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 SBN’s free online course to the 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
EXPLORING A SECULAR DHARMA
SBN's free online course
The Secular Buddhist Network offers a free online course exploring the key ideas and practices of secular Buddhism, an important trend that has emerged in western Buddhism in recent years.
We use as primary sources for this course the writings of Stephen Batchelor, Winton Higgins, and others who have been developing a secular approach to Buddhism.
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 DEVELOPER
The course was developed 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 the editor of the Secular Buddhist Network website and its monthly newsletter.
The course is designed to encourage discussion and the exchange of diverse views about a secular approach to the dharma.
We are not trying to present a secular Buddhist orthodoxy. Instead, we want the participants to help co-create the key ideas and practices of this new trend within Buddhism.
Five Modules
– The online course consists of five modules. Material on each module is provided on the course website.
Zoom Meetings
– A Zoom meeting is held to discuss the material in each of the five modules.
Group Discussions
– There are discussion questions provided for each module and participants are encouraged to post their responses.
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 participating in the course as part of a learning cohort, with opportunities for discussion and feedback from the course instructor, click here.
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