Secular Buddhism Archives - Secular Buddhist Network

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Secular Buddhism

Secular Buddhism at the beginning: a study course in 2007

In October and November 2007, Ramsey Margolis and Jonathan Wood facilitated a study course in Wellington, New Zealand called ‘Creating a path: towards a secular Buddhism', based on dharma talks given by Stephen Batchelor. It was one of the first educational programs to explore the new trend of secular Buddhism.

Resolving the secular versus religious dichotomy: a new approach for secular Buddhism

Stefano Bettera offers an interpretation of a secular approach to the dharma which he believes is a third way, inclusive and conciliatory, which avoids the dichotomy between the 'religious' and the 'secular'. This approach is based in the primary experience of the ethical dimension of awakening, called nirvana.

The core life tasks and beliefs for a radically engaged Buddhist

Mike Slott, Katya de Kadt, and Karsten Struhl offer an account of the core tasks and beliefs for radically engaged Buddhists who seek not just individual transformation but the dismantling of social, economic, and political systems which cause harm and suffering to all beings.

A response to ‘The core life tasks and beliefs for a radically engaged Buddhist’

In response to the article by Slott, de Kadt, and Struhl on 'The core life tasks and beliefs for a radically engaged Buddhist,' Winton Higgins expresses his agreement with the authors' perspective, but points to a missing piece in the article: the lack of any discussion over a pathway or transition from our present morass to a socially just, future society.

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.

Reexamining ‘truths’ and ‘tasks’ in secular Buddhism: a dialogue

Mike Slott, Winton Higgins, Stephen Batchelor, and Jonathan Golden discuss the relationship of truths and tasks in a secular approach to the dharma.

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.

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.

Debates and Dialogues on Secular Buddhism

SBN has hosted several important debates about the meaning and role of secular Buddhism in our contemporary society.

My path to becoming a secular Buddhist monastic

Venerable Tenzin Tharpa discusses his path from Tibetan Buddhist monasticism to becoming a secular Buddhist monastic. He formed the Secular Buddhist Tradition (SBT), an international community dedicated to sharing a practical and accessible presentation of the buddhadharma focused on the positive life-affirming message of the Buddha.

The New Buddhist Fellowship in Meiji Japan: an early experiment in socially active secular Buddhism

James Mark Shields discusses the New Buddhist Fellowship (NBF), a group of roughly a dozen young scholars and activists in Japan who developed a more modern and secular version of Buddhism. In several important respects, the New Buddhists of early twentieth-century Japan lay the foundations for later movements such as socially engaged and secular Buddhism.