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Reimagining Community newsletter #7 April 2020

Welcome to our April 2020 newsletter. This month’s glossary item is the FOUR IMMEASURABLES and we introduce new articles on secular Buddhists' responses to the coronavirus, how an Irish, working class radical became one of the first western Buddhist monks, and a book review of Evan Thompson's Why I am not a Buddhist. Our feature article is an excerpt from a blog post by Bernat Font on secular Buddhism.

Metta in the time of the coronavirus: responses of secular Buddhists to the pandemic

Several contributors to the Secular Buddhist Network website offer their insights on how we can best respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The common theme is that by fully understanding core Buddhist insights regarding impermanence, suffering, and interconnection, as well as cultivating an ethical stance of care and compassion, we can skillfully respond to this current crisis.

A review of Evan Thompson’s ‘Why I am not a Buddhist’

In his recently published book, the philosopher Evan Thompson critiques Buddhist modernism and the notion that Buddhism is superior to other spiritual traditions because it provides us with a scientific understanding of the mind and our world. Is Thompson's criticism of Buddhist modernism valid? Do his criticisms apply to secular Buddhism?

Exploring secular Buddhism through courses and retreats

For those who want an introduction to secular Buddhism, or who wish to explore key ideas in secular Buddhism more thoroughly, there are a number of excellent courses and retreats to choose from.

Secular Buddhism

Secular dharma lowers the moon of nirvana down to our reach. It is no longer treated as a metaphysical reality distinct from everything we could conceive, or as a goal farther than far: it is about living each moment of our life from that place of non-greed, non-aversion and non-confusion.

Interview with Winton Higgins on The Mindful Cranks podcast

In an interview for The Mindful Cranks podcast, Winton Higgins discusses different approaches to secular Buddhism, the tendency of Western Buddhists to focus on mindfulness meditation as a form of self-help and self-improvement, and the need for practitioners to become caring dharmic citizens, politically engaged in the struggles to create a just and sustainable society.

Reimagining Community newsletter #5 Feb. 2020

Welcome to our February 2020 newsletter. This month’s glossary item is the EVERYDAY SUBLIME and we introduce new articles by Stefano Bettera and Bill Gayner. Our feature article is an excerpt from a talk given by Winton Higgins in 2019 on satipaṭṭhāna or insight meditation.

A brief history of secular Buddhism

The emergence of secular Buddhism in the west is part of the secularization that has been developing since before the Renaissance. Secular Buddhism represents the attempt to continue the process of rooting the dharma in modern western culture where the earlier non-monastic insight movement left off.

Reimagining Community newsletter #4 Jan 2020

This month’s glossary item is Dukkha and we have an interview with meditation teacher Dave Smith and an unconventional glossary of attitudes relevant to the Buddhist path developed by Nelly Kaufer. We also introduce a new feature of the website, an interactive map that connects secular Buddhists worldwide. Our feature article is by Stefano Bettera, called Defining secular Buddhism: beware of certain traps.

Emotion-Focused Mindfulness Therapy and Stephen Batchelor’s four tasks

Emotion-Focused Mindfulness Therapy (EFMT) is a new psychological approach to addressing internal conflicts like harsh self-criticism. The approach emerged out of a dialogue between Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) and the secular and contemporary Buddhist perspectives of Stephen Batchelor, Winton Higgins and Jason Siff.

Reimagining Community newsletter #3 Dec 2019

This month’s glossary item is Conditionality and we introduce two posts which offer new perspectives on meditation retreats and sanghas. We also ask for your feedback about this newsletter and the website. Our feature article is by Stephen Batchelor, called On freedom and nirvana.

Reflective meditation retreats as a space for independent and critical thinking

In leading meditation retreats based on a reflective meditation approach Linda Modaro and Moline Whitson aim to create a middle path between a strict adherence to an intensive schedule and completely doing away with the structures and guidelines that have been considered worthwhile on vipassana retreats.

Exploring the meaning of community

The community of practitioners – the sangha – is a crucial aspect of the dharmic path for secular Buddhists. But what do we mean by community? How is a community different than other forms of collective organizations? How do we create a true community of practitioners that help each other develop their practice and contribute to a ‘culture of awakening’?

Reimagining Community newsletter #2 Nov 2019

In the second issue of the newsletter we introduce a new post on goals in meditation, introduce you (probably) to the online group Re~Collective, and Bernat Font from the secular Buddhist group in Barcelona writes on Sharing our practice in a group.

Winton Higgins on Ron Purser’s “McMindfulness”

Commercialised mindfulness meditation is to Buddhist meditation what McDonald’s offerings are to real cooking, the title of Ron Purser’s book infers. But there’s more to that title – it has antecedents, according to Sydney secular Buddhist teacher, Winton Higgins.