Religion

[darrellkitchen]

You can practice something religiously without practicing religion.

Religion itself is as much an attachment to appearances as seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and thinking.

Darrell

[BlackBillBlake]

You can practice something religiously without practicing religion.

Religion itself is as much an attachment to appearances as seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and thinking.

Darrell
Wouldn't that depend on your concept of 'religion'?

If you say religion is simply a set of practices, disciplines and so on, then I suppose you are right.
If on the other hand by 'religion' one means some kind of realization then I'm not sure.
But also - being or trying to be non-attached can be an attachment. Being attached to not being attached......

[Sera Michele]

I practice many things religiously. Yet I practice no religion.


But you aren't just talking about someone doing something like practicing the piano an hour a day, or are you?

[darrellkitchen]

Wouldn't that depend on your concept of 'religion'?

If you say religion is simply a set of practices, disciplines and so on, then I suppose you are right.
If on the other hand by 'religion' one means some kind of realization then I'm not sure.
But also - being or trying to be non-attached can be an attachment. Being attached to not being attached......
I believe that what I said is the opposite of what you said, BBB.

I said: You can practice something religiously without practicing religion.
You said: If you say religion is a simple set of practices, disciplines and so on ...

I didn't say religion is a simple set of practices, but I did say you can practice something religiously without practicing a religion.

As for your comment on non-attachment, here's an excerpt from the thread "Religion - Off Topic (http://hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73409#post1029579)" replying to your statement:

I'd be silly for not agreeing, now wouldn't I ??? Especially since it's true.

However, there is a way to become non-attached without "trying" to be non-attached. To see it for what it really is (or is not), then just let go and let it happen without becoming involved in the attachment itself. No "trying" ... just "doing" !!!

Darrell

[darrellkitchen]

But you aren't just talking about someone doing something like practicing the piano an hour a day, or are you?Actually, that is one of a myriad of examples ... myriad !!!

Another example is ... I practice Buddhism religiously, daily, every free moment my mind is not engaged in conversation or interacting with my work or others. I am always reciting mantras and meditating ... even when walking. But I do not practice Buddhism as a religion.

Darrell

[BlackBillBlake]

I believe that what I said is the opposite of what you said, BBB.

I said: You can practice something religiously without practicing religion.
You said: If you say religion is a simple set of practices, disciplines and so on ...

I didn't say religion is a simple set of practices, but I did say you can practice something religiously without practicing a religion.

Darrell
Actually, what I intended to say was that your original statement would depend on how one defines 'religion' - to say one does something 'religiously' has no meaning outside our definition of the word religion.