POSTS:

Creating Community Recommended

A secular Dharma discussion group – perspectives from South Wales
The South Wales (Cymru) Secular Dharma discussion group was started in January 2022 and has been meeting once a fortnight online since then. The participants have found the group to be a supportive environment for developing their secular dharma practice.
A Sangha Without a Name (SWAN): Vajrayana roots, democratic and socially engaged practices
Fede Andino writes about the formation, development, and current functioning  of a sangha in Argentina - the Sangha Without a Name (SWAN) – whose teachers and practitioners have deep connections to Tibetan Buddhism and have developed a democratic and participatory style of functioning.
The Secular Buddhist Network in Germany
There is a vibrant network of secular Buddhists in Germany. Learn about their network and the foundation that organizes symposia, discussions, retreats, open meditation evenings and publishes books and online content on Secular Buddhism.
My journey to secular Buddhism and the creation of the Exeter Meditation Circle
After many years of Soto Zen practice, John Danvers created a home for secular Buddhists by establishing the Exeter Meditation Circle in England in October 2016. The meetings of the group are simple and non-ritualistic, non-dogmatic and free of attachment to any particular teacher or tradition. Together, the group members are developing a secular Buddhist way of life that is of our time and place.
New horizons for emerging sanghas: community groups and lay women dharma teachers
In a talk given to the June 2019 Sakyadita Australia conference Anna Markey discusses how there is an emergence of many small community-based clusters of intimate dharma groups in Australia, either leaderless or led by lay teachers. And many of these teachers are women.
Ongoing meetings of secular Buddhist groups and sanghas
Workshops, retreats, meetings and other events of interest to secular Buddhists, and the curious
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.
Sharing our practice in a group
In meditation, we cultivate an inner space of openness and acceptance free of judgement. But this space should not remain private: sooner or later we have to extend it, and before we try to cover the entire world with an enlightened society, let’s start with smaller circles.