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An interview with Stephen Batchelor on secular dharma

In a recent interview Stephen Batchelor discussed the historical antecedents and development of secular Buddhism, the divergent 'core logics' of traditional and secular Buddhism, and the need to create a new Mindfulness Based Human Flourishing program.

What are the core elements of a secular approach to the dharma?

At a recent online meeting of leaders and facilitators of secular Buddhist groups, organizations, and sanghas, various perspectives were offered on the best way to define or describe a secular approach to the dharma.

A practitioner’s journey to secular Buddhism: Katya

Katya grew up in a culturally Jewish, Leftist family in New York City and became involved with a Buddhist sangha in 2001. When her sangha refused to engage politically around issues of racism after the murder of George Floyd, she connected with the Secular Buddhist Network and has become an active participant.

A review of ‘Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition’

In her review of Rima Vesely-Flad's 'Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition,' Rhonda Magee argues that the book provides a cogent analysis of the connections between Black Buddhist thought and practice and the centuries-old Black liberation and Black feminist movements.

John Dewey, flourishing and Buddhism

Seth Zuihō Segall argues that the Buddhist notions of non-self, interdependence, impermanence, and dukkha need to be situated in the broader framework offered by John Dewey's pragmatic theory.

Understanding dependent arising

Bodhi College cofounders Christina Feldman and Akincano Weber discussed key aspects of dependent arising, a core notion of Buddhism, in a virtual workshop offered 13 June. The workshop was co-sponsored by Bodhi College and Tricycle magazine.

A practitioner’s journey to secular Buddhism: Tim

Tim grew up in a Christian household, but found a disconnect between his church's teachings and how church members lived their lives. He was introduced to Buddhism over 20 years ago and learned about secular Buddhism in the course of his explorations. Colette Descent edited the interview for SBN.

On pain and pleasure

Rick Heller's interest in mindfulness and a secular form of Buddhism began when he discovered that much of our pain comes from what we do to ourselves.

The dharma of nostalgia

In a dharma talk given to the Kookaburra Sangha in Sydney, Australia, Winton Higgins explores how nostalgia is often a reactive craving for mythologised memories and public histories.

The path of the bodhisattva or ‘making the road’ through solidarity?

Mike Slott offers an alternative model to the path of the Bodhisattva, one based on the solidarity of practitioners 'co-creating' the transformative changes that we seek.

Our diverse paths to secular Buddhism

Each month, we highlight the path that brought an individual to explore and then fully engage in a secular approach to the dharma.

A practitioner’s journey to secular Buddhism: Jeff

Jeff was deeply involved in orthodox Judaism for 15 years, but eventually moved away from this spiritual tradition to explore secular Buddhism: a non-dogmatic, ethical approach to life.

‘Our approach’ to meditation practice

A practitioner of reflective meditation, Brad Parks discusses some of the key elements of how we approach the process of meditation, how we make choices as we 'go inside and navigate the inner world'.

A practitioner’s journey to secular Buddhism: Colette

Colette Descent is an active participant in several SBN groups. She is a member of the monthly online discussion group, the weekly meditation group, and is participating in the Spring 2022 SBN course on secular Buddhism, Exploring a Secular Dharma. We asked Colette about her path to becoming a secular Buddhist and how it has impacted her life.

Anger, conflict and compassion

Given the anger that many people feel in relation to the tragic events in Ukraine and to violent conflicts in other parts of the world, John Danvers reflects on this powerful emotion and how we might deal with it in a skillful way so that anger is transformed into compassionate action.