POSTS:

Stephen Batchelor

Stephen Batchelor and Gil Fronsdal Discuss “Buddha, Socrates, and Us”
Stephen Batchelor and Gil Fronsdal met on July 29 for a 90-minute online conversation to explore the themes of Stephen’s upcoming book, Buddha, Socrates, and Us: Ethical Living in Uncertain Times.
MBEL Pilot Course to Begin in September
A ten week, online course on Mindfulness Based Ethical Living (MBEL) will be offered beginning in September 2025.
Stephen Batchelor: books, articles, and interviews
Stephen Batchelor's books, articles, and dharma talks have offered a compelling vision of a secular dharma based on individual transformation and creating a “culture of awareness” in this world.
A Secular Buddhism Based on the Lotus Sūtra
John Tate offers an alternative foundation for secular Buddhism through a new interpretation of the Lotus Sutra.
Why do some people follow dharma teachers who demand obedience?
Ramsey Margolis asks why some of the people who follow teachers in ancestral Buddhist communities, and their ‘traditional’ teachings, loathe secular Buddhism and secular Buddhists, at times with a palpable feeling of distaste that clearly is not rational.
What is Secular Dharma?: A Dialogue between Stephen Batchelor & Dave Smith
Stephen Batchelor and Dave Smith recently engaged in a dialogue on the secular dharma and how that approach can alter, expand, or challenge our practice.
Reflections on Stephen Batchelor’s ELSA
Janet Rechtman offers her reflections on Stephen Batchelor's four tasks, or ELSA. She argues that the ELSA formula does not adequately address the role of suffering in our lives.
ELSA Recovery: Recovery from addiction within a secular dharma framework (Part 2)
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.
Tuwhiri: a secular Buddhist publishing imprint
Now with a presence in New York, Wellington and Sydney, Tuwhiri publishes books on early Buddhism, its retrieval, and a secular adaptation to 21st century conditions, as well as making available thought-provoking books that are not obviously dharma books but which serve the ethic of care that is central to the dharma
Skilled communication versus right speech
Berislav Nižić argues that, in a modern version of the eightfold path, skilled communication is a more appropriate term and concept than ‘right speech’.
ELSA Recovery: Recovery from addiction within a secular dharma framework
Cathryn Jacob announces the creation of ELSA Recovery, a community in which Stephen Batchelor's secular dharma teachings are blended with practical applications aimed at recovery from addiction.
One Mindful Breath looks great … so where’s the catch?
Ramsey Margolis reflects on the challenge of engaging in the secular dharma as an autonomous practitioner, fully responsible for our actions
A conversation between Stephen Batchelor and Bhikkhu Santi
On 21 April 2024, Stephen Batchelor and Bhikkhu Santi discussed Stephen's forthcoming book, Buddha, Socrates and Us, the meanings of monasticism, and the import of ancient wisdom for our contemporary moment.
Two study opportunities for secular Buddhists
Tuwhiri, a publishing imprint which publishes books on early Buddhism and secular dharma, is sponsoring reading groups this year for two of its publications: Revamp and What is this?
Secular Dharma and Ethical Living Retreat
Stephen Batchelor, Winton Higgins, and Lenorë Lambert led a residential study retreat on Secular Dharma and Ethical Living in December 2023. Their secular dharma approach focused on the ethical perspectives and practices needed to engage with the various interconnected crises our world faces in the twenty-first century.