sanghas Archives - Secular Buddhist Network

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sanghas

SBN’s new online group: the Secular Buddhist Zen Pub

SBN is starting a Saturday morning weekly zoom that is easy to drop in on, and rewarding through dharma insights and practical applications (including friendships).

Looking for a sangha?

Many secular dharma practitioners are looking for in-person sanghas to enrich their practice. To facilitate the development of local sanghas, SBN has established a listing for individuals looking to meet others in their geographical area.

A secular Dharma discussion group – perspectives from South Wales

The South Wales (Cymru) Secular Dharma discussion group was started in January 2022 and has been meeting once a fortnight online since then. The participants have found the group to be a supportive environment for developing their secular dharma practice.

Secular Buddhism: to be or not to be a ‘Thing’

Lenorë Lambert argues that if we want to share the benefits of the secular dharma with others, we need to define ourselves more clearly and offer some of the benefits provided by organized groups.

A Sangha Without a Name (SWAN): Vajrayana roots, democratic and socially engaged practices

Fede Andino writes about the formation, development, and current functioning of a sangha in Argentina - the Sangha Without a Name (SWAN) – whose teachers and practitioners have deep connections to Tibetan Buddhism and have developed a democratic and participatory style of functioning.

Anti-racism and the dharma: next steps

Jewel Wheeler argues that the pain and suffering caused by racism require us to understand why our response as Buddhists - both secular and traditional - has been inadequate. Then, we can begin to think through how we can bring dharmic insights more effectively into the struggle for a multi-racial, just society.

Linda Modaro on the need for ethical reflection by teachers and dharma leaders

In an interview with SBN, Linda Modaro, a meditation teacher, discussed a course that she has developed and taught on ethical reflecting for meditation teachers and dharma group leaders.

Book launches for Winton Higgins’s new book on secular Buddhism

Beginning 19 May 2021, four book launches were held to introduce Winton Higgins's new book, Revamp: writings on secular Buddhism. The book is published by Tuwhiri and consists of a collection of essays on various topics related to secular Buddhism.

A review of Winton Higgins’s ‘Revamp: writings on secular Buddhism’

Winton Higgins’s latest book, Revamp: writings on secular Buddhism, provides the best account of the history of secular Buddhism available today and identifies the core characteristics of this relatively new trend within Buddhism. While reflecting on its key perspectives and practices, Higgins also identifies the key challenges facing secular Buddhists.

Touching the earth: exploring a new, secular self-help mindfulness group approach

Touching the Earth groups aspire to treat participants as equals, where no one is paid to lead or facilitate, and each participant takes responsibility for cultivating their own path and for supporting others in cultivating theirs. The basic format involves meditation, journaling one’s meditation experience, and then exploring the meditation in triads.

UK & IRELAND

Check out the secular Buddhist groups and communities in Europe and South America.

New horizons for emerging sanghas: community groups and lay women dharma teachers

In a talk given to the June 2019 Sakyadita Australia conference Anna Markey discusses how there is an emergence of many small community-based clusters of intimate dharma groups in Australia, either leaderless or led by lay teachers. And many of these teachers are women.

Ongoing meetings of secular Buddhist groups and sanghas

Workshops, retreats, meetings and other events of interest to secular Buddhists, and the curious

Bringing secular dharma practitioners together – the perils and joys of setting up and running a sitting group

Ramsey Margolis sets out his experience creating and sustaining a secular dharma community in Aotearoa New Zealand, and offers some practical tips on how to make one work.

Sharing our practice in a group

In meditation, we cultivate an inner space of openness and acceptance free of judgement. But this space should not remain private: sooner or later we have to extend it, and before we try to cover the entire world with an enlightened society, let’s start with smaller circles.