Secular Buddhism Archives - Secular Buddhist Network

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Secular Buddhism

To be a mensch

In the third of three articles on the topic of Uncertainty, Care and Responsibility, Carmel Shalev discusses how the basic values of care and compassion are strongly connected to a feminine voice and ethics.

A practitioner’s journey to secular Buddhism: Katie

Katie first became interested in meditation and Buddhism through her yoga practice. She found that secular Buddhism's focus on how we can live a good and full life while we are here deeply resonated with her.

What is human flourishing?

Mike Slott offers an account of human flourishing which incorporates Buddhist insights, Marx’s view of human nature, and Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approach. To flourish, we need to cultivate mindfulness and compassion while creating a society which provides the resources and support for human flourishing for all.

A dialogue on secular dharma

At an online program on Perspectives on Secular Dharma, Stephen Batchelor, Seth Zuihō Segall, Karsten Struhl, and Mike Slott engaged in a wide-ranging dialogue on key topics related to a secular approach to the dharma.

Wisdom, contemplation and action

In the second of three articles on the topic of Uncertainty, Care and Responsibility, Carmel Shalev discusses how the notion of not-self, mindfulness meditation, and the cultivation of the brahma-viharas are the crucial foundations of moral agency in this complex world.

A practitioner’s journey to secular Buddhism: Ira

As a journalist, Ira met some of Buddhism's most important teachers and became interested in the dharma. As an agnostic, he finds a secular approach particularly valuable because there is less emphasis on beliefs and more on what contributes to wellbeing in this life.

The Buddha was a psychologist (maybe)

Arnie Kozak critiques the hagiographic myth of the God-like Buddha and presents Gotama's dharma as a therapeutic praxis, based on important insights about human psychology.

Secular dharma and ethics

Carmel Shalev discusses how the ethical approach of secular dharma is not based on obeying laws but acting mindfully in each situation to minimize harm and promote the wellbeing of ourselves, others, and all forms of life on the planet.

A practitioner’s journey to secular Buddhism: Kate

Kate's interest in Buddhism began when she was a college student and developed further while she was a Peace Corps volunteer and program manager. Over time, she became increasingly skeptical of the adherence to hierarchy and rituals in many Buddhist traditions and moved toward a secular approach to the dharma, one which does not lean on enlightenment as a goal, but fosters a practice that is ethical, practical, compassionate and forward looking.

‘Think different’ to prevent extinction: the value of Gregory Bateson’s Cybernetic Epistemology and Posthumanism for a secular dharma

Hugh Palmer argues that Gregory Bateson's cybernetic epistemology provides an important resource for developing a secular dharma which recognizes our interconnection with nature.

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.

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.

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.