POSTS:
Secular Buddhism
The Case for a Socially Engaged Secular Dharma Practice
Caspar Harris argues that secular dharma practitioners should focus not just on personal development but engage with wider social issues and embrace what Thich Nhat Hanh calls interdependence.
The origin 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.
An introduction to secular Buddhism
For those who are curious about or interested in secular Buddhism and want to learn about this relatively new trend within Buddhism, this article will provide a helpful starting point for exploring a secular approach to the dharma.
Stephen Batchelor and Gil Fronsdal Discuss “Buddha, Socrates, and Us”
Stephen Batchelor and Gil Fronsdal met on July 29 for a 90-minute online conversation to explore the themes of Stephen’s upcoming book, Buddha, Socrates, and Us: Ethical Living in Uncertain Times.
Reconstructing the Dharma: An Axiomatic Approach to Buddha’s Teachings
Kenneth Leong argues that two core Buddhist concepts - non-self and this-that conditionality - provide the axiomatic foundation for all Buddhist concepts and doctrines.
Cultivating Ethical Mindfulness — Reflections from Our Hong Kong Workshop
Ayda Duroux discusses a workshop on Mindfulness Based Ethical Living (MBEL) that she and Stephen Batchelor offered at the International Conference of Mindfulness - Asia Pacific (ICMAP) 2025.
A Secular Buddhism Based on the Lotus Sūtra
John Tate offers an alternative foundation for secular Buddhism through a new interpretation of the Lotus Sutra.
Exploring Awareness During Daily Life
Marc Symons discusses how the practice of receptive awareness enables us to be more mindful and less reactive off the cushion and in our daily lives.
A Critique of Secular Buddhism
Jesus Perez argues that secular Buddhism is characterized by a sense of cultural superiority over non-western cultures and reflects a worldview shaped by commercialism and individualism.
The Buddha Comments on Politics
Linda Blanchard argues that the Buddha's key concept of dependent arising reveals how our tendency toward self-making is impacted by socially constructed beliefs which underpin political views.
Meet SBN’s New Board of Directors
The merger of the Secular Buddhist Association and the Secular Buddhist Network has been finalized. A new slate of officers and members of the SBN Board of Directors has been elected.
Why do some people follow dharma teachers who demand obedience?
Ramsey Margolis asks why some of the people who follow teachers in ancestral Buddhist communities, and their ‘traditional’ teachings, loathe secular Buddhism and secular Buddhists, at times with a palpable feeling of distaste that clearly is not rational.
A Fresh Take on Secular Dharma
Linda Modaro and Nelly Kaufer discuss how Reflective Meditation is a secular practice; it's about learning from life rather than about transcending it.
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar: A Secular Buddhist Vision for Liberation
Kirk Mason discusses how B.R. Ambedkar's approach to Buddhism parallels Stephen Batchelor's emphasis on the pragmatic and ethical dimensions of Gotama's teachings.
An invitation to a weekly dose of secular dharma
Lenorë Lambert is offering weekly emails in which she explores the Buddha's insights for human flourishing in our time.
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