Rethinking the Dharma / Reimagining Community #62 November 2024

October 27, 2024


Welcome to our November 2024 newsletter.

This month we feature new articles by Amy Balentine, Dr. Cathryn Jacob, Ramsey Margolis, and Jochen Weber. We also highlight a book launch event to discuss Mindful Solidarity, which integrates a secular Buddhist perspective with radical political activism. 


ELSA Recovery: Recovery from addiction within a secular dharma framework

Dr. Cathryn Jacob discusses a new approach to addiction recovery rooted in the key concepts of secular dharma, with explicit reference to the 32 virtues and attitudes found in Stephen Batchelor's cartography of care.

Find out more.

Ask BuddhaAI

The German secular Buddhist organization, Buddha Stiftung, has created BuddhaAI, an artifical intelligence companion to answer questions relating to (secular) Buddhism, mindfulness, meditation, and ethical living.

Find out more.

Eric Kolvig – teacher of engaged insight meditation

Ramsey Margolis expresses his appreciation for Eric Kolvig, a recently-deceased insight meditation teacher who stressed the need for social and political engagement, and for the four tasks he devised for coping with global tragedy.

Find out more.

Southern Dharma's Support for Hurricane Helene's Victims

Amy Balentine discusses how the Southern Dharma Retreat Center, which offers meditation retreats and dharma instruction, is supporting the victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and Tennessee.

Find out more.

How you can get Tuwhiri books at a discount

Tuwhiri, a secular Buddhist imprint, offers a range of discounts on books bought in their online store, including one for SBN newsletter subscribers that runs until 31 December 2024.

Find out more.

Mindful Solidarity Book Launch Event

Mike Slott will be in conversation with Winton Higgins, the Australian secular Buddhist and author of Revamp: writings on secular Buddhism, to launch Mike's book Mindful Solidarity: A Secular Buddhist Democratic Socialist Dialogue.

Find out more.


Connect with the Secular Buddhist Network

Looking for a sangha?  - To facilitate the development of local sanghas, SBN has established a listing for individuals looking to meet others in their geographical area. When you join the listing, you'll have access to a private listing of individuals who are seeking sangha-mates.

SBN's monthly 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.

Sunday morning meditation group - Meets every Sunday at 11 am US Eastern Time on Zoom. After brief meditation instructions, we meditate silently for 30 minutes, followed by a period of sharing our experiences with each other.

Sunday evening Practice Circle - A long-time offering of the Secular Buddhist Association, meets the 2nd and 4th Sunday every month, 8:00 p.m. Central Time (9:00 p.m. Eastern).Sunday. Silent meditation guided by a facilitator followed by a period of discussion. 

SBN reading groups - SBN sponsors two reading groups. Book, article, video and podcast selections for both groups focus on topics related to secular Buddhism and the aim of the discussion is to explore the topics while seeking to apply them meaningfully to our daily lives.

Exploring aging from a secular Buddhist perspective - Meets the second and last Monday of each month on Zoom. The group shares experiences of aging and how we can use our practice to respond skillfully to the process of aging.

Secular Dharma and Political Activism  - Meets the first Friday of every month on Zoom. This discussion group is for those who wish to share their experiences of and discuss new possibilities for bringing secular Buddhist ideas, ethics, and practices to community groups and political movements. 

Secular Buddhist Zen Pub - Meets every Saturday, 11 am US Eastern Time on Zoom. A weekly drop-in which will reward participants with dharma insights and practical applications (including friendships). 

SBN online course 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.

Upcoming courses and retreats  - Click here for a listing of upcoming courses, programs, and retreats of interest for secular Buddhists and socially engaged Buddhists.


If you are on Facebook, we would be grateful if you would 'like' and 'share' any item in this newsletter that you think is valuable or the newsletter itself. Look out for Secular Buddhist Network on Facebook.


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