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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Sandokai Lecture SixSerial: BZ-02284 Couplet 12, Rohatsu Day 7 Diversity, Absolute-and-Relative, Tassajara, Oneness, Daily Life, resistance, Nirvana... |
Dec 08 2012 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The State of the World According to SojunSerial: BZ-02285 Saturday Lecture Religion, New Year, Greed, Four Noble Truths, Evil, War, Peace, Enemies, Manjushri,... |
Jan 05 2013 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Buddha's Birthday Buddha's Birthday, Birth-and-Death, Soto Zen, Lotus Sutra, Ego, soto, Offering,... |
Apr 06 2013 |
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Samdhinirmocana Sutra Posture, Oneness, Duality, Subject-and-Object, Mahayana, Non-violence, Heart Sutra,... |
Apr 14 2013 |
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Seijo and Her SoulSerial: BZ-02321 Lotus Sutra, Saturday Lecture Lotus Sutra, MM-35, Birth-and-Death, Absolute-and-Relative, Lotus Sutra, Religion,... |
Jul 27 2013 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Zazen InstructionSerial: BZ-02338 Rohatsu Zazen, Posture, Pure Existence, Discrimination, Five Ranks, Religion, Emotions,... |
Dec 02 2013 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Berkeley Zen Center in 2013Serial: BZ-02344 Saturday Lecture Work, Practice Period, New Year, Tassajara, Family Practice, Ego, Continuous,... |
Dec 14 2013 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Building A Zen Monastery Building, Soto Zen, Priest, American, training, soto, Culture, Religion, War, Lay... |
Jan 04 2014 |
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Dogen's Uji: Being Time Big Mind, Doubt, Discrimination, Darkness and Light, Demons, Continuous, Buddha... |
Feb 23 2014 |
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Taking Refuge In the Three Bodies of Buddha Peace, Big Mind, Religion, Buddha Nature, Mandala, Heart Sutra, Demons, Sangha,... |
Mar 08 2014 |
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Heart Sutra Class Birth-and-Death, Doubt, Renunciation, Funeral, Four Noble Truths, Intuition, Passions... |
Jun 05 2014 4 |
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Interdependence Day and InjusticeSerial: TL-00343 ADZG Sunday Morning, Interdependence, Freedom, Liberation, Bodhisattva Precepts, Religion |
Jul 06 2014 ADZG Temple |
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Upaya Chaplaincy Training Bodhisattva Vow, Silence, Beginners, Four Noble Truths, Vows, Oneness, training, Non-... |
Aug 30 2014 |
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Song of the Grass Roof Hut Lineage, Religion, Echo, Instruction, Doubt |
Aug 31 2014 1 |
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Hyakujo and the Fox Fox, Karma, Book of Serenity, Separation, causation, Attachment, Beginners,... |
Nov 01 2014 |
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January 18th, 2015, Serial No. 00359 Mindfulness, Lay Ordination, Lay, Lay Practice, Religion |
Jan 18 2015 |
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A Big Headache American, Culture, Religion, Soto Zen, Passions, Practice Period, Intuition,... |
Jun 20 2015 |
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Hakuins' Song Not By Myself Global Warming, Five Ranks, Religion, Bell, War, Silence, Lineage, Describe,... |
Sep 05 2015 |
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Not about Something Else: Dogen and the Lotus SutraSerial: TL-00385 ADZG Three Day Sesshin, Lotus Sutra, Thich Nhat Hanh, Dharma Transmission, Bodhisattva Vow, Religion... |
Sep 19 2015 ADZG Temple |
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Change, Hope, and ZazenSerial: TL-00388 ADZG Monday Night, Thich Nhat Hanh, Daily Life, zen meditation, Religion |
Oct 12 2015 ADZG Temple |
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YunmenSerial: BZ-02441 Aspects of Practice
Emotions, Book of Serenity, Heart Sutra, Lineage, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Aspects of... |
Oct 24 2015 |
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Bodhisattva Ceremony Religion, Repentance, Karma, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Fifth Precept, Vows, Chanting,... |
Nov 21 2015 |
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Beyond Sacred Truths Bamboo SnapsSerial: TL-00397 ADZG Sesshin, Bodhidharma, Pain, Religion, Sekito Kisen |
Dec 06 2015 ADZG Temple |
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Mahaprajapati and the Resolute HeartSerial: TL-00401 ADZG Sunday Morning, Ordination, Bodhisattva Way, Religion, Thich Nhat Hanh, Discrimination |
Jan 03 2016 ADZG Temple |
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What is the World: An Appropriate Response Teacher-and-Student, Blue Cliff Record, Book of Serenity, Dharma Transmission,... |
Jan 09 2016 |
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Medicine and Science Mutual CureSerial: BZ-02454 Blue Cliff Record Case 87
BCR-87, Anger, Duality, Manjushri, Peace, Forgiveness, War, Blue Cliff Record,... |
Jan 16 2016 |
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Blue Cliff Record Case 53Serial: BZ-02460 Class BCR-53, Buddha Nature, Don't Know Mind, Composure, Heart Sutra, Doubt, Intimacy... |
Feb 27 2016 |
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The State of the Dysfunction War, Composure, Separation, Non-attachment, Oneness, Attachment, Religion, Peace,... |
Mar 12 2016 |
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Yunmen's Medicine and Sickness Heal Each OtherSerial: BZ-02469 Class Blue Cliff Record 67
BCR-67, Cultivation, Heart Sutra, Birth-and-Death, Darkness and Light, Light-and-... |
Mar 28 2016 |
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Rebecca Solnit PreviewSerial: TL-00409 ADZG Monday Night, Religion, Pain, Don't Know Mind, Tassajara, Desire |
Mar 28 2016 ADZG Temple |
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Muhammad Ali: Fighter for Peace and JusticeSerial: TL-00425 ADZG Sunday Morning, Religion, Peace, Faith, Aspects of Practice, Freedom |
Jun 12 2016 ADZG Temple |
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Naturalness training, Vows, Practice Period, Posture, Aspects of Practice, Intuition, Describe,... |
Nov 05 2016 |
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Original Buddhism and Beyond Consciousness Karma, Fox, Posture, Aspects of Practice, soto, Religion, Mindfulness, Subject-and-... |
Nov 19 2016 |
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Beyond ConsciousnessSerial: BZ-02517 Rohatsu Day 4
Karma, Intuition, Anger, Composure, Precepts, Religion, Big Mind, Building, Echo,... |
Dec 07 2016 |
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The Five Hijabs Evil, Religion, Hate, Building, Describe, Attachment |
Jan 21 2017 |
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Dogen's Uji: Time Being Part 3 Duality, Buddha Nature, training, Nirvana, Rinzai, Obstacles, Lotus Sutra, Culture,... |
Feb 12 2017 |
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Skillful Means and Anger Anger, Greed, Four Noble Truths, Observe, Religion, Peace, Attachment, Diversity,... |
Mar 05 2017 |
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Not Always So Religion, Priest, Gratitude, Ordination, Teacher-and-Student, Enemies, Culture,... |
Mar 18 2017 |
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Self and Sangha Study with Suzuki Roshi and DongshanSerial: TL-00487 ADZG Sunday Morning, Tozan, Mahayana, Interview, Describe, Religion |
Oct 08 2017 ADZG Temple |
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Mind WavesSerial: BZ-02584 Day 1
Big Mind, Samadhi, Duality, Composure, Patience, Non-duality, Religion, Five Ranks,... |
Dec 03 2017 |
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Beloved CommunityCommunity, Non-violence, Vows, War, Hindrances, Evil, Bell, Conversation, Hate,... |
Jan 20 2018 |
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Ambebkar and Buddhism Building, training, Anger, Discrimination, Liberation, Precepts, Instruction,... |
Feb 24 2018 |
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Witness to the Rohingas Religion, Greed, Liberation, Culture, American, Peace, Fox, Patience, resistance,... |
Mar 31 2018 |
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Prodigal Daughter Gaining Mind, Repentance, Religion, Ego, Instruction, Gratitude, Silence, Hindrances... |
Jul 07 2018 |
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Universal Cosmic StillnessSerial: BZ-02628 SESSHIN
Ordinary Mind, Samsara, Observe, Discrimination, Religion, Peace, Emotions |
Aug 04 2018 |
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Ending Racism Mindfulness, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Current Events, American, Happiness, Observe,... |
Aug 25 2018 |
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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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Compassion Flexibility the Victims of Paradise Building, Global Warming, Right Speech, Offering, American, Happiness, Religion, Ego... |
Nov 17 2018 |
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Refuge Models: Witness and ThanksgivingSerial: TL-00553 ADZG Monday Night, Berkeley Zen Center, Religion, Lay, Peace |
Nov 19 2018 ADZG Temple |
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Taking Refuge Impermanence, Heart Sutra, Conversation, Four Foundations, resistance, Mindfulness,... |
Feb 09 2019 |