COURSES & RETREATS
Exploring secular Buddhism through courses and retreats
For those who want an introduction to secular Buddhism, or who wish to explore key ideas in secular Buddhism more thoroughly, there are a number of excellent courses and retreats to choose from. They range from self-paced, online courses to the two-year course on secular dharma offered by Bodhi College.
On this page you will find the variety of courses and retreats available on secular Buddhism.
RECOMMENDED COURSES
AFTER BUDDHISM
Exploring a secular dharma with Mike Slott
The Tuwhiri Project and SBN’s Mike Slott have created an online course exploring the key ideas and practices of secular Buddhism, an important trend that has emerged in western Buddhism in recent years.
This online course is based mainly on Stephen Batchelor’s recent book, After Buddhism: rethinking the dharma for a secular age and the companion book published by The Tuwhiri Project, After Buddhism: a workbook by Winton Higgins.
Stephen and Martine Batchelor, Winton Higgins, Mike Slott, Jim Champion and Linda Modaro explain the thinking and philosophy behind this course in this short video.
They talk about its origins in the groundbreaking book After Buddhism and the process of revisting and rethinking the teachings of the Buddha for a modern age.
OBJECTIVES
The courses key objectives are to:
- Identify and explain the key concepts of secular Buddhism
- Compare secular Buddhism with traditional, institutional forms of Buddhism
- Sketch a vision of secular Buddhist practice for individuals and communities
MIKE SLOTT
COURSE LEADER
The course is presented by Mike Slott. A part-time lecturer in labor history at Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA, Mike is a long-time political and labor movement activist who began a meditation practice in 2010.
He is a member of and practice leader at New York Insight.
The course is available through this website for individual self-study and for people to go through in a group.
We encourage communities to enrol groups of their members in the course together, allowing them the opportunity to exchange views and experiences. Contact us to discuss.
The course will be accessible in three ways:
AVAILABLE NOW: Self-paced
– for individuals to go through it on their own.
COMING SOON: Community
– for people to go through with a group of friends.
COMING SOON: Group
– for individuals to go through at the same time with a cohort of others.
After Buddhism: exploring a secular dharma is offered without a fixed fee; when you have completed it, you will be invited to make a donation which will ensure that others can go through the course also.
If you are interested in taking this course as an individual (Self-paced) click on the link below:
If you are interested in participating in the course as part of a learning cohort, with opportunities for discussion and feedback, please get in touch with us through the form on our Contact page.
OTHER COURSES
Rethinking the Dharma / Reimagining Community #70 July 2025
Welcome to our July 2025 newsletter. This month we feature articles by Linda Blanchard, Winton Higgins, Ira Rifkin, and Petero Wamala, as well as Ted Meissner's 2019 interview with Oren Jay Sofer about his book, Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
By SBN Editor
Grieving the eclipse of western ethics
In a recent dharma talk Winton Higgins discusses the contradiction between western ethical ideals which embrace our common humanity and the violence, inequality, and cruelty so prevalent in western societies.
By Winton Higgins
The Woman Who Hated Temples but Loved the Silence
Petero Wamala offers a story about love, mindful presence, and kindness.
By Petero Wamala
Buddhist Intolerance: Bhutan’s Persecution of its Hindu Minority Exacerbated by Trump
An article from Religion News Service highlights the Bhutanese Buddhist majority’s mistreatment of its Hindu minority and how the Trump administration’s harsh policies toward refugees and immigrants have complicated the matter for Bhutanese Hindus.
By Ira Rifkin
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.
By Linda Blanchard
EXPLORE COURSES & RETREATS
Buddhist Intolerance: Bhutan’s Persecution of its Hindu Minority Exacerbated by Trump
By Ira Rifkin
Buddhist Coalition for Democracy Joins Amicus Brief in Support of Mahmoud Khalil
By Mike Slott