Is Secular Buddhism an Oxymoron?

It may seem like “secular Buddhism” is an oxymoron, a kind of contradiction in terms. But this depends on how we understand secularism, and how we understand Buddhism. Both concepts have a wide range of senses, which we will explore.  

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Three Paths for Secular Buddhists

Introduction As secular Buddhism has become an increasingly prominent trend in the U.S., it’s a good time to reflect on the diverse paths being taken by those of us who identify as secular Buddhists.  While these paths are not mutually exclusive and thus practitioners may be involved, to some extent, in all of them, they…

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What Might the Buddha Say About Secular Buddhism?

What might the Buddha have thought about secular approaches to Buddhism? We will take a look at arguments found in a couple of early texts, the Apaṇṇaka and Sandaka Suttas, as jumping-off points. Our trip will take us through perhaps the earliest known materialist philosopher, as well as Blaise Pascal’s wager for the existence of…

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Practice Circle: Stay Close to Your Resentment

One of the interesting things about working with the Tibetan Lojong slogans is the way they so often seem strangely counterintuitive. The slogan we’ll be working with this week at Practice Circle is a good example: “Stay Close to Your Resentment.” What? As good Buddhists, aren’t we supposed to be releasing our clinging to illusory…

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Q&A: Secular Monasticism and Choppy Videos

Mixing things up here, today we’ll get into questions from a couple of viewers. One involves whether there is room for a kind of deep secular Buddhist practice akin to monasticism, and another deals with the way I’ve been editing these videos. Please let me know your thoughts as well in the comments below!

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Video Extra: Vlog Experiment

Oy, OK this is another experiment. Mixing things up a bit, this is a bit of a “behind the scenes” vlog, talking about some history I’ve had finding my way with Buddhism and creative writing. OK don’t hate on me too much if vlogging isn’t your thing, I’m not big on talking about myself either!…

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Some of Secular Buddhism's Roots are in South Asia

Secular Buddhism has roots that go well back into 19th c. South Asia. We will look at some of that history here. For more on this general topic see: Secular Buddhism’s Roots in South Asia. Erik Braun’s book “The Birth of Insight” is a wonderful resource for the history of Insight or Vipassana Buddhism.

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Early Buddhism and Secular Buddhism

Folks interested in a secular approach to Buddhism will find many forms of Buddhism congenial. Why is early Buddhism particularly so? We will look at the Kevaddha Sutta (DN 11) and some material from Richard Gombrich, eminent scholar of early Buddhism, to help illuminate the discussion.

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