Bernd Kaponig Bernd Kaponig and Cristina Pecchia, two of the four founders of the new German language Secular Buddhism website, join us to speak about their work with communicating Secular Buddhism to the German speaking world. As the concepts and practices of secular Buddhism become more widely known, both for what they are and as [...]
That’s the colloquialism: we don’t have problems with something nowadays, we have “issues”. “Issues” doesn’t mean we’re fed up, but there’s something there that’s just not right. There’s something that needs dealing with, working out. I have two main issues with the Buddha’s notion of nibbāna. But let me preface this by saying that since [...]
Jennifer Niedzielski Jennifer Niedzielski joins us to talk about her work and joys with Mindful Moms Network. Hi, everyone, and happy Mothers’ Day. We’re going to talk about mindfulness and how it relates to motherhood, one of the most challenging, stressful, meaningful, and rewarding efforts anyone can do. For all the mothers out there who [...]
The Shorter Prajñāpāramitā Hṛdaya Sūtra (Heart Sutra) When Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva was practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, he illuminated the Five Skandhas and saw that they were all empty, and crossed over all suffering and affliction. “Śāriputra, form is not different from emptiness, and emptiness is not different from form. Form itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself [...]
On Sunday 5 May 2013, progressive Christian churches worldwide were celebrating ‘Pluralism Sunday’. I was asked by the Minister of St Andrew’s on The Terrace here in Wellington, New Zealand, to talk about my ‘faith journey as a secular Buddhist’. Unsure how to approach the issue of ‘faith’, I posted some questions on the blog [...]
According to the tales in the Pali Canon, the very first teaching Gotama gave after his awakening was what we have come to know as the Four Noble Truths. This concept is foundational to all traditions that we call Buddhism, Secular Buddhism included. To the extent that newcomers to dharma practice know any Buddhist doctrine [...]
Bhikkhu Sujato Bhikkhu Sujato joins us to speak about the ordination of women in the Theravada tradition, and his work with canonical veracity in The Authenticity Project. How do we know for sure what Gotama said? We probably can’t, and we can further muddy the waters with unsupportable assertions about the perfection of the Pali [...]
The Eightfold Path is common to most Buddhist traditions, and secular Buddhists consider the Eightfold Path to be the heart of practice. The Eightfold Path, or path as it’s called, is a guide for areas to explore and practice. There is great wisdom in this path, all of which can be tried out and tested [...]
The early Canon gives us two very different pictures of the Buddha, reflected in his early life. The first I will term the “human Buddha”: it’s a narrative of a real person, Siddhatta Gotama, and his path to enlightenment. The second I will term the “divine Buddha”: it’s a narrative of a superhuman being. These [...]
David Webster Author and teacher David Webster joins us to speak about his book, Dispirited: How Contemporary Spirituality Makes Us Stupid, Selfish and Unhappy. What happens when we have the ability to pick and choose components from various religious traditions, and try to integrate them into our practice? This cafeteria spirituality as it’s sometimes called, [...]
This is to be done by one skilled in aims Who wants to break through To the state of peace: . . . As a mother would risk her life To protect her child, her only child, Even so should one cultivate a limitless heart With regard to all beings. Khuddakapatha 9, trns Thanissaro Bhikkhu [...]
I’m struggling with aversion. In recent years, I’ve become really bothered by how humanity has just taken over the planet without regard to habitats, and the needs of other animals. I’ve noticed this more because of my photography hobby, where I get out to take nature photos and pix of animals. A few years ago, [...]
I had an email exchange recently with a gentleman who asked some very good questions, and thought it might prompt some helpful discussion here on the site. Names and identity details were removed. Email One To: Webmaster I just got through listening to your interview on Books and Ideas podscast. I … attended the local [...]
The Three Marks of Existence is important in Buddhism, because it means we start to see things, situations as they really are. Everything is impermanent, suffering is a part of existence (for living things anyway), and nothing exists in and of itself, without dependencies. The three marks of existence is not an idea or theory [...]
