Since secular buddhists don't believe in supernatural things in Buddhism like karma, rebirth and psychic powers but acknowledge and practice meditation,four noble truths and eight fold path and other things, and most secular buddhists are atheists and agnostics.

Can I say secular buddhism is spiritual atheism and buddha is a spiritual atheist or spiritual agnostic rather than non theistic

video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB7VSdQgHoU

When I was home I frequented a temple there that I absolutely adored. I’m really missing having community and listening to dharma talks relatively frequently. I’ve searched on things like YouTube but there isn’t much left that I haven’t already watched.

If not do you have any tips or ideas? Just missing feeling I was part of a like minded community.

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I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to invest the time in a deep look at the philosophy of Buddhism. It helps to be very familiar with Buddhist philosophy as well as some experience reading philosophy and in particular existentialism and post-freudian psychoanalytics.

From what I've internalized and understood, tried to understand by speculating and deducing myself(of course the best way would be to experience it)... It seemed like(but yet feels incomplete), that the general idea of how an Enlightened person/a Buddha deals with desire, after the flame has ceased, the candle has stopped the constant fire, is that..

In this experience, on daily life, a person experiences neither a clinging(Tanhã)/attachment to any experience of perception (feelings, thoughts, pleasure, discomfort, etc), nor a rejection, an aversion to experiences.

Complete freedom, where one, for example, when a pleasant sensation comes in(like, someone tells a good joke, for example), you feel the pleasure of the laugh, but, in the state of Buddhahood, there is neither rejection of the pleasure nor delight on it as an experience, a desire for more. Just pure peace added with a physical sensation of pleasure that you may pyisically, emotionally like, in the moment...

but you feel like, even if this sensation was completely removed for you 1 second later, you wouldn't care the slightest, like nothing was removed from experience, since there is no desire for more.

A mix of internal peace undependent on externals, because you realize that you can't rely on externals for solving suffering, mixed with non-attachment to whatever sensation comes... Pleasant or unpleasant.

Or, as in the analogy they say: If you feel a lot of pain, it would be like you would feel the physical sensation of it, but not the ""true sensation" of it, of suffering from it, because there is no aversion to it, since you don't rely on external experience for delight of life, for dealing with life. And when a pleasure comes, it is felt only as temporary sensation, but as long as it ceases, even if the happiness from the pleasure fades, it will be like nothing was removed at all.

(Of course, I'm theorically supposing. But on a secular view, even the idea of such state being possible can be doubted)

Because sometimes it feels like Nibanna, Buddhood, is similar to feeling nothing. Like, a pure peace of nothingness? Idk. Everything feeling equally the same?

If secular buddhist beleive that karma and rebirth doesn't exist or agnostic about it or to be metaphorical then same applies to nirvana also right?, nirvana also sounds metaphysical like karma and rebirth,what is secular buddhist stance on nirvana? and if they don't believe nirvana in traditional sense, doesn't it invalidates whole of Buddhism

For example I quite liked The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User's Manual by Ward Farnsworth which is considered arguably the best on Stoicism. Any other suggestions?

Buddhism and Religion

People often misunderstand Buddhism, labeling it as just another religion. But for me, Buddhism is more about practice than belief. It’s a path that focuses on personal experience and direct understanding. Unlike most religions, it doesn’t ask you to accept things on faith alone. In fact, it encourages questioning and self-exploration. You test the teachings in your own life and see if they resonate.

What sets Buddhism apart is its practicality. It’s not about worshipping a god or waiting for salvation from some external force. Instead, it teaches that everything we need is already within us. The Buddha wasn’t a divine being, but a man who woke up to the truth of life and showed others how to do the same.

While some people turn Buddhism into a religion, full of rituals and doctrines, I see it as a way of life. It’s a framework for training the mind and cultivating compassion, wisdom, and peace. It doesn’t require you to believe in a higher power or follow a set of rules blindly. Instead, it invites you to look deeply at your own mind and transform your suffering through understanding.

In my experience, Buddhism is more about how you live your life every day, not about how often you pray or go to a temple. It’s about being mindful, present, and kind. It’s about finding peace in the chaos of life and helping others do the same. It’s a practice that’s open to everyone, regardless of what you believe or where you come from.

What you see here is a piece of gold jewelry I had made after my Lama told me that I was a protector. Below you’ll find an breakdown of what both banes mean… both names have a lot in common. Interesting.

