Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
However, secularism is if anything a great help in attaining spirituality worth the trouble.
But secularism is dismissive of spirituality.
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However, secularism is if anything a great help in attaining spirituality worth the trouble.
Not at all. I'm saying that atheists also tend to be secularists, which involves a rejection of anything spiritual or "supernatural".
But secularism is dismissive of spirituality.
There are plenty of atheists who embrace spirituality. Atheism means without (a-) god (theism). That does not automatically exclude everything else spiritual.
I didn't claim that atheism automatically excludes spiritual. I said that many atheists are also skeptical about anything spiritual and anything supernatural.
There are thousands of spiritually inclined people who identify as secularists.
Likewise, there are many atheists who are not automatically skeptical about anything spiritual and anything supernatural.
With Amerindian "religion", there traditionally was no difference between "spiritual" and "secular".
I haven't met them. Actually it's a simple matter of definition, ie secular = non-religious.
Very few in my experience.
Simply because you haven't met them doesn't mean they don't exist. [/URL]
Quite a lot in mine.
And simply because you have met some doesn't mean there are lots.
So what's your experience of Buddhism and other spiritual traditions? I've been at this for over 30 years and have explored all the major Buddhist schools as well as a range of other traditions. How about you?
I have met lots, not just some. However, you've misunderstood if you think I'm making the same type of sweeping generalizations as you. Personally, I find over-generalizations un-useful.
And simply because you have met some doesn't mean there are lots.
But secularism is dismissive of spirituality.
Maybe because it was an inherently spiritual society, where "secular" wouldn't really have a meaning?
This is not so. There are plenty of atheists who embrace spirituality. Atheism means without (a-) god (theism). That does not automatically exclude everything else spiritual.
As for Sanātana Dharma, I have read the major Upaniṣads (Bṛhadāraṇyaka, Māṇḍūkya, Chāndogya, Isha, Kaṭha, etc.) and sizable portions of the Vedas - in English and Sanskrit. I have no experience practicing in any of the Abrahamic traditions but have read the Quran several times through. I have extremely limited knowledge of the Bible, with the exception of the Gospel of Thomas and segments from the New Testament. I have not yet explored the Torah.
It's īśa/ईश (as in īśvara/ईश्वर -- master), not iśa/इश. Just pointing that out, as the latter word means a direction from where something is impelled (judging by its use in the Gobhilagṛhyasūtram), whereas the former word comes from the first padaḥ in the īśopaniṣad (īśā́vāsyàmidaṃ sárvam -- this lord [surely] pervades everything).
(īśā́vāsyàmidaṃ sárvam -- this lord [surely] pervades everything).