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It sounds to me like a definition for organized religion, and not really a definition of the concept of religion itself.
"Religion is belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church or temple."
It seems the definition supports esoteric spirituality. It just isn't organized. That's what I am about - having a spiritual philosophy.
To put the quote in context, he was explaining the difference between spirituality and religion. He was stating that spirituality comes from direct experience of the ineffable and that such experiences are not a requirement of religion.
Well, I think a more interesting discussion would be had about spirituality, not religion.
Know what Nondualism is? That's where my beliefs lie.
Can you be more specific? Being a Buddhist, I know a lot about nondualism but I want to make sure we are on the same page.
I got the link, but the wiki page talks of transpersonal psychology and such. I didn't want to assume that you believed everything on that page. Is that the case?My post included a link to the Wikipedia page. Did you see it. It seems links are very low key in this Look and Feel.
I have a decent grasp of Hinduism. I've read the Bhagavad GitaI am most familiar with Advaita of Vedanta and Hinduism. I have read just about everything by Vivekananda.
I got the link, but the wiki page talks of transpersonal psychology and such. I didn't want to assume that you believed everything on that page. Is that the case?
I have a decent grasp of Hinduism. I've read the Bhagavad Gita
Okay. This "Nondualism" is the same one that we practice in Zen. Give me an example of a nondualistic belief you hold.No. I believe you are expected to jump to interesting categories, like 4 Nondualism versus monism, 5 Nondualism versus solipsism, 9.2 Hinduism 9.2.1 Advaita, and 9.6 Buddhism general. I have yet to read the Abrahamic traditions and other info as I only recently came across the term.
Thank you for the suggestions. I will add these to my list of books to read.The Bhagavad Gita is a holy book for Advaita. Read Vivekananda, his books Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yogo and Bhakti Yoga.
Okay. This "Nondualism" is the same one that we practice in Zen. Give me an example of a nondualistic belief you hold.
"Religion is belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church or temple."
It seems the definition supports esoteric spirituality. It just isn't organized. That's what I am about - having a spiritual philosophy.
I wouldn't agree that a god or gods are necessary for something to qualify as a religion.
Do you have an example?
Taoism, as far as I am aware, is more or less neutral on the topic.
Right, as is Buddhism. They are both spiritual systems.
I checked out what Nondualism has to say about Taoism. I liked this quote:
"So, both dharma and Tao refer to the way that the One, the unfathomable unity of the divine, divides into parts and manifests in the world of form.""
I'm sorry but Buddhism and Taoism do not transcend religion, they are part of it. They both require faith in something intangible that cannot be proven. They may be better flavors of the same divine connection that all faiths share, but they are still religions.
I live in a Buddhist monastery. My illusions about them being a non-pushy philosophy went out the door a long time ago.
I wanted to present this definition of religion in hopes of spurring interesting and intellectual discussion. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
"Organized religion is based on institutionalized group activity, which takes place in a designated location and involves appointed officials who may or may not have had personal experiences with spirituality. Once a religion becomes organized, it often loses it's connection with the spiritual and becomes a secular institution that exploits human spiritual needs without ever satisfying them. Organized religions tend to create hierarchical systems focused on money, power, control and politics. These are secular pursuits. Under these systems, religious hierarchy discourages it's members from having actual spiritual experiences, because they foster independence and cannot be effectively controlled. In these cases, genuine spirituality is manifested in only the mystic branches, monastic orders and ecstatic sects of the religion involved." - Stanislav Grof, M.D.
Generally speaking, I think this definition is spot on. This comes from my personal experience as well as anecdotes I have been told from friends and acquaintances about their experiences with organized religion.
Organized religion is based on institutionalized group activity, which takes place in a designated location and involves appointed officials who may or may not have had personal experiences with spirituality.
Once a religion becomes organized, it often loses it's connection with the spiritual and becomes a secular institution that exploits human spiritual needs without ever satisfying them. Organized religions tend to create hierarchical systems focused on money, power, control and politics. These are secular pursuits. Under these systems, religious hierarchy discourages it's members from having actual spiritual experiences, because they foster independence and cannot be effectively controlled. In these cases, genuine spirituality is manifested in only the mystic branches, monastic orders and ecstatic sects of the religion involved.
I wanted to present this definition of religion in hopes of spurring interesting and intellectual discussion. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
"Organized religion is based on institutionalized group activity, which takes place in a designated location and involves appointed officials who may or may not have had personal experiences with spirituality. Once a religion becomes organized, it often loses it's connection with the spiritual and becomes a secular institution that exploits human spiritual needs without ever satisfying them.
Organized religions tend to create hierarchical systems focused on money, power, control and politics. These are secular pursuits. Under these systems, religious hierarchy discourages it's members from having actual spiritual experiences, because they foster independence and cannot be effectively controlled. In these cases, genuine spirituality is manifested in only the mystic branches, monastic orders and ecstatic sects of the religion involved." - Stanislav Grof, M.D.
Generally speaking, I think this definition is spot on. This comes from my personal experience as well as anecdotes I have been told from friends and acquaintances about their experiences with organized religion.
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