1. Gabriel: This is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my strength” or “God is my hero.” In religious contexts, Gabriel is one of the archangels in the Bible and is known as a messenger of God. In the Christian tradition, Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary, and in Islam, Gabriel (Jibril) is believed to have revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. The name carries a sense of divine strength and purpose. 2. Joseph: Also of Hebrew origin, Joseph means “God will increase” or “God adds.” In the Bible, Joseph is a prominent figure in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, Joseph is known for his ability to interpret dreams and rise to power in Egypt. In the New Testament, Joseph is the earthly father of Jesus. The name suggests protection, guidance, and humility. 3. Forzano: This is an Italian surname, which could be derived from the verb forzare, meaning “to force” or “to strengthen.” It might also be associated with strength or fortitude, adding a sense of resilience or power to your full name.

Together, your names suggest qualities of divine strength, increase, and personal fortitude. It’s a powerful combination that reflects strength, guidance, and purpose.

1.	Karma: In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Karma often refers to “action” or “cause and effect.” It reminds us that our actions, thoughts•	2. Tsewang reflects the power and vitality you bring into your life and the lives of others, reminding you of your role in nurturing life energy. • 3. Dorje represents your commitment to wisdom and spiritual strength, encouraging you to embody clarity and resilience in your practice.

Together, your name suggests a journey of mindful action, life-giving power, and unshakable wisdom, emphasizing the importance of spiritual strength

I am honestly impressed and surprised by just how much and how quickly Buddhist practices and philosophy are helping with my depression and anxiety!

I must admit that I am also taking an amazing new anti-depressant, but an anti-depressant alone cannot really have the power to change my mentality towards myself and others in a short amount of time.

This is not to suggest that Buddhism is a mental health magick bullet, but I just wanted to say that I noticed myself becoming more compassionate towards myself and others, and a bit less anxious about what people think about me...I ruminate a lot less and look forward to the future instead of thinking about past traumatic events. I'm also less offended and intimidated when people disagree with me.

As well, I am watching a video serious on YouTube called "Let Go of Past Trauma", and it helped me think of my relationship with my mother is a healthy, balanced, and more positive way....even though it's always been rocky, difficult, and complicated.

Just wondering if other people experienced similar improvements??

Obviously mental health is complex, but I must say that I didn't expect to feel much better even though I know that a lot of things are a matter of perspective and my perspective was very skewed before I started meditating regularly and reading/watching content about Buddhism!

I wonder what everyone thinks about teaching some Buddhist concepts and meditation to troubled teens....because I could have used that as a teen!

I was under the impression that compassion towards ourselves and others was an integral part of Buddhism and rationally follows from an understanding that everything is impermanent and interconnected (in a secular way, I mean).

All the reading and watching of stuff about Buddhist ethics also helped me see that I was judging myself and others in very unfair ways and making generalizations about others' character and what I thought about what they were saying.

I am wondering if others here have also come to the conclusion that compassion and non-judgment are a natural consequence and extension of a Buddhist world view?

I really don't understand why some people here feel the need to be rude and to swear and tell me that what I'm saying is dumb when my intention in asking questions was to understand and learn more, but also to examine and challenge certain fears I had about Buddhism.

I would think that trying to challenge our fears and to learn can be regarded as positive things based on what I know about Buddhism?

This is one of the rules of this subreddit: "When posting, always be mindful of whether or not something may be unskillful, harmful and minimize harm whenever possible."

Why is this not being observed and why is nothing being done about people swearing and posting hurtful things in response to honest inquiries?

I was into secular Buddhism for a while a long time ago but then a Chinese friend got mad at me and said that secular Buddhism is cultural appropriation and that westerners should come up with their own philosophy.

I took that to heart and kind of distanced myself from secular Buddhism for a while.

However, I wonder how a philosophy that is meant to be about the fundamental nature of self and the world can be culturally appropriated when it doesn't seem to belong to any particular culture even though some cultures will say that theirs is the right way to practice and understand life?

I have also since read academic articles that explain why it's not cultural appropriation and today I checked with the local Buddhist temple and they said I'm more than welcome to come and listen to the dharma and participate in the community and the meditation classes.

Is this "cultural appropriation" thing just a trendy thing that social social justice warriors really believe in?

