Religion as Spiritual Culture

Always after a few days something breaks the habit.

Something that we should not loose sight of in all the debates about religion and its place in society is that of religion as a spiritual culture.

In Buddhism, one of the words for meditation is 'bhavana' which literally means 'becoming'. This recognizes the fact that the way you think ultimately determines what you become. 'As you think, so you become' is actually a good starting point for any consideration of the nature of spiritual culture. It is a universal principle which is simple to understand, but which has many consequences.

Now the difference between spiritual culture and religion is that it is practical, rather than a 'belief system'. You will notice in many of the debates about religion, many big statements and questions about the nature of reality, science and religion, whether there is a God or not, and so on, are constantly being made. It is very easy for these debates to have a very polarizing influence on those involved - you will be driven one way or the other, to belief or non-belief, and into many dichotomies and dualities.

Religion as spiritual culture has a different approach. It is based on cultivation of states of calmness, clarity and insight, through meditation. This is something that can be experienced and tested. It is not a dogmatic belief system. Buddhism is very well known for this, but such an approach is not only Buddhist. Other Indian philosophy and Yoga schools teach this approach, and (believe it or not) it is also quite possible for both Christians and those who are not 'religiously committed' to any belief to adopt this approach.

Such a practice generally does rely on an ethical code, such as abandoning or reducing intoxicants, moderation in speech and behaviour - the very basic moral and ethical guidelines which are common to many religions and philosophies, although it can also be seen as a "common-sense" approach to life.

Establishing a regular meditation practice is the center of this outlook. Silent meditation, even for brief periods of time, provides new perspectives on the problems of life, who we are, and how our minds and bodies interact. Meditation requires some self-discipline and persistence, but over time it gives rise to an ever-deepening sense of the joy of life and a place of calmness in the center of the being.

So let's not forget that this type of spiritual culture is an important and beneficial practice. Speaking from experience, when meditation begins to work its magic in your life, your appreciation of the meaning of many things begins to change, and life itself seems a lot less of a battle. There are many other benefits, and many ways of practicing, which produce long-term benefits and new horizons. It is a long-term commitment, and, as said, a form of spiritual culture - but one well worth pursuing.

On the one hand, "Religion", in the usual sense of the word, refers to a set of beliefs, usually including beliefs about God or gods, a story of how the world or universe came into being, a specific moral code, beliefs about the afterlife, beliefs about the nature of reality, the soul, the spirit, etc. Along with these beliefs, "religion" in the usual sense, often includes various practices, rituals, hierarchy of clerics, temples or other edifices, etc.

Some may even question whether what you are talking about even qualifies as a religion by any definition of the term.

You're describing the outward form of religion. That's helpful in the same way describing your outward form helps us identify you.

Would it not be a mistake, though, if I believed that your outward form is all you are? You're alive. A religion can be alive. The ones that aren't alive have left us with nice artefacts to put on display behind glass.

What animates a living religion isn't something you can put on display.

And which religious figure pointed that out?

I think there are several separate kinds of phenomena that get placed under the heading of 'religion'. One stream concerns beliefs about the legendary heroes, mythical beings, and Gods. Another stream originates with shamanism, healing, and meditation and is characteristically associated with the Hindu yogas. Then there is the philosophical spirituality of a Plato or Plotinus. As far as many people go, they will tend to place it all in the same category, and call it 'religion'. So one of the things I was trying to do in this post was bring out the more mystical and philosophical side of the subject. It has become very much submerged in Western Christianity.

But perhaps it is me muddying the waters. Maybe I just should stick to talking about Dharma and hope that people know what I am on about!

these may not be concepts to which you subscribe.

The concept is similar, but the terminology is different.

There is another point I keep remembering while interacting with the Forum, and in life generally. 'Religion' means different things to different people. What it means to me might not even strike someone else as 'religion'. What an evangelical fundamentalist thinks of as religion might be something quite different to what I think of it.

So again, I am aware of the 'polarizing' effect of the debates around religion and science. It seems to me the antireligious have a very exact definition of what religion is. To them, to be religious is to be superstitious, uncritical, unreflective, to swallow something whole without asking any questions. It is a shame that this is what religion has become for so many, and all it can be thought to mean. It is something much more subtle than that, the meaning of which can only become apparent if you are able to really engage with it through some form of spiritual culture. And where it takes you might not be anything like what you had thought 'religion' to be.