Way, Berkeley Zen Center, Sangha, Bell, Posture, Cultivation, Manjushri,... |
Mar 10 2001 |
|
Sunday Lecture Enthusiasm, Religion, Priest, Emptiness, Nirvana, Observe, Ego, Posture, Bell,... |
Mar 18 2001 Green Gulch |
|
August 25th, 2001, Serial No. 00088, Side A Blue Cliff Record, Four Foundations, Book of Serenity, Transmission, Dharma... |
Aug 25 2001 |
|
September 9th, 2001, Serial No. 04339 Religion, Happiness, Desire, Addiction, Faith |
Sep 09 2001 |
|
Mumonkan: Case #35Serial: BZ-00093B Saturday Lecture MM-35, Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind, Separation, Rinzai, Karma, Lay, Samsara,... |
Oct 27 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Sunday Lecture Suzuki Roshi, Ceremony, Impermanence, Enemies, Funeral, Heart Sutra, Faith, Bell,... |
Oct 28 2001 Green Gulch |
|
"Evil" and "Good"Serial: BZ-00095B Saturday Lecture Evil, Evil, Buddha Nature, War, Priest, Enemies, Happiness, Passions, Describe,... |
Nov 24 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Pros and Cons of ReligionSerial: BZ-00096 Saturday Lecture Religion, Religion, Evil, Dream World, Diversity, Karma, Discrimination, Bodhisattva... |
Dec 01 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Blue Cliff Record: Case #86Serial: BZ-00064B Rohatsu Day 4 BCR-86, Meal Serving, Samadhi, Ego, Big Mind, Addiction, Chanting, Precepts, Religion... |
Dec 05 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
January 19th, 2002, Serial No. 00061, Side A Enemies, Hate, Evil, Non-violence, Religion, Separation, Karma, Birth-and-Death,... |
Jan 19 2002 |
|
January 24th, 2002, Serial No. 00473 Separation, Culture, Religion, Diversity, Politics, Echo, Oneness, Observe, Passions... |
Jan 24 2002 |
|
February 2nd, 2002, Serial No. 04357 Religion, Mill Valley, Shosan, Desire |
Feb 02 2002 |
|
February 14th, 2002, Serial No. 00470 Passions, Attachment, Gratitude, Intuition, Concentration, Instruction, Religion,... |
Feb 14 2002 |
|
Buddha's ParinirvanaSerial: BZ-00139A One-Day Sitting Parinirvana, Nirvana, Birth-and-Death, Obstacles, Precepts, Liberation, Buddha Nature... |
Feb 16 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |