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.
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Hyakujo and the Great Sublime PeakSerial: BZ-02110 Extraordinariness of the Ordinary, Sesshin Day 4 Intuition, Posture, Silent Illumination, Doubt, Culture, Instruction, Religion, Heart... |
Jun 26 2010 Berkeley Zen Center |
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End of Genjokoan - Duality and Non-dualitySerial: BZ-02109 One dharma, one action, Sesshin Day 3 Discrimination, Intuition, Doubt, Non-duality, Passions, Religion, Demons, Patience,... |
Jun 25 2010 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sojun Weitsman Roshi Genjokoan Class 5 Discrimination, Separation, Beginners, Daily Life, Conversation, Non-discrimination,... |
Jun 17 2010 |
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Hokyo Zammai Class Discrimination, Diversity, Current Events, Intuition, Five Ranks, Absolute-and-... |
Mar 25 2010 3 |
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Buddhism in India and America Lay, training, Religion, Lay Practice, Continuous, Intimacy, Precepts, Cultivation,... |
Mar 20 2010 |
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Buddhism in India in the 21st Century Karma, causation, Right Speech, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Bodhisattva Vow, Vows, Precepts... |
Feb 27 2010 |
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Vashubandu Class Anger, Doubt, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Religion, Subject-and-Object, Nirvana, Daily Life... |
Feb 14 2010 1 |
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ZazenSerial: BZ-02068 Seven Factors of Awakening, Rohatsu Day 1 Practice Enlightenment, Mindfulness, Effort, Dogen, Concentration, Equanimity,... |
Dec 06 2009 Berkeley Zen Center |
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August 28th, 2009, Serial No. 01549, Side E Culture, Precepts, American, Religion, Soto Zen, soto, Diversity, Mindfulness, Dharma... |
Aug 28 2009 |
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August 28th, 2009, Serial No. 01549, Side F Culture, American, Transmission, Religion, Lineage, Conversation, Priest, Zazen Mind... |
Aug 28 2009 |
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August 28th, 2009, Serial No. 01549, Side G Dharma Transmission, Transmission, Lineage, Ordination, Soto Zen, Priest, Culture,... |
Aug 28 2009 |
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August 28th, 2009, Serial No. 01549, Side H American, Monastic Practice, training, Transmission, Blue Cliff Record, Culture,... |
Aug 28 2009 |
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Joshu's 'Wash your Bowl'Serial: BZ-02049 Open, unassuming mind, One-Day Sitting, standing up from zazen Zazen, Don't Know Mind, Renunciation, Don't Know Mind, Religion, Greed,... |
Jul 18 2009 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Swastika as MandalaSerial: BZ-02046 Sesshin Day 5 Politics, Evil, Happiness, Mandala, Interview, resistance, Transmission, Hate,... |
Jun 21 2009 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Brown Rice is Just RightSerial: BZ-02043 Cultivating the Empty Field, Sesshin Day 2 Suzuki Roshi, Ordinary Mind, Silent Illumination, Birth-and-Death, Religion, American... |
Jun 18 2009 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Class 5 Absorption In The Treasury Of Light Subject-and-Object, Cultivation, Transmission, Manjushri, Lotus Sutra, Religion,... |
Jun 11 2009 |
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Present Moment Awareness Ordinary Mind, Mindfulness, Enthusiasm, Cultivation, Passions, Practice Period,... |
May 30 2009 |
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Zazen InstructionSerial: BZ-02031 Bansan BCR-, Zazen, Posture, Building, Emotions, Beginners, resistance, Religion |
May 15 2009 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Class 1 Everybody Has Their Own Light Religion, Instruction, Describe, Culture, Politics, Continuous, Doubt, training... |
May 14 2009 |
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Who is That One?Serial: BZ-02028 Shakyamuni and Maitreya are servants of That One, One-Day Sitting Non-duality, Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya, MM-45, Big Mind, Practice Period... |
May 09 2009 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Questions and Answers in Buddhism Religion, Right Speech, Lotus Sutra, Buddha Mind, Vows, Teacher-and-Student, Heart... |
Apr 18 2009 |
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Perspective on Current EventsSerial: BZ-01164 2008 Market Crash, Etc., Saturday Lecture Money, War, Enemies, Greed, Eight Aspects, Monastic Practice, Describe, Religion,... |
