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On resolving the neo-early Buddhist contradiction
Bernat Font-Clos identifies an important contradiction in the 'neo-early Buddhist' perspective prominent among many contemporary meditation teachers in the Insight tradition and proposes a resolution of the contradiction which is consistent with a life-affirming rather than a renunciant approach to our experiences.
SBN’s online discussion group: an update
SBN's monthly, online discussion group had its first meeting in January 2021 and has become an important forum and source of connection for a group of secular Buddhists in various regions of the world. The group is making some changes for the 2022 meetings and a new reading group is being formed.
Secular Buddhism as a ‘paradigm shift’
Jonathan Golden uses Kuhn's notion of a 'paradigm shift' to discuss the issue of 'truths' and 'tasks' in secular Buddhism. He argues that Kuhn's perspective is consistent with Mike Slott's view of truths and tasks; while there are no absolute truths, our beliefs (provisional truth claims) are a necessary precondition for our practice, and practitioners should not be required to make a binary choice between truths and tasks.
Digital distraction and the dharma
Alex Carr discusses how our engagement with our digital distractions (Netflix, videogames, Instagram, etc.) actually hinders our practice. In the modern world, our digital distractions can provide us with temporary relief from the symptoms of dukkha, but they also numb us and blunt our ability to engage positively in the world to address the underlying causes of dukkha in a skilful way.
Understanding and alleviating suffering (dukkha)
We suffer not only because we have the tendency to be angry, greedy, and deluded, but because social, political, and economic structures foster these tendencies and amplify their impact. John Danvers discusses the characteristics of a society which would facilitate their opposites: compassion, non-harming, cooperation, and mindfulness.
Dharma in the shadow of Buddhism: a response to Mike Slott and Winton Higgins
Stephen Batchelor continues the dialogue on 'truths' and 'tasks' in secular Buddhism by framing the discussion from a broader, historical perspective. Stephen argues that the Buddha's radical move was to depart from the truth-based perspective of Brahmanic, Indian culture to teach a fully committed ethical life that is not underwritten by any ultimate truth.
Interview with Winton Higgins on his new book, ‘Revamp: writings on secular Buddhism’
Winton Higgins, a meditation teacher, member of the Tuwhiri Project editorial board, and contributor to the Secular Buddhist Network website, was interviewed by Tricycle magazine editor James Shaheen on 18 November 2021 about his new book, 'Revamp: writings on secular Buddhism'.
Stephen Batchelor’s dharma talks on a secular reinterpretation of the eightfold path
At Buddha-Stiftung's fifth study retreat, which was held in October 2021, Stephen Batchelor discussed a secular reinterpretation of the Eightfold Path that is appropriate and helpful for our contemporary world. As part of this reinterpretation, Stephen suggested a different order of the limbs of the Eightfold Path and offered a new interpretation of each limb.
Rejoinder to Winton Higgins on ‘Reexamining “truths” and “tasks” in secular Buddhism’
Responding to Winton Higgins' criticism of his view of the relationship of tasks and truths in secular Buddhism, Mike Slott argues that in rejecting metaphysical truths as the basis of Buddhism, we don’t need to reject entirely the notion of truth as correspondence. The beliefs of secular Buddhists are provisional and conditional truth claims about our lived experience and the universe in which we are inextricably embedded.
Response to Mike Slott’s ‘Reexamining “truths” and “tasks” in secular Buddhism’
In response to Mike Slott's article on truths and tasks in secular Buddhism Winton Higgins argues that Mike's critique of Stephen Batchelor's formulation is misconceived; the issue is not the epistemological status of truth but about how we should live and practise. Dharma practitioners do have to choose: they can’t wish-wash over the truths/tasks distinction.
Reexamining ‘truths’ and ‘tasks’ in secular Buddhism
While Stephen Batchelor's emphasis on the pragmatic and ethical meaning of the Buddha’s teachings has been crucial in the development of a secular approach to the dharma, Mike Slott argues that Stephen has not adequately addressed a legitimate concern about the role and meaning of truth in his approach. The secular dharmic path challenges us to assess constantly both our ‘tasks’ and the ‘truths’ on which they are based.
The question remains, is there a secular self-emptying?
Drawing on the writings of art historians, political activists, philosophers, Christian theologians, and the secular Buddhist Stephen Batchelor, David Patten explores how we might understand the movement away from the egoic self towards the experience of ‘not-self’, a process of secular self-emptying.
Interview with Dave Smith on teaching during COVID and a secular approach to the dharma
Dave Smith is an internationally recognized Buddhist meditation teacher, addiction treatment specialist, and published author. We recently interviewed Dave about the impact of COVID on his teaching programs and his evolving understanding of secularity and a secular dharma.
Meditation during COVID
Alex Carr, the facilitator of One Mindful Breath, a secular Buddhist group in Wellington, New Zealand, discusses how to start and sustain a meditation practice amidst the challenges and stresses we face during the COVID pandemic.
Reflections on the Reflective Meditation Daily Online Sangha
Anna Delacroix discusses an online daily sangha led by two meditation teachers, Linda Modaro (Sati Sangha) and Nelly Kaufer (Pine Street Sangha). During the COVID pandemic, the daily meditation group has provided sangha members with an opportunity to practice Reflective Meditation as a refuge, and a time for daily connection.
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