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Bernat Font interviews David Loy on deconstructing Buddhism
A conversation between David Loy and Bernat Font – David Loy was born into a US Navy family and as a child travelled far and wide with his family. He ‘dropped out’ and in Hawaii started to practice zen Buddhism. His first teacher was Robert Aitken and later, he practiced with Yamada Roshi. From philosophy to zen is not such a big jump, reading D.T. Suzuki or Alan Watts, but the difficult thing he found was to practice, to sit.
On Conventional and Ultimate Truth
By Doug Smith | March 12, 2015 Originally appeared on the SBA website at https://secularbuddhism.org/on-conventional-and-ultimate-truth/. One of the most famous Buddhist tropes is the distinction between “conventional truth” and “ultimate truth”. While these terms never appear in the Nikāyas, and so cannot be traced back to the Buddha himself, they do trace to the abhidhamma period, perhaps as a […]
Impermanence and Emptiness: a Reversal in Perspective?
By Doug Smith | January 12, 2015 Originally appeared on the SBA website at https://secularbuddhism.org/impermanence-and-emptiness-a-reversal-in-perspective/. The Buddhist notion of emptiness (suññatā/śunyatā) is famously difficult to get one’s head around. In a presentation this past Saturday Sharon Salzberg described it as a combination of impermanence (anicca) and interconnectedness. This is a good first go at understanding emptiness, although the simple concept […]
Why recollect after a meditation sitting: five essential reasons
Here are five reasons why recollecting your meditation sittings is essential for developing an open, unstructured meditation practice.
A review of Sam Harris’ ‘Waking Up – the illusory nature of the self’
Mark Knickelbine reviews Sam Harris' book, "Waking Up." He has a positive view of the book, but believes that Harris has painted too limited a view of the kind of contemplative practice which can help us awaken in the modern world.
Stephen Batchelor on ‘Buddhism in a nutshell’
Stephen Batchelor offers a summary of secular Buddhism: "I’m supposed to take a risk and say in 25 words or less what Buddhism is. That of course is a very arrogant presumption on one level. But what I have concluded tentatively in recent years is to identify four points that the Buddha taught that cannot be derived from the socio-historical context of his time, in other words that are distinctively and non-controversially his own ideas."
Jason Siff on meditating with chaotic inner conflict
Sitting down to meditate and having a slew of thoughts rush into your head, and then doing nothing about it, when you know you can settle your mind a bit first, may seem crazy and unreasonable. What is the advantage of letting thoughts and emotions build and consume you at the beginning of a meditation sitting? Why not first calm your mind down with a practice of following the breath, using a mantra, reciting some phrases, or any means by which you can get settled?
My 6 days at a vipassana retreat. The longest 6 days of my life.
Carol Smith's account of her stay at a Goenka vipassana retreat: "Yep folks, I lasted 6 days out of the 10 day retreat. The longest 6 days of my life. I had looked forward to this retreat with a mixture of excitement and trepidation since I booked it, 3 months ago. I knew it would be hard work, but that was ok if I were to get some of the results I’d read people get, from a 10 day Vipassana retreat."
Secular Buddhism: new vision or yet another of the myths it claims to cure?
Akincano Weber raises several concerns about secular Buddhism. In his view, advocates of secular Buddhism tend to promote, a 'flatland Buddhism' which overlooks the difference between a numinous personal experience in which one may feel connected to something beyond their self-construct and which may be truly transforming—and a metaphysical statement or supernatural belief.
An outline of secular Buddhism – a living tradition
In a 2013 talk Winton Higgins offers an outline of secular Buddhism as a recent extension of Buddhist modernism. He explains why "we need to know a lot about the Buddha’s saeculum, and about our own, to trace our living practice and tradition back to him, and make it relevant to us today".
The dharmic foundations of the reflective meditation approach
Winton Higgins argues that taking a reflective approach to meditation is consistent with a secular Buddhist approach. He contends that ‘insight meditation practised in reflective mode is a quintessential dharma practice’.
From Both Sides: Secular Buddhism and the “McMindfulness” Question
By Mark Knickelbine | August 12, 2013 Originally appeared on the SBA website at https://secularbuddhism.org/from-both-sides-secular-buddhism-and-the-mcmindfulness-question/. The debate over the relationship between Buddhism and the mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) has heated up recently to a red hot glow. On July 1, Ron Purser and David Loy published an attack on the mindfulness movement in the Huffington Post under the title, […]
Secular Buddhism: scientistic versus interpretive
In his 2013 talk to the secular Buddhist colloquium at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Massachusetts, USA, Winton Higgins argues that secular Buddhism should avoid the pitfalls of anti-religious, scientistic approach.
Report on the 2013 Barre, USA, secular Buddhism colloquium
In this 2013 talk Winton Higgins discusses a colloquium held in Massachusetts, USA in 2013 regarding secular Buddhism. The colloquium revealed the diversity among those interested in and/or working to develop a secular dharma relevant to our age.
Secular Buddhism, Thin and Thick
By Doug Smith | April 9, 2013 Originally appeared on the SBA website at https://secularbuddhism.org/secular-buddhism-thin-and-thick/. There is an important split in the way many of us approach Secular Buddhism. Some of us want a "big tent" form of Secular Buddhism that welcomes believers from any and all faith backgrounds who are looking for a way to incorporate meditative […]
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