It was William James who said that if we were to “characterize the life of religion in the broadest and most general terms possible, one might say that it consists of the belief that there is an unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto. This belief and this adjustment are the religious attitude in the soul” (The Varieties of Religious Experience). As far as a concise definition of religion goes, this ranks pretty high.
The reader of this blog may have figured out that James’ words are alluding to the Buddha’s teaching of the unconditioned (asaṃskṛta) which is certainly an “unseen order” that lies beyond the bounds of our conditioned world and everyday life. The unconditioned, by the way, is also nirvana that mysterious term Western secular Buddhists are uneasy with.
Maybe I am too critical, but I believe that the West would like to toss anything religious into the dustbin of history. This would include James’ “unseen order” which is beyond the nets of our sensory consciousness. It would also include any religious attitude that believes a person can yoke with this unseen order—in the example of Buddhism, the unconditioned. In fact the Buddha said, that the noble eightfold path is called the path leading to the unconditioned (S. iv. 361).
Of interest also in James’ definition of religion, is where it talks about the religious attitude of the soul (ātman) which we could say, has its compass turned towards the unseen order always trying to at least harmonize with it making incremental adjustments which in some cases might amount to a major course correction if necessary.
Again, maybe I am being too critical, but we should not toss the idea of the soul into the dust bin along with the unseen order (i.e., religion). It could be a dangerous if not a fatal mistake to do so. Instead of a gentle course correction we could, instead, have to make a terrifying readjustment to get back on course, harmonizing with this beneficent unseen order. Perhaps the alarming rise in depression is to be found in our lack of understanding of just what the soul is and its purpose. There is certainly evidence in Buddhism that the soul or ātman has its work cut out for it. We read in the Dhammapada, that “by the self is one purified [for] the very self (paccattam/pratyātman) is pure and impure” (165).
This unseen order seems like it is absolute justice. In our ignorance we have our unconscious desires always granted. It never fails. Our soul is like a magician. And by its power, if it is impure, we can doom ourself to countless misfortunes. We do not yet see yet that there is a higher path leading to the unconditioned, where goodness and luminous bliss are found; where suffering is surpassed. In this regard, we lack the means to harmonize ourself with this unseen order.
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