August 2019 - Secular Buddhist Network

POSTS:

August 2019

The goal of secular Buddhist meditation practice

According to Winton Higgins, 'We meditate to experience this world and this life as vividly as possible. Intensely. The way we experience it reflects back at us – it tells us who we are and where we’re at in this moment.'

Three paths for secular Buddhists – crucial conversations and movements

Mike Slott identifies three trends or paths within secular Buddhism: 1) a dharmic-focused effort to reconstruct Buddhism, 2) bringing a secular form of Buddhism into the mindfulness movement, and 3) integrating secular Buddhist perspectives and insights into projects for radical, political transformation.

Reflections on the Second Noble Truth: it’s more than craving

Mike Slott argues that Buddhists need to broaden their understanding of the causes to suffering (the Second Noble Truth) to include not only the inevitable sources of dukkha (sickness, death, etc.) and our own unskillful ways of being in the world due to craving, but also social and economic structures which harm human beings.

Three marks of existence, or three factors of human experience?

Mike Slott contends that, from secular Buddhist perspective, it is more appropriate to view impermancence, not-self, and dukkha as aspects of our experience rather than ontological characteristics of reality.

Meditating without nirvana: a transformative experience

From a secular Buddhist perspective, Mike Slott contends that meditation should not be about reaching or accessing nirvana, but developing the capacity to become wiser, more compassionate, and mindful.

Meditating with and for each other

Mike Slott argues in this article that traditional meditation retreats in insight and Zen centers are too individually-focused, that there needs to be more opportunities to develop a sense of community and comraderie among retreat participants. He offers "practical suggestions on how solidarity and support between retreatants, as well as a greater focus on our engagement in the world, can become part of meditation retreats."

Bhikkhu Bodhi on traditional versus secular Buddhism

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi explores the differences between traditional and secular forms of Buddhism, and expresses concern that both approaches have viewed political activism as marginal to the dharmic path.