Books for those of no fixed religion but want 'life guidance'

I've been a Pagan for many years now, I started with Wicca, but my spirituality has grown a bit now, or Wicca has narrowed, I'm not sure which, although it does seem to be becoming more codified something I don't feel it was ever intended to be. To quote Sir Terry Pratchet, '.. witches [Wiccans] believe in their gods like they believe in the postman', this is very much how I feel, it's beyond belief or faith, it just is. 

I notice all the faiths you mentions are basically Christian, have you ever moved outside of Christianity or montheism? For me a multiplicity of Gods and Goddesses is obvious and I can't get my head around montheism anymore, it's taken me a while to reach this point having been brought up with the idea if not the practice of montheism. I dont' find myself with a lack of morals although I sometimes find myself with moral conumdrums and sometimes my moral compas is like that of Cpt Jack Sparrow, in that it points to what I want rather than whats a particularly "good" thing. But then one of the things about following a path such as Wicca is that it makes you conciously think about morality and what good and bad/evil actually mean.

Have your ever read The Tao of Pooh? Or Buddhism for Sheep? The Tao of Pooh, looks at Taoism via the medium of Winnie the Pooh, its a whimsically wise book. Buddhism for Sheep is a short book using the life of sheep as a metaphor for Zen Buddhism. Both of these books should be easy reading and a good way to start exploring spirituality.

I think an atheist religion is a contradiction, I get where de Boton is coming from, and it's been a conundrum for humanists and atheists for many many years, how do you have morality without a deity to enforce it? Personally I find it quite easy, our deities don't enforce in the way a monotheistic deity does, or at least what priests tell us pleases their god to punish or allow.

A lot of Christianity is based around Plato and Neo-Platonism, so you may find those interesting.

Yes, I've got the Tao of Pooh, also the Te of PIglet, much on the same lines. I've looked at many styles of faith. My tactic is to volunteer to make tea - that way you meet/chat with a lot of  worshippers! Vedanta is a Hindu sect. I lived in Bourne End near the Vedanta centre for years and attended their services for 2 years. They were very welcoming. I follow Stoicism at present, modern philosopher Ryan Holiday. I don't believe in a God as a corporeal being, but agree with de Botton that formal religions have many useful aspects applicable to daily living. He is using the term 'atheist' in a broad sense. I think our God-like (super ego) parts attract us toward spiritual pursuits and away from the 'id' proliferating in ourselves and across the world. I've always considered the Bible with reverance but because of the clever way moral behaviour is put across as something to strive toward. My brother is Zen Buddhist and has been this way since a young child - he is far more spiritual than me but at the same time remains antagonistic toward others, after years of being bullied at school. That sort of faith paradox is common, but I think few people would admit this.

TheCatWoman said:

Plato and Neo-Platonism, so you may find those interesting.

I'm not an academic - that's why I prefer 'pre-digested' philosophical works like Holiday, de Botton and Alexander McCall Smith. Modern life requires faith in 'something higher or better', to trigger the morality once encouraged [even enforced] by traditional religions. But sadly many are incapable of 'thinking outside the box' - or even fear it, so avoid subjects that are abstract. I would encourage you to read Religion for Atheists as de Botton has great ideas, including changing the teaching curriculum in schools and universities.

It’s interesting what you say about your brother Marianne. It can take a long time to heal past wounds. Plum Village has a lot of useful material on healing and letting go - I wonder if it might be helpful to your brother. Plum Village is a bit more ‘warm’ than some schools of Zen Buddhism. I had a very dysfunctional upbringing and it’s helped me to forgive my parents to an extent that I hadn’t thought possible. Before I’d found it very hard to forgive them - now I feel very free to be able to let that past resentment go. It does take a long time though. However your brother being ‘antagonistic towards others’ is a sign that he probably has a long way to go with his Zen practice! 

Kate Kestrel said:

your brother being ‘antagonistic towards others’ is a sign that he probably has a long way to go with his Zen practice! 

His fear of people is hard-wired following serious physical bullying at school which went on for years. My parents were incapable of understanding, father trying to teach him boxing instead of helping in appropriate ways like showing love. Schools were unaware / incapable of dealing with physical bullies in those days. I haven't seen him in decades but he wants the life of a hermit, which I respect. He's into martial arts [probably black belt by now, karate and aikido]. Distancing from people is a result of thuggish males attacking him because of his autistic stims, in the street and social housing, so it makes sense to me. He follows  Dojo rules, never fighting back but defending himself. I think he is deep in Zen practice and might end up in Dharamshala, which is his spiritual home.

Kate Kestrel said:

your brother being ‘antagonistic towards others’ is a sign that he probably has a long way to go with his Zen practice! 

His fear of people is hard-wired following serious physical bullying at school which went on for years. My parents were incapable of understanding, father trying to teach him boxing instead of helping in appropriate ways like showing love. Schools were unaware / incapable of dealing with physical bullies in those days. I haven't seen him in decades but he wants the life of a hermit, which I respect. He's into martial arts [probably black belt by now, karate and aikido]. Distancing from people is a result of thuggish males attacking him because of his autistic stims, in the street and social housing, so it makes sense to me. He follows  Dojo rules, never fighting back but defending himself. I think he is deep in Zen practice and might end up in Dharamshala, which is his spiritual home.