Tag: secular dharma

Scenes from a Mindfulness Retreat: The Work

by Mark Knickelbine, Published on October 6, 2012, with 12 Comments

Part two of a four-part series. You can read the introduction here. One of the things I think those of you who have been on more traditional retreats would find most unusual about the mindfulness retreat is how interactive it was. There were no long periods of silent meditation, broken by occasional meals, dharma talks [...]

Stephen Batchelor and Don Cupitt — The Future of Religion: a Dialogue

by Ted Meissner, Published on August 2, 2012, with 4 Comments

The following is a transcript from a May 20th, 2012 dialogue between Stephen Batchelor and Don Cupitt, entitled The Future of Religion: a Dialogue, chaired by Madeleine Bunting of the Guardian. Photo credit: Martin Zetter. James Blake, co-director of London Insight Meditation, writes: “This is a very lightly edited transcript of the dialogue between Stephen [...]

Humanism & Buddhism — Interview with Ted Meissner, The Secular Buddhist

by Dana Nourie, Published on January 12, 2012, with 2 Comments

Scott Lohman from The Humanists of Minnesota interviews Ted Meissner on “Humanism and Buddhism”. Learn about the many commonalities between Humanism and Secular Buddhism.

Episode 98 :: John Peacock :: Buddha the Radical to Creeping Brahmanism

by Ted Meissner, Published on January 6, 2012, with 14 Comments

Scholar and Associate Director of The Oxford Mindfulness Centre John Peacock joins us to speak about secular views of early Buddhism.

It’s strange, thinking from our current vantage point, that the religious edifice we call Buddhism might not have been intended by the Buddha to become such an edifice. But, unless we take a closer look, unless we allow ourselves to think outside what the traditions are telling us, we might miss that potential fact of this pragmatic and beneficial practice.

The Importance of Compassion without Buddhism

by Dana Nourie, Published on December 11, 2011, with 3 Comments

One of the many things I like about the company I’m currently working for is that our CEO uses the following words repeatedly in his All Hands meetings: Mindful, Awareness, Compassion. He speaks of communicating with each other through compassion, being mindful to the needs of others, and staying aware of our cultural needs within the company, and the greater community outside of the company. All of this is spoken without mention of Buddha or Buddhism, and is completely secular.

Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism

by Dana Nourie, Published on November 14, 2011, with 3 Comments

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 …