[Buddha-l] Re: the advent of the meditation machine?

[Joy Vriens]

Hi Alberto,

>  >For starters, I would suggest religion is NOT spirituality.< 
 
>Now, that makes everything clear! Sorry but, what is 'spirituality'? I  
>have never quite  understood if it is a hopelessly vague and ill-defined  
>term or simply one that has been abused for too long. I am afraid that  
>starting from my early twenties things like spirituality (and mysticism  
>too) have slowly been wiped out of my world view. 

It's a portemanteau word. Like movies and books can have a working title, I use "spirituality" as a working term. Initially I saw "spirituality" as the essence of religion, but I realise I was wrong. Religion has no essence, or rather whatever essence it has is a series of rules, justified through various beliefs and myths. 

There are people who simply do things and others who tell they do those things or will do those things, or aspire to doing those things. The telling (religion) is somehow an ersatz for the doing (spirituality). It is to want to reap the benefit, the respect or esteem for what one hasn't done yet, isn't doing yet, is planning to do but probably will never do. Religion is to solemnly make the vow to achieve patience, contentment, altruism etc. through all sorts of formulas, rituals etc. Spirituality is being patient, content and acting altruistically. Religion is to recite sutras about emptiness, spirituality is to see things as empty etc. That sort of stuff.    
 
> >(Still traumatised after walking into York cathedral and seeing  
>statues of admirals and ex-voto dedicated to the British colonial army  
>siding undistinguishably with saints and other religious figures).< 
 
>If you want more of the same, try St. Paul's cathedral in London. I too  
>was very surprised by the spectacle. That made me think of aristocracy:  
>how have been people become counts, dukes or whatever? Oftentimes  
>through callousness, opportunism, ruthlessness and the shedding of blood  
>aplenty. 

I agree. I mistrust all power and fortune. Dukes and counts are nothing else than robber barrons, pirates, warlords, ex-terrorists etc. The British museum, the Louvre etc. are robbers' dens, loot exhibitions.

Joy