It confuses me because actual Buddhists are so welcoming to anyone who's genuinely curious!

I am reading 'Rebel Buddha' right now and the author is basically saying that our "self" and our "ego" are not real and it makes me wonder...

From what I've read about personality and discussions I have had with professors in my program, personality is pretty stable across time, at least when it comes to traits such as introversion, which have to do with how sensitive we are to stimuli (especially social stimuli)...

...how can that be an illusion? How can everything we think we are not be real when Buddhists also believe in cause and effect, which suggests they believe to some extent that how we were brought up shapes our personality.

I am wondering if I am misunderstanding something...

I wonder if it's also how the author words things that makes it confusing?

Maybe the idea is just that personality is dynamic and the illusion is that it doesn't change and that it's set in stone? Maybe the illusions are just our limiting beliefs about ourselves? Or is it that the real self is some pure, shapeless awareness of our thoughts and emotions?

Also, it's maybe worth questioning the "big 5" personality test and others like it, because based on neuroplasticity, our brains can change much quicker than they used to think they can...

Is the truth somewhere in the middle maybe? We have tendencies and sensitivities that are shaped by environment, but we can re-shape our brains and mind rather quickly through training?

I mean...I just started seriously getting into reading and watching stuff about Buddhism and meditating more regularly, and I already notice significant changes to how I perceive myself and others (positive changes).

What do you think about the idea of non-self? and do you think that neuroscience and psychology support the Buddhist conclusions about the nature of self?

I am realizing that I'm always judging myself and others, and then I judge myself and others for being judgmental...and I can't seem to stop even though I realize that it's not helpful and not kind.

What can I learn more about or what kinds of practices could I adopt so I find it easier to practice discernment instead of harsh, negative judgment towards myself and others?

I am Thinking of trying to do a whole month of trying to replace judgmental thoughts with neutral observations to get used to shifting my mentality.

Instead of "so and so is an idiot!", I can say that this person said something that doesn't make sense to me and maybe it's because my capacity to understand something specific is limited right now or theirs is limited right now, but that we can both evolve and maybe reach some sort of understanding/compromise.

I don't know...judging is so ingrained in me because I had such judgmental family members, so now I'm judging myself on doing non-judgement incorrectly?

Any suggestions? Reading materials or videos/speakers to explore on this topic? From a secular Buddhist perspective?

Hello,

I am finishing my bachelors degree currently(in biotechnology). long story short Buddhism will be the basis of my life and career, I want to go to Asia for several years to study and meditate, after which my plan is to come back(to the U.S.) and do a PhD in neuroscience, and then do research on(think neuroimaging studies, or something like that probably), study, practice, and eventually teach, meditation. I want to study and meditate for another one or two years before I go to Asia and I am looking into doing a masters in Buddhist studies or something during that time.

Reasoning:

• I will be studying Buddhism on my own anyways for the time it would take to do a masters, so my intention would mostly be to make that a formal study for a degree, although some change from the way that I would study on my own is ok
• It may give me better credentials for when I am doing research on Buddhist meditation, and maybe for when I am eventually teaching meditation to lay people.

Could anyone give me some advice on whether this is worth it or not and or recommend some good programs, obviously I don't want something that is like a sociology degree but more like a philosophy degree. I have heard that many programs require two years one of which is studying pali(or another base language) I am ok with this although Im not sure learing pali to fluency is really the best use of my time as I dont want to be a scholar monk that tranlates things but a mediator with good philosophical understanding that also does scientific based research in meditation. So if you could recommend programs that do not require learning a significant amount of pali(as in becoming fluent or near fluent) that might be good. Also programs in Massachusetts are preferable. I know there are also universities in Buddhist countries that have degrees in Buddhism, but I'm not sure about them, if you could give some insight into any differences between them and western universities teaching Buddhism that would be great too.

Thank you for any and all help and advice.

This a doubt I've been struggling with, and being an obstacle to aleviating stress and liberating from anxiety.

[Edit: By free will, I mean agency. The ability to make decisions and have control over whether you do A or B]

I appreciate this answer may be different for different people, but if you consider yourself a secular Buddhist, do you reject the concepts of karma and reincarnation? If so, how can enlightenment exist without either?

