The Five Precepts

The five precepts are the basis of Buddhist ethics, particularly as practiced in a lay context. What are the precepts, how should we think of them, and how should we use them as practice?

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Why Read Early Buddhist Texts?

Why and how should we read the early Buddhist texts? We’ll go through three reasons to read them, and outline three strategies to use when approaching them. Four texts to start with: (1) The Buddha’s “First Sermon” (2) The Kālāma Sutta (3) The Water Snake Sutta (4) The Dhammapada (There is also a very good translation…

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Practice Circle Live: The Benefactor Body Scan

This guided meditation was recorded live at the SBA Practice Circle on October 22, 2017. If you’d like to learn more about why we developed this practice, and how you can join us at Practice Circle, you can read about it here. Transcription I’m Mark Knickelbine from the Secular Buddhist Association, and this is the…

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Spiritual Bypassing

Spiritual bypassing is a condition we can all fall into from time to time, even those of us who do not see ourselves on a “spiritual” path. What is the condition and how can we strive to avoid it?

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