In secular Buddhist practice, it’s essential that we welcome scientific scrutiny on our practices, and that we approach our own practices with skepticism and scientific methodology. So much of our practice involves subjective experience, and experimentation therein. Science has shown repeatedly how incredibly easy it is to fool oneself, and to create experiences derived of [...]
This is another in my series of discussions of ideas Stephen Batchelor has been presenting in dharma talks since late 2010. You can hear them at dharmaseed.org. One of the attractive ideas to come out of Stephen Batchelor’s recent teaching is a mapping of the Four Noble Truths onto the Four Bodhisattva Vows of the [...]
All paths of practice must begin with a simple question. How do we know where to start? How do we know what is correct to believe? In the Cankī Sutta (Majjhima Nikāya 95; I rely on the Ñāṇamoli/Bodhi translation), the Buddha debates a young Brahmin named Kāpaṭhika, who has faith in the Vedas as his [...]
When we practice, we strive to become proficient. The Sanskrit term for meditation, “bhāvana”, actually means “development” or “cultivation”, near synonyms for “practice” itself. Indeed, meditation is central to the Buddhist path: to meditate is to develop wholesome mental states through mindfulness and concentration. In the Cūḷavedalla Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 44.12), the lay follower Visākha [...]
Chris McKenna Author Chris McKenna speaks with us about his new Buddhist themed fiction book, Bardo. More and more, we’re seeing an increase in the mainstream media of Buddhist practices and ideas. There is Buddhist inspired rock and roll, art sites that focus on Buddhist themes, and happily for those of us who are avid [...]
Chris Mitchell Chris Mitchell speaks with us about his book, Asperger’s Syndrome and Mindfulness. According to the Asperger’s Disorder website, “… affected individuals are characterized by social isolation and eccentric behavior in childhood. There are impairments in two-sided social interaction and non-verbal communication.” Think about that. When you’re growing up, you not only have the [...]
Theo Koffler Theo Koffler joins us to speak about Mindfulness Without Borders, a collaborative for teaching mindful awareness and social-emotional intelligence to educators, parents, students and healthcare providers. How many of us have found remarkable value in the practice of mindfulness? It helps us be more aware, see things as they are, and make better [...]
Bob Isaacson Social activist and dharma teacher Bob Isaacson speaks with us today about his efforts with the organization, Dharma Voices for Animals. Hi everyone. Welcome to the new year 2013, and episode one-hundred and fifty of The Secular Buddhist. I’d like to thank everyone for listening, joining us on FaceBook, following us on Twitter, [...]
Does a formulaic approach to meditation get in the way of discovering exactly what’s going on? In this talk Jason talks about how we respond when our mind gets stuck in a groove, answering questions from those taking part.
A reflection on the difficulties involved in and the methodology of a secular approach to Buddhism, followed by a reading of and comments on the Kalama Sutta, considered as a primary source text for secular Buddhism
There are precise and profound parallels between what Buddhism says about our individual predicament and our collective predicament today in relationship to the rest of the biosphere.
This talk covers the relationship of mindfulness to the three marks of existence as well as the the three ‘fires’ of greed, aversion and delusion. The question is also raised as to how we want to live our lives and our commitment to that vision.
I highly recommend that you listen to this talk. John does an excellent job of talking about what the Buddha taught, explaining words from the Pali Canon, and most importantly how this all fits into the reality of the lives we live every day, in this life.
Stephen Batchelor and John Peacock address the challenges of Buddhism in the west, how it differs from traditions, how Buddhism was misunderstood from the very start, partly because it was viewed through the filter of Christianity. Please join us in discussion below …
This video shows a dialogue between Stephen Batchelor and Bhante Sujato about the practice of Buddhism and its relevance at the dawn of the new millennium. Moderated by Tina Ng. Of course much of the discussion is over the topic of Rebirth . . .
This interactive talk will examine two major questions: What is the mind? and How can we create a healthy mind? We’ll examine the interactions among the mind, the brain, and human relationships and explore ways to create a healthy mind, an integrated brain, and mindful, empathic relationships.
This is the introduction to a 13 part series of talks with Stephen Batchelor, hosted by the New Zealand Secular Buddhists. The topic is Stephen’s book, Living with the Devil.
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