Oct 11 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Beginner's Sitting; Serial No. 01163Serial: BZ-01163 Beginners' Sesshin Zazen, Monastic Practice, Soto Zen, Religion, Don't Know Mind, Priest, soto,... |
Oct 05 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
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2008.10.04-serial.00198 Culture, Hindrances, Fox, Chanting, Enemies, Religion, Lay, zen, Describe, difficulty... |
Oct 04 2008 |
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Embodying the Lotus Sutra Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Emptiness, Religion, Manjushri |
Mar 13 2008 The Yoga Room |
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Find Out the Root of the Problem for YourselfSerial: BZ-01118 Dokan and Gyoji: Let one teacher help you find your solution, Saturday Lecture Continuous Practice, Aspects of Practice, Continuous, training, Intuition, Gaining... |
Mar 01 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Zazen, Sanshimopo, and Doshin: Foundations of PracticeSerial: BZ-01112 Shikantaza, Guidance, and Way-Seeking Mind, Saturday Lecture Shikantaza, Zazen, Way-Seeking Mind, Ego, Continuous, Teacher-and-Student, Gaining... |
Feb 02 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Our Sphere of PracticeSerial: BZ-01103 Nonseparation of Zazen and Worldly Activity, Rohatsu Day 5 Practice, Politics, Zazen, War, SER-12, War, Diversity, Evil, Religion, Building,... |
Dec 06 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
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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, Soto Zen, soto, Desire, Religion |
Jul 28 2007 Afternoon No Abode Hermitage |
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The Five Powers of Practice and How They InteractSerial: BZ-00986 Kid Zendo: Zen: inside and outside the circle's center, Saturday Lecture Practice, Concentration, Mindfulness, Daily Life, Intuition, Mahayana, Instruction,... |
Jul 21 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
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July 2nd, 2007, Serial No. 01446 Politics, Religion, Practice Period, Enemies, Tassajara, Culture, War, training... |
Jul 02 2007 |
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May 31st, 2007, Serial No. 01055, Side A Doubt, Mahayana, Lotus Sutra, Subject-and-Object, Buddha Nature, Non-duality, Big... |
May 31 2007 |
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May 24th, 2007, Serial No. 01054, Side A Manjushri, Heart Sutra, Buddha Nature, Cultivation, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Ordinary... |
May 24 2007 |
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This Is ItSerial: BZ-01436A Saturday Lecture Mindfulness, Koan, Karma, Doubt, confusion, Big Mind, Instruction, Religion, Priest,... |
May 19 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Buddha's BirthdaySerial: BZ-01429 (and songs sung by the children), Saturday Lecture Buddha's Birthday, Birth-and-Death, Buddha's Birthday, Renewal, Separation... |
Apr 07 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Enlightenment is the Silent Bond Discrimination, Religion, Desire, difficulty |
Apr 01 2007 Green Gulch Farm |
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Attachment and Non-attachmentSerial: BZ-01428 Blue Cliff Record: Case #2 Nansen's "What is the Way?", Saturday Lecture Attachment, Non-attachment, Nansen, Mumonkan, BCR-2, Attachment, Diversity, Ordinary... |
Mar 31 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Letter and Spirit of Rules and RegulationSerial: BZ-01427 Dogen's Eihei Shingi, Saturday Lecture Paramitas, Brahmaviharas, Equanimity, Passions, Hate, Religion, Buddha Nature, Ego,... |
Mar 24 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
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March 17th, 2007, Serial No. 01053, Side A Subject-and-Object, Doubt, Religion, Mahayana, First Principle, Concentration, Buddha... |
Mar 17 2007 |
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Dogen's Eight Aspects of PracticeSerial: BZ-01418 Commentary by Deshimaru from "Ring of the Way", Saturday Lecture Eight Aspects, Dogen, Deshimaru, Birth-and-Death, Karma, Karmic Consequences, Ego,... |
Feb 10 2007 Berkeley Zen 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 Lovingkindness, Desire, zen meditation, Religion, Emptiness |
Feb 03 2007 AM No Abode Hermitage |
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Halloween and SeijikiSerial: BZ-01393 Saturday Lecture Seijiki, American, Offering, Religion, Evil, Demons, Six Realms, Culture, War,... |
Oct 21 2006 Berkeley Zen Center |
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October 2nd, 2006, Serial No. 01390 Demons, Culture, Interview, resistance, Chanting, Happiness, Religion, American,... |
Oct 02 2006 |