I don’t think Zen is better without religion. I have trained in Zen as a religion and I am a Zen priest that usually teaches Zen as a religion. However, Zen's identification with a religion may prevent many people throughout today's industrial world from hearing what it has to offer them. This is unfortunate. I suspect most people, religious or not, hold at least a vague intention to learn and grow throughout their lives. Yet few people are aware that there exists a well-developed course of training and study that can support that intention and give focus, substance and intensity to their efforts at becoming the best human being they can possibly be. This course of study is Zen Practice, but if people can only access a Zen Practice enveloped in a religion, they may avoid the practice altogether.

By "religion" I refer to a coherent set of traditions, resources and institutions human beings create around a particular approach to spiritual questions. The official definition of religion, "relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity," I believe has become more associated with the word "spiritual" for most people. When someone describes themselves as "spiritual but not religious" they usually mean that they pay attention to aspects of life beyond their immediate and personal physical, emotional and mental concerns – like universal truths, morality, or the existence of God – but they do not identify with an established tradition, set of beliefs, or institution. If we use this popular understanding of religion, we might use the term "Zen practice" to refer to the Zen teachings and practices that address our relationship to ultimate reality, and the term "Zen Buddhism" to refer to the set of traditions, resources and institutions that people have created to support and convey those teachings and practices. Zen Buddhism includes writings, a special vocabulary, history, mythology, rituals, devotional practices, imagery, religious objects, clergy, institutions and – most of all – many groups of people, now and over the course of the last thousand years, consciously practicing Zen Buddhism together.

At a relatively shallow level Zen is palatable in a popular context; basic meditation, mindfulness, calm and an appreciation of simplicity have seeped out of the religion into western culture. However, anyone seeking to engage Zen practice at a deep level is likely to be surprised at the full-blown religion they find at their local Zen Center (although many Zen Centers try to dial the religiosity down to be more accessible). Many Zen practitioners feel some disinterest or aversion to Zen as a religion at first, but end up embracing it because Zen practice is so rich and rewarding. I hope that continues to happen, because I believe religion has a great deal to offer people and we should try to make positive changes to its well-deserved bad reputation.

However, there are many valid reasons people forgo being religious. Someone may have been hurt by involvement in a religion and subsequently become suspicious of all of them. Someone may regard spiritual concerns as a very private matter and prefer to investigate and address such things privately. While I love Zen Buddhism and can make a good argument for how almost every aspect of the religion is an invaluable support or venue for Zen practice, it pains me to think of someone who could benefit from Zen practice, but who cannot embrace it because of religion. Someone can identify as non-religious with the same level of conviction as the most devout Buddhist or Christian identifies with their faith, and this choice of the non-religious deserves respect.

I hope non-religious folks can find a way to practice Zen, because I believe that in its essence Zen is about training to master the art of living a human life. I want people to have access to that training even if they aren't interested in religion, or if they follow a different religion. I see this training as a wonderful opportunity to take full advantage of having a human life, but even more I see it as a fundamental human responsibility. Should we not work to master the art of our human life as we would work to master a skill, a trade, or another kind of art? Should we not diligently train ourselves throughout our lives toward greater wisdom, compassion and facility with using this tool of a human body-mind?

Unfortunately for the non-religious, most of us qualified to teach Zen Practice “grew up” in Zen Buddhism the religion. The religion has become inextricably woven into our Zen Practice. When we teach, it is only natural for us to teach the religion, too. It’s a tough world out there for the aspiring non-religious Zen practitioner because engagement with a teacher and Sangha (the community of people practicing together) is arguably essential to one’s Zen practice – religious or not. There aren’t many places to practice Zen without religion, but with other people. At this point I don’t have the time or energy to teach Zen without religion as well as Zen with religion, but it would nice if someone did. In the meantime, perhaps non-religious folks can find ways to practice with religious communities by creatively picking and choosing what they participate in. It might help them just to know at least one Zen teacher believes they can practice deeply without engaging too much of the religion.

Then again, as soon as a bunch of non-religious Zen folks get together to practice, they will start creating customs, teachings and resources. And before you know it…