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Secular Buddhism : Imagining the Dharma in an Uncertain World
An essential collection of Stephen Batchelor’s most probing and important work on secular Buddhism As the practice of mindfulness permeates mainstream Western culture, more and more people are engaging in a traditional form of Buddhist meditation.However, many of these people have little interest in the religious aspects of Buddhism, and the practice occurs within secular contexts such as hospitals, schools, and the workplace.Is it possible to recover from the Buddhist teachings a vision of human flourishing that is secular rather than religious without compromising the integrity of the tradition?Is there an ethical framework that can underpin and contextualize these practices in a rapidly changing world? In this collected volume of Stephen Batchelor’s writings on these themes, the author explores the complex implications of Buddhism’s secularization.Ranging widely—from reincarnation, religious belief, and agnosticism to the role of the arts in Buddhist practice—he offers a detailed picture of contemporary Buddhism and its attempt to find a voice in the modern world.
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After Buddhism : Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
A renowned Buddhist teacher’s magnum opus, based on his fresh reading of the tradition’s earliest texts Some twenty-five centuries after the Buddha started teaching, his message continues to inspire people across the globe, including those living in predominantly secular societies.What does it mean to adapt religious practices to secular contexts? Stephen Batchelor, an internationally known author and teacher, is committed to a secularized version of the Buddha’s teachings.The time has come, he feels, to articulate a coherent ethical, contemplative, and philosophical vision of Buddhism for our age.After Buddhism, the culmination of four decades of study and practice in the Tibetan, Zen, and Theravada traditions, is his attempt to set the record straight about who the Buddha was and what he was trying to teach.Combining critical readings of the earliest canonical texts with narrative accounts of five members of the Buddha’s inner circle, Batchelor depicts the Buddha as a pragmatic ethicist rather than a dogmatic metaphysician.He envisions Buddhism as a constantly evolving culture of awakening whose long survival is due to its capacity to reinvent itself and interact creatively with each society it encounters. This original and provocative book presents a new framework for understanding the remarkable spread of Buddhism in today’s globalized world.It also reminds us of what was so startling about the Buddha’s vision of human flourishing.
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The Spirituality Gap : Searching for Meaning in a Secular Age
'A beguiling exploration of what contemporary spiritual practices might offer to a world that’s lost its religion' Dr Sharon Blackie, author of If Women Rose Rooted Abi Millar is looking for something.She grew up in an evangelical church, but after she lost her faith, she found herself searching for spirituality in other places.Torn between the logical part of her brain and the part that secretly believes in magic, and in the wake of a great loss, she wondered whether her crisis of faith was part of a larger story: at a time when more and more people in the Western world are moving away from organised religion, what does spirituality look like?The Spirituality Gap follows Abi as she receives a shamanic healing, drinks ayuahuasca, delves into astrology, experiences an awakening in a lake, and attends an atheist church.Written with great warmth, curiosity and humour, it explores our post-religious world from the perspective of someone who is neither a ‘spiritual but not religious’ hippie nor an angry atheist.Throughout, she asks: how can we embrace ritual in our own lives even if we are wary of religion?
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The Islamic Secular
The basic point of the secular in the modern West is to "liberate" certain pursuits--the state, the economy, science--from the authority of religion.This is also assumed to be the goal and meaning of "secular" in Islam.Sherman Jackson argues, however, that that assumption is wrong.In Islam the "secular" was neither outside "religion" nor a rival to it. "Religion," in Islam was not identical to Islam's "sacred law," or "shari'ah." Nor did classical Muslim jurists see shari'ah as the all-encompassing, exclusive means of determining what is "Islamic." In fact, while, as religion, Islam's jurisdiction was unlimited, shari'ah's jurisdiction, as a sacred law, was limited.In other words, while everything remained within the purview of the divine gaze of the God of Islam, not everything could be determined by shari'ah or on the basis of its revelatory sources.Various aspects of state-policy, the economy, science, and the like were "differentiated," from shari'ah and its revelatory sources, without becoming non-religious or un-Islamic.Given the asymmetry between the circumference of shari'ah and that of Islam as religion, not everything that fell outside the former fell outside the latter.In other words, an idea or action could be non-shar'i (not dictated by shari'ah) without being non-Islamic, let alone anti-Islam.The ideas and actions that fall into this category are what Jackson terms "the Islamic Secular." Crucially, the Islamic Secular differs from the Western secular in that, while the whole point of the Western secular is to liberate various pursuits from religion, the Islamic Secular differentiates these disciplines not from religion but simply from shari'ah.Similarly, while both secularization and secularism play key roles in the Western secular, both of these concepts are alien to the Islamic Secular, as the Islamic Secular seeks neither to discipline nor to displace religion, nor expand to its own jurisdiction at religion's expense.The Islamic Secular is a complement to religion, in effect, a "religious secular." Nowhere are the practical implications of this more impactful than in Islam's relationship with the modern state.In this book, Jackson makes the case for the Islamic Secular on the basis of Islam's own pre-modern juristic tradition and shows how the Islamic Secular impacts the relationship between Islam and the modern state, including the Islamic State.
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Is there a timer for mindfulness training, meditation, yoga, and spirituality?
There is no set timer for mindfulness training, meditation, yoga, and spirituality as it varies from person to person. Some people may find it helpful to start with short sessions, such as 5-10 minutes, and gradually increase the duration as they become more comfortable. Others may prefer longer sessions right from the start. It's important to listen to your body and mind and find a timing that works best for you. The key is to be consistent and make it a regular practice in your daily routine.
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What does secular mean?
Secular refers to things that are not religious or spiritual in nature. It can also refer to the separation of religion and government, or the absence of religious influence in a particular context. In a broader sense, secular can also refer to attitudes, beliefs, or activities that are not connected to or influenced by religious beliefs.
