The SBA website has been an invaluable forum for discussion and dialogue about what secular Buddh... more The SBA website has been an invaluable forum for discussion and dialogue about what secular Buddhism is and should be. What is the difference between secular Buddhism and more traditional forms of Buddhism? Which aspects of Buddhist theory, belief, and practice are consistent with secular forms of Buddhism and which are not? What distinctive role can secular Buddhism play in making Buddhism a more integral part of our culture? All of these questions and many more are being interrogated as secular Buddhists try to figure out the path forward.
Western Buddhists tend to be wary of strongly-held views. Holding and asserting views with strong... more Western Buddhists tend to be wary of strongly-held views. Holding and asserting views with strong emotion or passion is often seen as a form of unskillful clinging, based on an egoic need to be recognized as right, a competitive struggle over who has the best views, or an aversion to another person's ideas. Strong views would thus seem to conflict with the Buddhist path, which is based on non-attachment and equanimity.
In this article I delineate an approach which incorporates two important trends within Western Bu... more In this article I delineate an approach which incorporates two important trends within Western Buddhism: secular Buddhism and an “engaged” Buddhism oriented toward radical social change. Secular Buddhists not only reject divine entities and the cosmological realms of traditional forms of Buddhism, but view as problematic the notion of an “absolute” or ultimate reality found in Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajryana Buddhism. In its radical variant, socially engaged Buddhism stresses the need for Buddhists not just to participate in social reform movements, but to transform the systemic causes of human suffering. I argue that secular, radically engaged Buddhism challenges two key tenets of the various schools and lineages of Buddhism: the existence of an absolute or unconditioned reality – Nirvana - and the one-sided emphasis on the mind as the basic source of suffering and release from suffering. Based on this dual critique, I offer an alternative approach, one which has practical implications for meditation practice and the role of the sangha.
The SBA website has been an invaluable forum for discussion and dialogue about what secular Buddh... more The SBA website has been an invaluable forum for discussion and dialogue about what secular Buddhism is and should be. What is the difference between secular Buddhism and more traditional forms of Buddhism? Which aspects of Buddhist theory, belief, and practice are consistent with secular forms of Buddhism and which are not? What distinctive role can secular Buddhism play in making Buddhism a more integral part of our culture? All of these questions and many more are being interrogated as secular Buddhists try to figure out the path forward.
Western Buddhists tend to be wary of strongly-held views. Holding and asserting views with strong... more Western Buddhists tend to be wary of strongly-held views. Holding and asserting views with strong emotion or passion is often seen as a form of unskillful clinging, based on an egoic need to be recognized as right, a competitive struggle over who has the best views, or an aversion to another person's ideas. Strong views would thus seem to conflict with the Buddhist path, which is based on non-attachment and equanimity.
In this article I delineate an approach which incorporates two important trends within Western Bu... more In this article I delineate an approach which incorporates two important trends within Western Buddhism: secular Buddhism and an “engaged” Buddhism oriented toward radical social change. Secular Buddhists not only reject divine entities and the cosmological realms of traditional forms of Buddhism, but view as problematic the notion of an “absolute” or ultimate reality found in Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajryana Buddhism. In its radical variant, socially engaged Buddhism stresses the need for Buddhists not just to participate in social reform movements, but to transform the systemic causes of human suffering. I argue that secular, radically engaged Buddhism challenges two key tenets of the various schools and lineages of Buddhism: the existence of an absolute or unconditioned reality – Nirvana - and the one-sided emphasis on the mind as the basic source of suffering and release from suffering. Based on this dual critique, I offer an alternative approach, one which has practical implications for meditation practice and the role of the sangha.
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