Winton Higgins Archives - Secular Buddhist Network

POSTS:

Winton Higgins

‘In the coming months, I expect the police at my door. I’m terrified.’

Ramsey Margolis highlights the courageous stance of Thai human rights activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, whose publishing company is bringing out a Thai translation of Winton Higgins' book on secular Buddhism, Revamp.

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.

Buddhist modernism and secular Buddhism

Winton Higgins discusses the differences between Buddhist modernism, which established itself in the west in the 1960s, and a fully secular approach to the dharma.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Response to Mike Slott’s ‘Reexamining “truths” and “tasks” in secular Buddhism’

In response to Mike Slott's article on truths and tasks in secular Buddhism Winton Higgins argues that Mike's critique of Stephen Batchelor's formulation is misconceived; the issue is not the epistemological status of truth but about how we should live and practise. Dharma practitioners do have to choose: they can’t wish-wash over the truths/tasks distinction.

Robert M. Ellis and Winton Higgins discuss Middle Way Philosophy and Secular Buddhism

Robert M. Ellis and Winton Higgins engage in a discussion about Middle Way Philosophy and secular Buddhism, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of each perspective.

Robert M. Ellis’s rejoinder to Winton Higgins’s comments on ‘Middle Way Philosophy and Secular Buddhism’

In a rejoinder to Winton Higgins's comments on his article, 'the Middle Way Philosophy and Secular Buddhism', Robert M. Ellis disputes Winton Higgins's criticisms of Middle Way Philosophy and contends that this approach, rather than secular Buddhism, identifies and applies the valuable insights of the Buddha in the most universal way available.