Running Head: WORLD RELIGION 1

World religion

Name of student

Name of professor

Course

Date
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Definition of religion

Religion is a set of information sent by God passed onto us via a prophet after precise

translations. The message's mandate is to deliver people from darkness and make their blind

hearts to see. Religion also entails how God wants us to stay; without differences and

following what the holy book says. It is also my belief that religion comes with its tests,

which will determine whether we will be part of the afterlife; that is if we will go to either

heaven or hell.

Judging from the text by Livingstone and the discussions in the discussions board; it

is clear to say that religion is one thing that many describe in so many different ways. It is

just that some choose to focus on one thing while the other focus on another, but in the end,

they all have goals which tend to be the same in one way or another. My definition would not

change, but it might contain less as compared to people's interpretation of the same. To justify

the similarity in these definitions; many believe that there is a more significant being at work

hence conform to the belief of theism, and all want great and everlasting life only that it is not

all who believe in life after death. These goals have been set, and in every definition of

religion, it is clear that there is a set of instruction set to attain these objectives. In general,

both the statements on the discussion board and the text by Livingstone have encouraged a

particular modification to my original definition where we see that religion is very open and

actually depends on three things one's belief on a supreme being, doctrines put in place to

follow and lastly goals set as a price for following all that is needed of a believer (Johnstone,

2015).

Furthermore, if we take a look at the religions in the East which are Buddhism,

Taoism, Hinduism, and Confucianism; all these have one goal, and that is to ensure that

humanity goes through a life cycle which is peaceful and full of prosperity. To attain these
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goals, there are teachings of respect, hard work, integrity, and many other life virtues. This

brings us back to our definition and tweaks it a little bit in a manner which we have its

description being beliefs which human conform to so that they can get a clear picture of the

importance of life and how to go about it in a manner which they cannot undergo the

hardship with which it comes with. Religions from the east show some aspect of dependence;

they see religion as a way of liberating humanity from its unruly behaviors.

My new definition of religion is; belief, dependence, and an acceptance of our

weakness to face each and everything that comes our way hence the need for guidance and

protection, nonetheless, failure to conform to one's religious ideas results to some severe

consequences. The change of definition has been greatly influenced by the fact that people

much depend on religion to have a meaningful life in that if things do not work out for then,

they tend to give up on life.

Religious survey of Americans

Many people in the United States do not identify with a specific religion. They are what

many can describe as free-spirited as any convention does not constrain them. Using well-

constructed questions, they can as well be placed in specific religion depending on how they

answer the questions; the target groups being Theravada Buddhists and Confucianism. When

targeting Buddhism, we will have the following

items;

1. Do you believe in a supernatural being?

2. What is it that dictates the salvation of man, is it the man himself or following what

the religion has set as dos and don'ts?

As for Confucianism, the following questions will apply;

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1. Do we need to look at what our ancestors did to change this society for the better or

would that be outrageous as times have changed?

2. Do you agree that the way to having a peaceful existence is to put family and society

over an individual?

The questions mentioned above require straightforward answers, and they can quickly

point us towards a specific direction concerning what the target religions are. Theravada

Buddhism does not believe in the existence of a supernatural being to help sort out problems

in the world, but instead, they believe in the utilization of meditation to provide some

enlightenment on what they are undergoing. In this same religion, they think that it is up to

man to provide for his salvation. Unlike other religions where we have different aspects, for

example, Christianity there is Jesus Christ who plays a big part in Christians' salvation;

Buddhism believes that salvation is dependent on man (Page, 2017).

Confucianism is a religion driven by the idea that society should consist of people who

respect each other, and their existence is very much dependant on how they relate and abide

their moral values. The religion tends to copy and try to emulate what their ancestors did to

have a guide on issues about their moral values. It highly castigates selfishness as part of their

custom expects every one of their individuals put their families and society first before any

individuals. In a nutshell, Confucianism tries to pass the message of generosity in everything

that they do, and it acts as one of their core values (Feng, 2017).

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

The book is one among many written concerning Buddhism with the title "Zen and

the Art of…" Going through the book and reviews done by Robert M. Adams and Mathur R

which is an American book review magazine; has been of help in the quest which involves

trying to understand and put into perspective what the author, Robert Pirsig's, was trying to

convey using the piece mentioned above (Mathur, 2016).

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The book comprises of two protagonists who are the same person. The narrator takes

a motorcycle trip with his son and friends to San Francisco. It is during this trip that he

notices that he as an alter ego which he names, Phaedrus. He enters a ride which requires him

to solve this schism, which if not addressed, could ruin him and the relationship he has with

the son. Nonetheless, he somehow manages to surmount this situation and, in the end, helping

him have a better relationship with the son. The other characters are highly isolated from the

story as the author tries to bring out his core message, which is based solely on spirituality

and intellect (Pirsig,1999).

Buddhism teaches of peace with oneself, and they believe that when one encounters

any problem; then it can be solved by merely meditating and trying to understand the

problem from various angles hence come up with suitable solutions which can effectively

mitigate the problem. The religion also explains the importance of inner peace as being one

of the prerequisites for a peaceful existence among humans. The author successfully finds a

relation between zen and non-zen activities. He talks of a glass door which separated the

inmates from the family during his shock therapy; and from this, he asks himself why he did

not open the door as a way to signify the act of letting his family in and sharing whatever

they were going through as it would strengthen their relationship. The other non-zen activity

is the stuck screw where the narrator explains some significant problems facing society and

states that it is not the lack of technology and solutions or having lots of the latter and former

but failure to unite the technological and emotional aspects of life. With a clear mind, it is

possible to solve problems in society since you see things clearly (Gale, 2015).

I believe that the utilization of a religious idea to a non-religious view is not wrong. It

should be like that as religion is just a guide which people need to understand and apply in

their daily lives. Religion encompasses everything around us and everything that happens in

our life.
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Conclusion.

Religion has several definitions. It is because of its complexity and vastness that no

one can come up with an accurate and most appropriate description. It is based on beliefs and

things that many cannot actualize. It is better that one firmly understands his or her religion

and follow its ways, and if one doesn't identify with any, it is okay as no one knows which

one is the true religion.

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References

Pirsig, R. M. (1999). Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance: An inquiry into values.

Random House.

Mathur, R. (2016). Book Review: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Gale, C. L. (2015). A Study Guide for Robert Pirsig's" Zen and the Art of Motorcycle

Maintenance." Gale, Cengage Learning.

Page, S. J., & Yip, A. K. T. (2017). Understanding and Practising Buddhism. In

Understanding Young Buddhists (pp. 48-72). BRILL.

Feng, X., Jin, Z., & Johansson, A. C. (2017). How Beliefs Influence Behavior: Confucianism

and Innovation in China (No. 2017-46). Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm China

Economic Research Institute.

Johnstone, R. L. (2015). Religion in Society: A sociology of religion. Routledge.