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What are secular things?
Secular things refer to aspects of life that are not related to religion or spirituality. These can include activities, institutions, and ideas that are separate from religious beliefs or practices. Secular things can encompass a wide range of topics, such as politics, education, science, and culture, and are often considered to be part of the public sphere rather than the realm of religious belief. In a secular society, there is a clear separation between religious and non-religious aspects of life.
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Can people be secular?
Yes, people can be secular. Secularism is the principle of separating government institutions and the state from religious institutions. It allows individuals to hold their own beliefs and practice their religion freely without interference from the government. Being secular means that one does not prioritize any specific religious beliefs or practices in their personal or public life, and instead values the separation of religion and state.
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A Secular Age
“One finds big nuggets of insight, useful to almost anybody with an interest in the progress of human society.” —The EconomistWhat does it mean to say that we live in a secular age?Almost everyone would agree that we—in the West, at least—largely do. And clearly the place of religion in our societies has changed profoundly in the last few centuries.In what will be a defining book for our time, Charles Taylor takes up the question of what these changes mean—of what, precisely, happens when a society in which it is virtually impossible not to believe in God becomes one in which faith, even for the staunchest believer, is only one human possibility among others. Taylor, long one of our most insightful thinkers on such questions, offers a historical perspective.He examines the development in “Western Christendom” of those aspects of modernity which we call secular.What he describes is in fact not a single, continuous transformation, but a series of new departures, in which earlier forms of religious life have been dissolved or destabilized and new ones have been created.As we see here, today’s secular world is characterized not by an absence of religion—although in some societies religious belief and practice have markedly declined—but rather by the continuing multiplication of new options, religious, spiritual, and anti-religious, which individuals and groups seize on in order to make sense of their lives and give shape to their spiritual aspirations. What this means for the world—including the new forms of collective religious life it encourages, with their tendency to a mass mobilization that breeds violence—is what Charles Taylor grapples with, in a book as timely as it is timeless.
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A Secular Age
A New York Times Notable Book of the YearA Times Literary Supplement Book of the YearA Globe and Mail Best Book of the YearA Publishers Weekly Best Book of the YearA Tablet Best Book of the YearWinner of a Christianity Today Book Award“One finds big nuggets of insight, useful to almost anybody with an interest in the progress of human society.” —The EconomistWhat does it mean to say that we live in a secular age?Almost everyone would agree that we—in the West, at least—largely do. And clearly the place of religion in our societies has changed profoundly in the last few centuries.In what will be a defining book for our time, Charles Taylor takes up the question of what these changes mean—of what, precisely, happens when a society in which it is virtually impossible not to believe in God becomes one in which faith, even for the staunchest believer, is only one human possibility among others. Taylor, long one of our most insightful thinkers on such questions, offers a historical perspective.He examines the development in “Western Christendom” of those aspects of modernity which we call secular.What he describes is in fact not a single, continuous transformation, but a series of new departures, in which earlier forms of religious life have been dissolved or destabilized and new ones have been created.As we see here, today’s secular world is characterized not by an absence of religion—although in some societies religious belief and practice have markedly declined—but rather by the continuing multiplication of new options, religious, spiritual, and anti-religious, which individuals and groups seize on in order to make sense of their lives and give shape to their spiritual aspirations. What this means for the world—including the new forms of collective religious life it encourages, with their tendency to a mass mobilization that breeds violence—is what Charles Taylor grapples with, in a book as timely as it is timeless.
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Russell Pascoe: Secular Requiem
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Demons : A Secular Look
Demons are real; they roam our world looking for opportunities to heap destruction upon us.They are ruled by blind hatred toward humanity, and they don't discriminate.Man, woman, or child—all are fair game. Journey into the realm of these horrific creatures with a real demon hunter to see the intense carnage unleashed on an unsuspecting public.Find out how prevalent demons are in our society outside religious persuasion, consider relevant and new research, and read true stories of possession.Discover what these parasites are and what they do, understand their makeup and behaviors, and learn how to get rid of them should you become afflicted.Through trial and error, with significant physical and mental risk to the author, a new exorcism technique of binding demons is unveiled here.Against all odds, the author survives to tell his story.Consider this book a warning . . .
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What is a secular religion?
A secular religion is a belief system or ideology that functions similarly to a traditional religion but does not involve the worship of a deity or supernatural being. Instead, it is centered around a set of values, principles, or rituals that provide a sense of purpose, community, and moral guidance to its followers. Examples of secular religions include humanism, environmentalism, and certain political ideologies. These belief systems often provide a framework for understanding the world and one's place in it, and can play a significant role in shaping an individual's identity and worldview.
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Does secular wealth bring happiness?
Secular wealth can bring temporary happiness through material possessions and financial security. However, true and lasting happiness is often found in meaningful relationships, personal fulfillment, and a sense of purpose. While wealth can provide comfort and opportunities, it does not guarantee happiness, as it is ultimately a state of mind and heart that goes beyond material wealth. It is important to prioritize values and experiences that bring genuine joy and fulfillment, rather than solely relying on secular wealth for happiness.
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Is religion a secular thing?
Religion is not inherently secular, as it is often associated with spiritual beliefs and practices that are separate from the secular world. However, in many societies, there is a separation between religion and the state, which is a key aspect of secularism. This separation allows for freedom of religion and prevents any one religion from dominating the government or public life. Therefore, while religion itself may not be secular, the concept of secularism can play a role in how religion is practiced and integrated into society.
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What is meant by secular music?
Secular music refers to music that is not associated with religious or spiritual themes. It encompasses a wide range of genres and styles, including pop, rock, hip-hop, jazz, and more. Secular music is often created for entertainment, self-expression, and cultural or social commentary, and it is not tied to any specific religious or spiritual beliefs or practices.
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