Welcome to our June 2022 newsletter.
This month we highlight a dharma talk by Winton Higgins, articles by Brad Park and Mike Slott, and an interview with a practitioner on his journey to secular Buddhism.
The dharma of nostalgia
In a dharma talk given to the Kookaburra Sangha in Sydney, Australia, Winton Higgins explores how nostalgia is often a reactive craving for mythologised memories and public histories.
The path of the bodhisattva or ‘making the road’ through solidarity?
Mike Slott offers an alternative model to the path of the Bodhisattva, one based on the solidarity of practitioners ‘co-creating’ the transformative changes that we seek.
A practitioner’s journey to secular Buddhism: Jeff
Jeff was deeply involved in orthodox Judaism for 15 years, but eventually moved away from this spiritual tradition to explore secular Buddhism: a non-dogmatic, ethical approach to life.
‘Our approach’ to meditation practice
A practitioner of reflective meditation, Brad Parks discusses some of the key elements of how we approach the process of meditation, how we make choices as we 'go inside and navigate the inner world'.
Connect with the Secular Buddhist Network
Online discussion group - meets the third Thursday of each month on Zoom. It’s a great opportunity for secular Buddhists and those who are interested in learning more about a secular approach to the dharma to connect with each other and to discuss key issues.
Online meditation group - meets every Sunday. Each meeting of the group lasts about 40 minutes. We start with a welcome and introduction (2-5 minutes), followed by a 30-minute silent meditation, and close with a brief period of sharing about our meditation experiences.
Online reading group - meets the first Thursday of each month. The readings are chosen by the participants and focus on issues related to a secular Buddhism, including basic concepts of a secular approach, meditation, mindfulness, and the relationship between secular Buddhism and traditional Buddhist lineages and practices.
Online group on Exploring aging from a secular Buddhist perspective - meets the last Monday of each month. The group shares experiences of aging and how we can use our practice to respond skillfully to the process of aging.
SBN online courses on Exploring a secular dharma - Learn about the basic ideas and concepts of secular Buddhism through a free online course.
Upcoming Events, Workshops, and Retreats
SBN's Calendar of Meetings and Courses - A calendar of SBN sponsored discussion and meditation groups, as well as SBN's courses on secular Buddhism.
Bodhi College Distant Learning Course on Dependent Arising - Starts 20 June
with Stephen Batchelor, Christina Feldman, John Peacock & Akincano Weber
Traditionally, there are twelve links in the chain of dependent arising. These links describe how mental states arise and evolve, and how we can shift the outcome of this process towards greater happiness and peace. For more information, click here. Offered in collaboration with Tricycle: The Buddhist Review
Rainbow Dharma: a retreat for the LGBTQI+ community at Gaia House, England - 28 July to 1 August
with Katrin Auf Der Heyde, River Wolton and Bernat Font-Clos
This retreat offers an opportunity to connect with others in ways that affirm our identity as a community of shared intention and practice, allowing us to make greater peace with ourselves and our lives, and to grow our capacity for freedom. We hope to co-create a space of acceptance, reflection and support in which to cultivate mindfulness, embodied kindness and wisdom through meditation. The retreat will offer guided sitting and walking practices, movement, optional small groups, dharma talks, and Q&A sessions. For more information, click here.
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