What is Practice and What is if For?

[Quintessence]

An important aspect of religions worldwide is practice. But what do we mean when we say "practice" exactly? Perhaps more importantly, what is practice for within a religious (or spiritual, if you prefer) context?

Maia Duerr, a cultural anthropologist and practitioner of Zen Buddhism had this to share in a presentation on the Tree of Contemplative Practices:

Practice: An activity that you do on a regular basis (ideally every day) that helps you to cultivate:​

• a sense of self-awareness
• joy
• equanimity
• resilience
• compassion for yourself and others

Adapted from her presentation at - The Tree of Contemplative Practices – The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society

I've often spoken of my religious tradition being more of a practice than a set of ideas or beliefs and I feel like Maia's words captured it in a way that was very helpful to me. I see religion as synonymous with one's way of life in no small part because of what practice is - something you do regularly that cultivates a certain frame of mind, or mindfulness. My list of what practice cultivates is a bit different than Maia's and yours might be too. What does your religious practice cultivate? Do you differ on what you consider practice to be?

 

[Debater Slayer]

I view practice as beliefs, values, or traditions put into action or routine. Without action or routine, there is no practice.

In my own worldview, the closest thing to what I would consider a "spiritual" practice is my practice of meditation and mindfulness, both of which have been part of my life for several years but have had a more extensive role in my daily routine in the last two years.

 

[PureX]

I think the whole purpose of religion is to present the adherent with a set of tools (images, stories, rituals, rules, etc,) that they can use to help them embody the theological position they have chosen as their truth.

 

[Father Heathen]

I would define it as acting upon your beliefs and living in accordance to them, etc. Also performing prayers and rituals, etc. The purpose being to better oneself by the standards of that belief system, and/or appease the deity or deities of that belief system, etc.

 

[SalixIncendium]

What does your religious practice cultivate?

Knowledge.

I practice jnana yoga, one of the three classical paths to liberation, primarily through mediation, contemplation, discrimination, renunciation, and asceticism.

 

[Rival]

The practice is the religion, the beliefs are usually just add-ons for most people.

The rituals are meant to, over a long period, bring one into a near permanent meditative state which has long term emotional, psychological, and physical benefits.

It's meant to be a kind of theosis, to lead one to transcend; not necessarily in a world-hating way, but to be the best version of oneself.

 

[Father Heathen]

The practice is the religion, the beliefs are usually just add-ons for most people.

But don't practices, such as dietary restrictions, need a belief to be based on or structured around?

 

[Rival]

But don't practices, such as dietary restrictions, need a belief to be based on or structured around?

Evidently not, since many who attend church aren't Christians and many cultural but irreligious Jews keep kosher.

 

[Quintessence]

I view practice as beliefs, values, or traditions put into action or routine. Without action or routine, there is no practice.

In my own worldview, the closest thing to what I would consider a "spiritual" practice is my practice of meditation and mindfulness, both of which have been part of my life for several years but have had a more extensive role in my daily routine in the last two years.

Something that can be an obstacle to practice is that routine part. How do you cultivate routine? What does that look like? What has the routine cultivated so far? Something in Maia's list or something else?

 

[SalixIncendium]

But don't practices, such as dietary restrictions, need a belief to be based on or structured around?

My vegetarianism is based on moral values, not belief.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Evidently not, since many who attend church aren't Christians and many cultural but irreligious Jews keep kosher.

I still practice some Islamic purity rituals, for the most part, and retain belief in some principles from Islamic tradition, such as this one:

Narrated Abu Hurairah:

That the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Fulfill the trust for the one who entrusted you, and do not cheat the one who cheated you."

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1264 - The Book on Business - كتاب البيوع عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)

Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saws) in English and Arabic

sunnah.com

 

[Quintessence]

I think the whole purpose of religion is to present the adherent with a set of tools (images, stories, rituals, rules, etc,) that they can use to help them embody the theological position they have chosen as their truth.

That's a really interesting way of putting it. I'll have to think about that framing a bit more. I wonder if we are often that intentional about this purpose. Intention is often considered a central component of mindfulness and our sense of purpose. What happens when the intention isn't there when practicing?

 

[Quintessence]

I would define it as acting upon your beliefs and living in accordance to them, etc. Also performing prayers and rituals, etc. The purpose being to better oneself by the standards of that belief system, and/or appease the deity or deities of that belief system, etc.

Reading this, it occurs to me that betterment isn't really on Maia's list. It might be there between the lines, but it seems like if she felt the purpose of practice was, say, self-improvement or being "better" that it would be directly pitched that way. There's something judgmental about framing things that way that mindfulness practices seem to avoid. Less about "bettering" oneself than accepting oneself and that which is. I know I don't really think about my practices in terms of betterment or appeasement, at any rate.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Something that can be an obstacle to practice is that routine part. How do you cultivate routine? What does that look like? What has the routine cultivated so far? Something in Maia's list or something else?

To me, a routine is a practice that has become consistent in one's life, in this case being daily practice of meditation and mindfulness. I don't find it a hindrance to practice; it is merely an advanced and more consistent form thereof.

My routine has helped me to cultivate all of the items on Maia's list, although I would say joy is the one it has least cultivated, depending on how one defines "joy" (e.g., euphoria versus gratitude or any other comforting feeling). It has cultivated resilience, composure, patience, persistence, and introspection far more than it has joy, in my case.

 

[Quintessence]

Knowledge.

I practice jnana yoga, one of the three classical paths to liberation, primarily through mediation, contemplation, discrimination, renunciation, and asceticism.

There are many kinds of knowledge. I might be getting this wrong, but IIRC the school of thought in these traditions it is more of a deep knowing or experiential knowing of both the self and the greater reality around oneself, right? Or am I framing that totally wrong?

 

[Quintessence]

The practice is the religion, the beliefs are usually just add-ons for most people.

The rituals are meant to, over a long period, bring one into a near permanent meditative state which has long term emotional, psychological, and physical benefits.

It's meant to be a kind of theosis, to lead one to transcend; not necessarily in a world-hating way, but to be the best version of oneself.

Sometimes the term "enlightenment" is used. Would that feel appropriate here?

That focus on the practice being what religion is all about has some interesting implications for the Tree of Contemplative Practices. I was thinking about that a bit myself while learning about it but I might want to save that train of thought for a different thread. Suffice it to say that the "secularization" of these practices seems to be in the labeling only. And yet I wonder about what is lost by removing religious practices from a religious context and attempting to universalize or "secularize" them. Neither here nor there.

 

[SalixIncendium]

There are many kinds of knowledge. I might be getting this wrong, but IIRC the school of thought in these traditions it is more of a deep knowing or experiential knowing of both the self and the greater reality around oneself, right? Or am I framing that totally wrong?

This is a pretty accurate assessment.

 

[Rival]

Sometimes the term "enlightenment" is used. Would that feel appropriate here?

That focus on the practice being what religion is all about has some interesting implications for the Tree of Contemplative Practices. I was thinking about that a bit myself while learning about it but I might want to save that train of thought for a different thread. Suffice it to say that the "secularization" of these practices seems to be in the labeling only. And yet I wonder about what is lost by removing religious practices from a religious context and attempting to universalize or "secularize" them. Neither here nor there.

I would suggest that everyone is religious in some way.

Enlightenment could definitely work.

 

[Father Heathen]

Evidently not, since many who attend church aren't Christians and many cultural but irreligious Jews keep kosher.

So arbitrarily out of habit with no real point or purpose?

 

[Rival]

So arbitrarily out of habit with no real point or purpose?

What makes you believe there is no purpose?