Reading Robert Wright's Why Buddhism is True is an evolutionary psychologists take on Buddhism, basically how natural selection designed us not for happiness, but for survival, which constantly involves seeking pleasures and satisfaction. This scientific perspective is similar to other ideas like Saṃsāra and the hedonic treadmill. After some meditation and comparing two modes of living, one being a slower, living in the moment, "enlighted" way, and the other of continual expectation and anticipating.

Is the latter not necessary for society and the economy to function? The life of expectation is frequently inviting people to social events, or expecting to be invited, always ready for the next todo list task or objective, and chasing pleasurable things. When a sense of reward is reached by means of accomplishing a task, meeting a person, or experiencing some expected pleasure (food, sex, etc.), the feeling of dissatisfaction eventually returns, prompting expectation for the next desirable thing or experience. This is cyclical and how our brains normally operate.

The answer in Buddhism is to eliminate desire, as this is the source of dissatisfaction. This is living in the present. However, our current technological advancements and economy have reduced suffering by providing food, shelter, modern medicine and other life improving amenities. This very economy that is built from those who are continually working, seeking and grasping in this cycle we have described, as some call it, a "rat race". There are people that must be running on the treadmill for us all to prosper.

So should one quit their job, give up all material possessions, and become a monk, or keep working the 9-5 and keeping the big machine running? I know I am posing two extremes here and I'm sure the answer is somewhere in the middle.

Or perhaps there is no answer, and no single absolute path. This dilemma is characteristic of a broader, paradoxical truth, which is that all truth is relative. There is no correct model, only useful ones.

Hello everyone. I am looking into organising a personal retreat and I am looking for a solitary space in nature, in south or east Europe. I have looked online but the cabins I found belong to traditional Buddhist centres. Something like the UK's Gaia house personal retreats would be great, but the location is not as accessible from where I live.

Do you have any recommendations? It doesn't have to be a cabin. It doesn't even need to belong to a community, as long as it is in nature. It would be a plus if there is food available (either cooking facilities or ready meals) and views of the sea/ocean.

Hi all,

I am looking for reading recommendations. I am looking for books about the science of yoga and/or meditation and how they change the body (especially nervous system) and the brain...

Also, wondering if there are books or documentaries about Buddhism from a scientific perspective.

Please only actual, reputable science.

Thank you! :)

I have been exploring Buddhist ideas from a secular angle, specially including the fantastic Secular Buddhism podcast by Noah Rasheta. I come from a heavily dogmatic christian mindset that was slowly deconstructed this past 5 years or so, and my inclination for spirituality leans in the practical aspects of it.

A book that I'd call fantastic for how my agnostic/secular spiritual journey been is for example The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck.

I'm interested in knowing: Is there any book that people in this community have found to be good in approaching Buddhist principles in this same secular way?

For me that's the easiest form of meditation. It helps me with breaking the train of everyday thinking, in a similar way to how Dr. Herbert Benson's method evokes the relaxation response.

And since it's pleasant it's easier for me to sustain focus on it.

I've been on this journey for a few weeks and find that my old thought patterns are like a well worn groove. I can go down a rabbit hole of overthinking or worry. Eventually I realize what I'm doing, acknowledge my thoughts and let them go. Sometimes in the busy-ness of life it can be a few days before that happens.

How do you make this practice a part of your daily life and keep it at the forefront of your mind? Sometimes I think of wearing a certain bracelet, something to look down and be a physical reminder. Or putting a screensaver on my phone or a little reminder in my car.

What has helped you?

Looking to join a free, online secular Buddhist center, what are some of them that are good and have good UI for their websites?

I was apart of Treeleaf which I loved while I was there but the website was horribly difficult to navigate And I wanted to check other places to see what they have to offer and how they might teach.

Greetings! I'm a serial entrepreneur, small business owner, and devoted dharma practitioner in the Insight/vipassana tradition. Having sold my mission-driven coworking company this past May, I recently started a new job as a business broker--kind of like an merger/acquisition advisor for "main street" businesses--and it's got me thinking a lot about the buddha's ethical teachings.

Simply put: What does the practice of sila (ethics) look like to practice right speech, right action, and right livelihood in the world of business?

I'm looking for resources (teachers, books, articles, organizations) that address how lay practitioners can bring the buddha's ethical teachings into their professional lives. Many of the "business and buddhism" resources I've come across are written by meditation teachers, not business owners, so it seems a bit...theoretical? Detached from the reality of the workplace?

Curious to hear what others think.