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International Humanist and Ethical Union

Humanism is a movement which believes in the search and creation of a rational ethical basis for our interactions as human beings. It is partly defined by it's opposite, religion and superstition, which humanism sees as not only unnecessary but often destructive.

For my part, whilst closely aligning with humanist principles, I'm careful of an overly human centred approach to the world. In a way I think that is what many religions already are, god was created in man's image after all.

Nevertheless (like using that word) we are the only consciousness we are aware of, and therefore our philosophy must have a human centredness in the sense of needing to focus on how we think and behave as a species. I'd encourage people who are religious tendencies to check out what humanists have to say, and understand that the alternative to the belief in God is not an amoral void.

Brahma Kumaris

Meditation is something which I'd always been attracted to. A long time ago I felt that if there was another dimension to life, it wasn't knowable from normal states of consciousness. That the only way to know if there was something more than the perceivable/scientific world was to undertake experiments with consciousness to gain direct experience.

So I've dabbled in many forms of meditation. The one I did the most was from the Brahma Kumaris Society. As far as religious people go, I think they are about as good as it gets. They offer most of their teachings for free, aren't too dogmatic, and if you just want to learn how to meditate they won't try and brainwash you, or that was my experience anyway.

I did two courses with them, and had the picture on the left on my wall for many years. Perhaps you can do what I did then, stare at the centre of the picture, relax all the muscles, especially the ones around the eyes and forehead, and think of a dark infinite space in which you are gently floating towards a cool, loving light. They have tapes and other things to lead you through meditation, which probably won't be anything like mine. I got more interesting experiences from other forms of meditation, but the daily meditation I did with Brahma Kumaris did seem to still my mind. I didn't get songs stuck in my head, thoughts which had previously brought back strong emotions I was able to look at in peace, I was able to still the thoughts in my own mind long enough to really listen to other people.

So my advice, take wisdom where you find it, but as always follow your own path, even if the path you are being lead on is as gentle as the one trodden by Brahma Kumaris.

Buddhism

Buddhism almost more than any other religion can be whatever you want it to be. Want someone to pray to, who'll intercede on your behalf in worldly affairs? Many people especially in the countries where Buddhism is most widely practised treat it like this. On the other hand, are you looking for a philosophy which offers you happiness without requiring you to accept a bunch of religious dogma? Again buddhism can be treated like this and often is in countries with the most minimal Buddhist tradition.

Personally I had always been drawn to other cultures, particularly those of Asia. Buddhism was something for a long time I knew I wanted to learn more about, and when finally I started getting into Tibetan Buddhism after reading some strange books by Lobsang Rampa. It wasn't long after this that I read the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche, and I think it was on the second reading of this, and reading What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula that I finally found the wisdom in Buddhism that I have tried to integrate into my life. Making the mind straight as the fletcher does the arrow, being one's own refuge, seeing things as they are rather than how we wish them to be and living at peace within the moment.

Despite having among other things read many books, been the Vice President of my university Buddhist Society, been to temples, spoken with monks, been to see the Dalai Lama, worn a ring with the Buddha on it for many years, I would never call myself a Buddhist and I wouldn't encourage others to become Buddhists. I do encourage you to look deeply at Buddhism, but it should be your servant rather than your master. If you are careful, within it is a view of the world that honours peacefulness and kindness, that is grounded in the scientific method, and encourages us to look within ourselves, to see our desires as subservient to the ethics of the mind from which they spring.

Richard Dawkins

Dawkins first became famous for his book, The Selfish Gene, which showed how life is just a way for genes to propagate themselves. He then had to quickly respond to various right wing attempts to paint this book as a justification for basing our political and economic systems on selfishness.He continues to write beautiful books about evolution and biology, but he has become famous to a whole new audience as one of the leading voices calling for ridding ourselves of superstition and religion. You can check out video.google.com for a number of talks, documentaries and debates he has been involved in.

I have to admit I have been exposed to him via his talks and documentaries rather than his books, but I figure I'm enough of a heavily athiest leaning agnostic (a teapot agnostic as Bertrand Russell called himself) without needing to become more radical. I guess as a clever woman once said to me, I continue to try to walk the fine line between the positive value of religious tolerance and resistance to influence these cobwebs of history have over what claims to be a modern world.

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