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What are the core elements of a secular approach to the dharma?
At a recent online meeting of leaders and facilitators of secular Buddhist groups, organizations, and sanghas, various perspectives were offered on the best way to define or describe a secular approach to the dharma.
Rethinking the Dharma / Reimagining Community #33 June 2022
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.
The core concept of secular Buddhism: the four tasks
The core teachings and insights of Gotama are not ‘truths’ to be believed but a ‘fourfold’ task to help us live our lives in a mindful and compassionate way.
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.
Rethinking the Dharma / Reimagining Community #29 February 2022
Welcome to our February 2022 newsletter. This month we feature a new article on the core tasks of a radically engaged Buddhist by Mike Slott, Katya de Kadt, and Karsten Struhl, as well as Winton Higgins's response to the article. We also highlight new articles by Bernat Font-Clos, Stefano Bettera, and Robert M. Ellis. Finally, we announce the formation of a new reading group sponsored by the Secular Buddhist Network.
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.
Lifting the curtain
The Tuwhiri Project is a publishing imprint that was initiated by secular dharma practitioners in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in 2018. 'News from Tuwhiri' provides a brief history of what Tuwhiri has accomplished since its founding and its future plans.
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.
Rethinking the Dharma / Reimagining Community #27 December 2021
Welcome to our December 2021 newsletter. This month we feature a dialogue regarding 'truths' and 'tasks' in secular Buddhism with Mike Slott, Winton Higgins, and Stephen Batchelor. We also highlight dharma talks by Stephen Batchelor on a secular reinterpretation of the Eightfold Path, an interview conducted by James Shaheen with Winton Higgins on his new book on secular Buddhism, an article by David Patten on varied secular sources for an understanding of not-self, and three SBN contributors who appear in the latest issue of Tricycle magazine.
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.
Dharma in the shadow of Buddhism: a response to Mike Slott and Winton Higgins
Stephen Batchelor continues the dialogue on 'truths' and 'tasks' in secular Buddhism by framing the discussion from a broader, historical perspective. Stephen argues that the Buddha's radical move was to depart from the truth-based perspective of Brahmanic, Indian culture to teach a fully committed ethical life that is not underwritten by any ultimate truth.
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'.
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.
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