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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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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March 2nd, 1991, Serial No. 00690, Side A Hate, Religion, First Principle, Evil, Doubt, Samsara, Mahayana, Politics,... |
Mar 02 1991 |
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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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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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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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November 17th, 1990, Serial No. 00695, Side B Religion, Bell, Building, Karma, Enthusiasm, Fox, Politics, Interview, Bowing,... |
Nov 17 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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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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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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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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1990.01.27-serial.00071 Religion, zen meditation, Demons, Liberation, Lovingkindness |
Jan 27 1990 |
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1990.MM.DD-serial.00075 Way-Seeking Mind, realization, Thich Nhat Hanh, Religion |
1990 |
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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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Dzogchen Teachings Emptiness, realization, Transmission, Lineage, Mandala, training, Religion,... |
Oct 08 1989 4 San Jose |
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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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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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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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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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October 15th, 1988, Serial No. 00368, Side B Gratitude, Vinaya, Religion, Patience, Silence, Greed, Mahayana, Nirvana, War,... |
Oct 15 1988 |
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1988.09.25-serial.00065 Culture, Religion, Conversation, Tozan, Composure |
Sep 25 1988 |
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The Eyes of PracticeSerial: BZ-00832B Saturday Lecture Practice, stubbornness, Instruction, Harmonizing, Buddha Mind, Oneness, Renewal,... |
Aug 20 1988 Berkeley Zen Center |
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January 13th, 1988, Serial No. 00302Serial: BZ-00302 Wednesday Lecture Passions, Mindfulness, Practice Period, Building, Offering, Aspects of Practice,... |
Jan 13 1988 |
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December 13th, 1987, Serial No. 00304Serial: BZ-00304 Sesshin Day 6 Lineage, Religion, Silence, Diversity, Lotus Sutra, Doubt, Subject-and-Object,... |
Dec 13 1987 |
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December 11th, 1987, Serial No. 00306, Side ASerial: BZ-00306A Sesshin Day 4 Ego, Buddha Nature, Peace, resistance, Continuous, Tassajara, Religion, American,... |
Dec 11 1987 |
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November 30th, 1987, Serial No. 00384 Consciousness, Delusion, Religion, Oneness, Subject-and-Object, Compassion, American... |
Nov 30 1987 |
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July 17th, 1987, Serial No. 01490 Chanting, Intuition, Continuous, Concentration, Religion, American |
Jul 17 1987 |
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1987.07.11-serial.00005 Gratitude, Religion, Doubt, Balance, Suzuki Roshi, Nirvana, Enemies, Attachment, Evil... |
Jul 11 1987 |
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Genjokoan IIISerial: BZ-00908B Sesshin Day 2 Genjokoan, Religion, Eka, Echo, Heart Sutra, Describe, Bodhidharma, Interview,... |
Jun 05 1987 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Chi Men's Lotus Flower, Lotus LeaveSerial: BZ-00337 Sunday Lecture Religion, Gratitude, Lay, Teacher-and-Student, Interdependence, Doubt, Peace... |
May 31 1987 |
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Jewel Mirror Samadhi, Tozan's Five RanksSerial: BZ-00336 Lecture Jewel Mirror Samadhi, Five Ranks, Absolute-and-Relative, Aspects of Practice, Anger,... |
May 17 1987 |
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May 3rd, 1987, Serial No. 01486 Religion, Gratitude, Lay, Teacher-and-Student, Interdependence, Doubt, Peace... |
May 03 1987 |
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Four Noble Truths, Four VowsSerial: BZ-00889A Saturday Lecture Four Noble Truths, Vows, Bodhisattva Vow, Vows, Four Noble Truths, Attachment,... |
May 02 1987 Berkeley Zen Center |
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April 5th, 1987, Serial No. 01485 Buddha's Birthday, Buddha Mind, Religion, Fasting, Offering, Renewal, Interview... |
Apr 05 1987 |
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March 5th, 1987, Serial No. 00335 Concentration, Equanimity, Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Harmonizing, Subject-and-... |
Mar 05 1987 |
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May 24th, 1986, Serial No. 00876, Side A Buddha Ancestors, Happiness, Renewal, Karma, Daily Life, Offering, Heart Sutra,... |
May 24 1986 |
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Kshanti: Practicing Patience with Life as It IsSerial: BZ-00873A Saturday Lecture Kshanti, Patience, Patience, American, Passions, Priest, Gaining Mind, Lotus Sutra,... |
Feb 01 1986 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Buddha, Dharma, SanghaSerial: BZ-00871A Saturday Lecture Triple Treasure, Priest, Lay, Sangha, Ordination, Priest-and-Lay, Buddha Nature,... |
Jan 04 1986 Berkeley Zen Center |
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December 7th, 1985, Serial No. 00364 Emotions, Intention, Posture, Consciousness, Oneness, Ego, Subject-and-Object,... |
Dec 07 1985 |
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December 6th, 1985, Serial No. 00371 Attachment, Compassion, New Year, Don't Know Mind, Consciousness, resistance,... |
Dec 06 1985 |
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Zen Practice With Children and FamiliesSerial: BZ-00424B Saturday Lecture Family Practice, Religion, Birth-and-Death, Monastic Practice, Soto Zen, Priest,... |
Jul 14 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Way-Seeking MindSerial: BZ-00412A Saturday Lecture Way-Seeking Mind, Priest, Complete Perfect Enlightenment, Vows, Samsara, Nirvana,... |
Jun 22 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sanshi Mompo: Ongoing Practice of Student and TeacherSerial: BZ-00408A Saturday Lecture Teacher-and-Student, Teacher-and-Student, Interview, Lineage, Instruction, Buddha... |
Dec 15 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |