Podcasts about buddhism without beliefs

Review of Buddhism without Beliefs by Bhikkhu Bodhi It has often been said that Western Buddhism is distinguished from its Asian prototype by three innovative shifts: the replacement of the monastery by the lay community as the principal arena of Buddhist practice; the enhanced position of women; and the emergence of a grass-roots engaged Buddhism aimed at social and political transformation. These three developments, however, have been encompassed by a fourth which is so much taken for granted that it is barely noticed. This last innovation might be briefly characterized as an attempt to transplant Buddhist practice from its native soil of faith and doctrine into a new setting governed by largely secular concerns. For Asian Buddhists, including Eastern masters teaching in the West, this shift is so incomprehensible as to be invisible, while Western Buddhists regard it as so obvious that they rarely comment on it. Stephen Batchelor, however, has clearly discerned the significance of this development and what it portends for the future. Having been trained in Asia in two monastic lineages (Tibetan Gelugpa and Korean Soen) and relinquished his monk's vows to live as a lay Buddhist teacher in the West, he is acquainted with both traditional Buddhism and its Western offshoots. His book Buddhism without Beliefs is an intelligent and eloquent attempt to articulate the premises of the emerging secular Buddhism and define the parameters of a “dharma practice” appropriate to the new situation. ... narrated by Jonathan Nelson 2025 22 minutes 32 seconds Listen to Streaming Audio Your browser does not support the audio element. Download Audio (11MB) Audio copyright, 2025 Pariyatti Investigating the Dhamma as a book and eBook can be found at https://store.pariyatti.org/investigating-the-dhamma. More by Bhikkhu Bodhi. View more books and audio resources available in the Pariyatti bookstore. "Review of Buddhism without Beliefs" at Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1573226564.

Today, we'll explore the concept of Dharma—its meaning, its role in Buddhism, and how it connects to wise action in our daily lives. Let's start by defining Dharma in a straightforward way.In Buddhism, Dharma (or Dhamma in Pali) has several interconnected meanings:​The Teachings of the Buddha◦Dharma represents the guidance and wisdom shared by the Buddha. This includes key teachings like the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.◦It's not just the words of the Buddha—it's the path of practice and the realization of enlightenment.​The Nature of Reality◦Dharma also refers to the true nature of things, including the natural laws of the universe.◦For example, we often hear, "All dharmas are without self-essence," which highlights the impermanence and interconnectedness of all phenomena.​A Universal Truth◦Dharma is universal, applicable to everyone, regardless of their circumstances. It's a path we follow to live in harmony with the way things truly are.In essence, Dharma is both the path and the goal—a guide for reducing suffering and achieving liberation.How Do We Practice Dharma Today?Here are some common ways people engage with Dharma in their daily lives:MeditationPracticing meditation helps us calm our minds and see reality more clearly.Ethical ConductLiving by principles such as right speech, right action, and right livelihood fosters a harmonious life.Study of TextsReading and reflecting on Buddhist teachings deepens our understanding.Community PracticesChanting, Dharma talks, and retreats provide support and encouragement on the path.Phillip Moffitt writes in Dancing with Life:"Wise action is any action that liberates the mind, moves you toward freedom from suffering, and supports a feeling of well-being that is independent of external conditions."Stephen Batchelor, author of Buddhism Without Beliefs, explains, "Dharma practice requires the courage to confront what it means to be human.”David Chernikoff, Life Part Two“The Dharma in Six Words” Pay AttentionDon't ClingBe Kind Visit our website to join us live every Sunday at 6 pm CST on Zoom for Meditation, a Talk & Group Discussionhttps://www.floweringlotusmeditation.org

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you. This week's episode was prompted by a quote I read in the book, Buddhism Without Beliefs, by Stephen Batchelor. The chapter on imagination began with this quote, "A talent for speaking differently, rather than arguing well, is the chief instrument of cultural change." In other words, we create change by first seeing a different future in our mind's eye and then speaking that vision out loud. This is very different from arguing about what is or has been, it's about declaring what can and will be in the future. I talk about how this approach of speaking differently applies to our ongoing conversation about Termination of Parental Rights, and how it can apply to anything that we may be working on. I lay out five steps that I've seen work for me and others that moves us from imagining and describing the future, to taking action, and then learning and iterating. I also reference a great resource, which is linked below, that can help us develop the skills of generative communication and declarations. I end the episode with a few journal prompts. Journal PromptsWhat do I want to declare? Who am I without the work? Who am I? Generative Communication e-book: Generative-Language-2021You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a growing community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We now have two options to make this community accessible to more people. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and starting on July 26th we'll add a 9am PT/12pm ET group. You can join the club by filling out this contact form.  Proximity Podcast Club - West - Google FormsPlease connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

How can we use our practice to see us through troubled times and remain a light against the darkness? Laura Burges encourages us to see Buddhist practice as a laboratory, a place to experiment with our own experience. Drawing from the book, "Buddhism Without Beliefs" by Stephen Batchelor, she likens the Four Noble Truths to a diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment for the challenges facing us and the world. If they were contained in bottles, each would come with a simple instruction label:Life is marked by suffering or anguish - "Recognize Me"  The cause of suffering is desire - "Understand Me"There can be an end to suffering - "Realize Me"The Noble 8-Fold Path is the prescription - "Cultivate Me" To approach our practice as an experiment, she encourages us to develop an agnostic curiosity rather than hardening the teachings into firm beliefs. In this way, we can practice with an open mind and heart. ______________ Ryuko Laura Burges, a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaches classes, lectures, and leads retreats in Northern California. She received monastic training at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Laura co-founded the Sangha in Recovery Program at the San Francisco Zen Center and is the abiding teacher at Lenox House Meditation Group in Oakland. Shambhala Publications offers her Buddhist children's books, Buddhist Stories for Kids and Zen for Kids. Her most recent book from Shambhala is The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction. Laura lives in San Francisco. ______________ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this guided meditation, Stephen Batchelor invites you to unconditionally embrace your experience of the moment, to simply watch all thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and notice the ground of nonreactive awareness. This guides you toward a path rooted in freedom, openness, and love.Episode 158: Meditation on Embracing Life with Stephen BatchelorScott Snibbe has just released a new book called How to Train a Happy Mind that shares the accessible approach to Buddhism familiar to podcast listeners. The book features a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and you can order it right now anywhere you buy books. Go to skepticspath.org for more details on the book and tour, featuring some of the great artists, authors and activists you've heard on the podcast.Support the show

 Nearly 30 years ago, Stephen Batchelor wrote a book called Buddhism Without Beliefs that's become a foundational work for those seeking to adopt Buddhism into a non-religious form while still maintaining the power and authenticity of it's time tested practices. I had a chance to speak with Stephen Batchelor recently from his home in France, where he shared his own creative struggle with Buddhism. From his origins as an ordained Tibetan Buddhist monk to becoming a skeptical agnostic who admits that he simply doesn't know the answers to life's biggest questions.Episode 157: Buddhism Without Beliefs with Stephen BatchelorScott Snibbe has just released a new book called How to Train a Happy Mind that shares the accessible approach to Buddhism familiar to podcast listeners. The book features a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and you can order it right now anywhere you buy books. Go to skepticspath.org for more details on the book and tour, featuring some of the great artists, authors and activists you've heard on the podcast.Support the show

To enjoy life, we have to live in the moment. But it's essential to plan for the things that haven't happened yet, but you fear may happen. Our guest today is Andrew McConnell, founder, and CEO at rented.com, a team of vacation rental professionals with 50+ years of experience in managing, marketing, and pricing vacation rentals, to talk about his best-selling book 'Get Out of My Head'. Throughout the episode, we dive into Andrew's background, stoic wisdom, valuing ourselves, love and hate for what you do, zero-based Calendaring, and more. [00.23] The history – Andrew dives into his journey, starting as a swimmer to opening up his own company. [05.00] Stoic wisdom – Andrew shares what stoic wisdom is and how he selected it as a framework for his book. [12.04] The game of life – It's human nature to measure themselves in others' opinions. Andrew dives into why we must stop living according to others' views. [16.43] Valuing ourselves – Andrew dives into the three levels of valuing ourselves; What do you think you are worth? How do you change it to work out, and what are you doing at any given moment? [30.01] Love and hate – Andrew dives into his two-by-two framework, where you have to figure out what you love, what you hate, and what you are great at. [36.13] Calendaring and Budgeting- Andrew defines what he meant by Zero-budgeting and calendaring in his book. [45.14] Enjoying time – Andrew dives into the importance of focusing on what you want to do in a particular moment and not ruining it by thinking about something else. [58.55] Kernel of truth – Andrew dives into the importance of finding other facts about your beliefs. It will make you see what we know isn't always the right thing. [01.07.32] Locus of control – Locus of control has two sides. External and internal. Andrew dives into how we can control our actions according to these. [01.15.54] Future negative events – Andrew shares his opinion on premeditation on future negative events and their importance. [01.19.50] Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best – A book by Donna R. Childs. [01.26.30] Habit – Wrapping up the conversation, Andrew dives into what habit he has that had an impact on his life. Resources        Connect with AndrewLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandrewmcconnell/ Get out of my head by Andrew- https://books.google.lk/books/about/Get_Out_of_My_Head.html Website - https://www.rented.com/  https://books.google.lk/books/about/Buddhism_Without_Beliefs.html Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best – https://books.google.lk/books/about/Prepare_for_the_Worst_Plan_for_the_Best.htmlThe 4-Hour Workweek – https://books.google.lk/books/about/The_4_hour_Workweek.html One Thousand and One Arabian Nights – https://books.google.lk/books/about/One_Thousand_and_One_Arabian_Nights.htmlLyndon B. Johnson - https://books.google.lk/books/about/Lyndon_B_Johnson.html?  The wheel of time – https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/6252.Robert_Jordan  

Renowned Buddhist teacher Stephen Batchelor speaks to Banyen Books & Sound about his latest book, The Art of Solitude. Stephen Batchelor is a contemporary Buddhist teacher and writer. Best known for his secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism, he is one of he most influential voices in Buddhist thought today. Stephen Batchelor has been a contributing editor of Tricyle: The Buddhist Review since 1992, and is the author of several bestselling books, including Buddhism Without Beliefs, Living with the Devil, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, Secular Buddhism, and After Buddhism.

Dr. Jan Willis discusses her lifetime of teaching Buddhism and Buddhist studies courses. She reflects on helping students broaden their horizons and find their true selves, just as she discovered the wider world of higher education after surviving childhood in the segregated south. In her teaching, she uses stories to connect students with the pivotal moments in history that shape our understanding of social justice and engaged Buddhism. Jan is a Professor Emerita of Religion at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and Visiting Professor of Religion at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. In addition to her research on Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist saints' lives, and women and Buddhism, she also publishes on her personal experience of being a Black woman in Buddhist studies. This episode was recorded in January 2022. Memorable Quotations “I was raised in a mining camp outside of Birmingham, a town that was a mining camp that was split down the middle by one street. Blacks on one side, whites on the other. We dare not cross the road.” Jan Willis “I praise all of my strong black women teachers.” Jan Willis “I saw math and music as having universal languages. Here are languages that can be understood by anyone who reads that language.” Jan Willis “I was one of those faceless 15 year olds, tenth graders, who marched with King. So in '63 that had happened and that transformed my whole life. But in '65, when I got these scholarships, the Klan marched on our home. This was something that we'd grown up knowing about, the Klan targeted people from time to time.” Jan Willis “It was very, very dangerous I knew from the beginning, to be conspicuous in the south. It was frightening.” Jan Willis “So the Klan comes,… They set up a cross, 12 or 15 foot in front across the street from the house in an alleyway. And they light it. So I'm amazed. I'm awestruck. I'm dumbfounded, gobsmacked. Because first, the robes are not all white. There are red robes and there are purple robes, and the second thing is that they're men and women and children enrobed. This really strong urge came up in me to go out and talk to them… I wanted to teach them that just as they were a family, we were a family inside this house just like them.” Jan Willis “I call it a 'dual education,' our teachers made sure that we not only learned English literature, but we learned black literature. That we not only sang the national anthem, but we sang the negro National anthem as well. That we recited poems... That I can meet people, African-Americans today, a number of times I can meet them if they are my same age we can start reciting the same poem, we'll make the same hand gestures. So there was this dual education going on all the time which said 'you are somebody,' 'You have a tradition,' and we celebrated that.” Jan Willis “Those teachers were practicing ‘fugitive pedagogy,' what Jarvis Givens calls it, because it's an education that's meant to uplift the spirit as well as to uplift self-esteem.” Jan Willis “I don't want to convert those students, but I want those students to find their true selves, which I think are compassionate and capable. I want to help them discover that.” Jan Willis “My mission turned out to be helping them discover what they knew and helping them find the tools to research it further.” Jan Willis “Culturally, I'm African-American, but if I want to solve a problem, Buddhism has a lot of answers.” Jan Willis “I say, '10-20 years from now you won't remember all these dates, and this, that, the other. What do you think you'll carry forward as the most important teaching of the Buddha?' I think early on they're saying things, they come into the class some of them might say 'wisdom,' 'emptiness,' they don't understand any of that, but they've read it somewhere in there.” Jan Willis “Dhammapada 183, which says 'Do no harm, practice virtue, discipline the mind. This is the teaching of all the buddhas' I think that summarizes the whole thing. If you can get that flavour to students, it's the whole kit and caboodle right there.” Jan Willis “Doing no harm is right there, it's Martin Luther King's nonviolent resistance… Because we're all in this together and we'll all go down together unless we can learn to live together.” Jan Willis “King used to say there are three evils of society: over consumerism, militarism, and racism. Now in Buddhism, that racism would be the ignorance, the militarism is hatred, and the consumerism is greed, right? But in his last year he changed consumerism to poverty.” Jan Willis “We're all connected. I can't be who I am until you are who you ought to be, and you can't be who you ought to be until I am who I ought to be. It's so clear.” Jan Willis LINKS Jan Willis https://www.janwillis.org/ Jan Willis. Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist and Buddhist- One Woman's Spiritual Journey (Wisdom Publications, 2008) buy it here https://www.amazon.ca/Dreaming-Me-Baptist-Buddhist-Spiritual/dp/0861715489 Jan Willis Articles on Lion's Roar https://www.lionsroar.com/author/jan-willis/ Birmingham children's march 1963 https://www.biography.com/news/black-history-birmingham-childrens-crusade-1963 Jarvis R. Givens, Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674983687 bell hooks,  Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (Routledge 1994) https://www.routledge.com/Teaching-to-Transgress-Education-as-the-Practice-of-Freedom/hooks/p/book/9780415908085 Arthur Llewellyn Basham, The Wonder that Was India. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wonder_That_Was_India Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught. https://www.amazon.ca/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313 Steven Batchelor, Buddhism Without Beliefs. https://www.amazon.ca/Buddhism-without-Beliefs-Contemporary-Awakening/dp/1573226564  

RECUT from Episode 106: Many people who use substances say that they create a deeper connection with “god,” “nature” or their own “spiritual” selves. Yet most organized religions are averse to plant medicines including psilocybin, ayahuasca, peyote and cannabis. Christians call these entheogens (plants that when ingested produce higher states of consciousness) false gods and warn against them for a host of reasons, primarily because they don't want adherents straying from the flock.Buddhists use different words but similarly proscribe intoxicants that lead users into states of “mindlessness” or “carelessness.” But as an intermittent traveler in spiritual circles I can assure you substance use among Western spiritual teachers is far more widespread than openly admitted. So many of them use psychedelics and cannabis, but maintain a well-guarded “conspiracy of silence,” as this week's guest, Stephen Batchelor, puts it.Batchelor is an esteemed teacher, writer, artist, and Buddhist scholar, who is best known for his secular approach to Buddhism and his openness to using entheogens to deepen his own contemplative practices. At 18, he went to India, where he was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1974. He traveled, first to Germany and then South Korea, where he left the Tibetan tradition to train in Zen Buddhism. But in 1985 he disrobed, married and moved to France, where he and his wife still live in a small village near Bordeaux. His work has centered around developing a more modern, universalist approach to Buddhism, one that integrates the truths of tradition with the needs of our time.“The bulk of Buddhist teachers set out on this path through psychedelics and cannabis in the 1960s and 70s,” Batchelor, 68, told me. “But Buddhism, for many reasons, is too trapped in its own history. It appears user friendly but scratch the surface and you'll hit a bedrock of moralism. It's heavily committed to certain dogmas that it won't or can't release.”If you are interested in Batchelor's secular approach to this religion, I recommend Buddhism Without Beliefs, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, and his most recent, The Art of Solitude, which was written before COVID but helped me mightily during the darker days of lockdown and forced isolation. It's my honor to have Stephen as a guest and my pleasure to share the conversation with you.

One of the great challenges of life is to learn to be alone peaceably, at home in oneself. The pandemic forced many of us inside both physically and emotionally, even if we were not home on our own. We've been forced to work out the difference between loneliness and solitude. With teachers across the ages, and drawing on his life from monasticism to marriage, Buddhist writer and scholar Stephen Batchelor teaches how to approach solitude as a graceful and life-giving practice.Stephen Batchelor is a Buddhist writer and scholar who teaches seminars and leads meditation retreats worldwide. He's a co-founder and faculty member of Bodhi [BOH-dee] College, which is focused on the study and practice of early Buddhism. His many books include Buddhism Without Beliefs, The Faith to Doubt, and most recently, The Art of Solitude.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.This show originally aired in April 2020.

One of the great challenges of life is to learn to be alone peaceably, at home in oneself. The pandemic forced many of us inside both physically and emotionally, even if we were not home on our own. We've been forced to work out the difference between loneliness and solitude. With teachers across the ages, and drawing on his life from monasticism to marriage, Buddhist writer and scholar Stephen Batchelor teaches how to approach solitude as a graceful and life-giving practice.Stephen Batchelor is a Buddhist writer and scholar who teaches seminars and leads meditation retreats worldwide. He's a co-founder and faculty member of Bodhi [BOH-dee] College, which is focused on the study and practice of early Buddhism. His many books include Buddhism Without Beliefs, The Faith to Doubt, and most recently, The Art of Solitude.This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode "Stephen Batchelor — Finding Ease in Aloneness" Find the transcript for that show at onbeing.org.

I have been interested in Buddhism for some years now, and so to further feed my curiosity and broaden my knowledge on the subject I decided to turn to Stephen Batchelor, whose knowledge as both Buddhist practitioner and scholar is impressively extensive. Following his immersion in Buddhist teaching and training as a monk from the early 1970s, Stephen grew increasingly discontent with traditional Buddhism, in particular those aspects common to most religions, including a priestly class, dogmatism, and adherence to infallible holy texts. He has therefore devoted the last number of decades to promoting Secular Buddhism, incidentally the title of one of his many books. Some of Stephen's other major publications include Buddhism Without Beliefs, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, and, most recently, The Art of Solitude. My aim for this episode was two-fold: roughly the first half is devoted to exploring some basic tenets of Buddhism, while in the latter part we delved into Stephen's approach to secularising the tradition. After he told me about how he initially became a Buddhist in India, my guest was asked to provide some biographical background on the Buddha. Here Stephen painted a vivid cultural and historical portrait of India during Gautama's lifetime, which was a period of momentous transition. I asked him about the veracity of the famous account of what set the Buddha's quest for enlightenment in motion, which while not historically accurate has the kind of timeless truth all great myths possess. He clarified the three marks of existence and then explained the five precepts. I asked Stephen to provide insight into the Middle Way, after which we discussed how the Buddhist conception of enlightenment, something of a mistranslation as he noted, differs from the European variety that emerged in the eighteenth century. I provocatively, if still good naturedly, challenged Stephen about why he even bothers to call himself a secular Buddhist and does not simply slough off all affiliations to a faith tradition. We then had an extended discussion on mindfulness meditation, including how rapidly its popularity has expanded throughout the world in recent times, the centrality of this practice to the Buddha's teachings, and how its numerous physiological and psychological benefits point to the practical aspects of Buddhism that transcend any associations with, or even knowledge of, the religio-philosophical system whence it emerged. I hope, and am fairly convinced, Stephen's insights, articulacy, and erudition will give everyone who listens at least a few nourishing morsels for deeper reflection. Stephen Batchelor's website: https://stephenbatchelor.org/index.php/en/ Some of Stephen Batchelor's books: Buddhism Without Beliefs (1997) / Confession of a Buddhist Atheist (2010) / Secular Buddhism (2017) / The Art of Solitude (2020) Bodhi College, which Stephen co-founded and where he teaches courses off and online: https://bodhi-college.org/ Twitter account for Skeptically Curious: https://twitter.com/SkepticallyCur1 Patreon page for Skeptically Curious: https://www.patreon.com/skepticallycurious

In this English episode of the Club Groeneveld podcast ‘Terug naar de natuur’ (Back to Nature), Louis Bijl de Vroe has a conversation with Stephen Batchelor. Stephen is a contemporary Buddhist teacher and writer, best known for his secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism. Stephen considers Buddhism to be a constantly evolving culture of awakening rather than a religious system based on immutable dogmas and beliefs. Stephen was born in Scotland in 1953 and after completing Grammar School, he travelled overland to India at the age of eighteen. He settled in Dharamsala, the capital-in-exile of the Dalai Lama, where he studied Buddhist philosophy. After becoming a Buddhist monk, he continued his studies in various countries before settling in France where he has lived since 2000. There he pursues his work as a scholar, writer and artist. For several months each year, he travels worldwide to lead meditation retreats and teach Buddhism. He is the translator and author of various books and articles on Buddhism including the bestselling ‘Buddhism Without Beliefs’ and ‘Confession of a Buddhist Atheist.’ His most recent publication is ‘The Art of Solitude’ which came out just before the Covid crisis hit. In our conversation we talk about: The importance of realigning oneself with the natural world. The different ways of experiencing life, be it skimming over the surface or finding a depth within. your experience that allows you to get to grips with the core questions of who you are. About rediscovering the mysterious and how philosophy begins in wonder. The difficult question of how to know what is right and just. The ultimate importance of life not in an abstract sense, but in a concrete sense – or: the question how to actually lead a good life. About finding out that it is the process that matters, the constant process of learning which requires humility, openness and a sense of humour. The fact that, in a sense, the more you know, the less you know. Special thanks to Stephen Batchelor, Marcel Tjepkema, Martien Groenendijk, Joost Brands, Deborah Huisman, Lonneke Rhodens, Jelte Vredenbregt and Noa van Benthem. ABOUT CLUB GROENEVELD Club Groeneveld is a learning environment, source of inspiration and community for professionals, leaders, entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to help build a more meaningful world. With our programs and lectures we invite you to broaden your perspectives and deepen your view on your life, your leadership and responsibility within the world. In this way we help create breakthroughs from the inside and contribute to a more beautiful and more meaningful world with nature as one of our chief sources of inspiration. Interested in joining our community or one of our programs? Go to www.clubgroeneveld.nl, subscribe to our newsletter and podcast, or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

"I don’t take cannabis in social situations. I only take it by myself in a quiet, reflective space...Sometimes it leads me down blind alleys, but often it clarifies and heightens my reflections. I see it as a power plant."Many people who use substances say that they create a deeper connection with “god,” “nature” or their own “spiritual” selves. Yet most organized religions are averse to plant medicines including psilocybin, ayahuasca, peyote and cannabis. Christians call these entheogens (plants that when ingested produce higher states of consciousness) false gods and warn against them for a host of reasons, primarily because they don’t want adherents straying from the flock.Buddhists use different words but similarly proscribe intoxicants that lead users into states of “mindlessness” or “carelessness.” But as an intermittent traveler in spiritual circles I can assure you substance use among Western spiritual teachers is far more widespread than openly admitted. So many of them use psychedelics and cannabis, but maintain a well-guarded “conspiracy of silence,” as this week’s guest, Stephen Batchelor, puts it.Batchelor is an esteemed teacher, writer, artist, and Buddhist scholar, who is best known for his secular approach to Buddhism and his openness to using entheogens to deepen his own contemplative practices. At 18, he went to India, where he was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1974. He traveled, first to Germany and then South Korea, where he left the Tibetan tradition to train in Zen Buddhism. But in 1985 he disrobed, married and moved to France, where he and his wife still live in a small village near Bordeaux. His work has centered around developing a more modern, universalist approach to Buddhism, one that integrates the truths of tradition with the needs of our time.“The bulk of Buddhist teachers set out on this path through psychedelics and cannabis in the 1960s and 70s,” Batchelor, 68, told me. “But Buddhism, for many reasons, is too trapped in its own history. It appears user friendly but scratch the surface and you’ll hit a bedrock of moralism. It’s heavily committed to certain dogmas that it won’t or can’t release.”If you are interested in Batchelor's secular approach to this religion, I recommend Buddhism Without Beliefs, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, and his most recent, The Art of Solitude, which was written before COVID but helped me mightily during the darker days of lockdown and forced isolation. It’s my honor to have Stephen as a guest and my pleasure to share the conversation with you.This episode is sponsored by WONDERFEEL:Wonderfeel's next-generation wellness formulas are organic, tested and pure. More than just CBD, these are profoundly effective wonder formulas developed by Dr. Andrew Levinson and tested with patients at his clinic for over two years.Wonderfeel fans are thrilled, saying they fall asleep easier and stay asleep using the Evening CBD.Their Daytime CBD gets glowing reviews among migraine sufferers who finally found relief. And compared to other CBD brands their customers have tried, they report feeling way less anxiety and stress. If you want to feel the wonders of Wonderfeel formulas Log in here and use the code BRAVE, and you’ll get 15% off your purchase. If you don’t feel wonderful, your purchase is on Wonderfeel.

Upali interviews Stephen Batchelor,  a contemporary Buddhist teacher and writer, a former monk best known for his secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism.  They talk about teaching Dharma (vs simply teaching meditation), finding authority through authorship, and plant medicine. Stephen teaches meditation around the world, and he is the author of such well-known books as Buddhism Without Beliefs, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, After Buddhism, and most recently The Art of Solitude.  You can learn more about Stephen at https://www.stephenbatchelor.org/Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/teachingmeditation)

Stephen Batchelor is a teacher and author of the national bestselling title Buddhism Without Beliefs. Buddhadharma deputy editor Koun Franz asks him about the role of study in Buddhist practice – what divides the scholars from the practitioners – and how Batchelor bridges that gap, showing how practice opens up questions we can pursue with an attitude of curiosity that inspires us to investigate its foundations.

The featured atheist for this episode is Shayna, my daughter! She talks about her journeys into religion and her current passion for mindfulness, among other things. She is planning on reading Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor and is a fan of the Ten Percent Happier podcast by Dan Harris, If you're looking looking to interact with some friendly atheists, join the Yappers group on Facebook. Want to support this podcast? Go to Patreon.com and find Your Atheist Pastor.Thanks! -Jezebel

One of the great challenges of life is to learn to be alone peaceably, at home in oneself. And now, by way of a virus, we have been sent inside physically and emotionally, even if we’re not home on our own. We’re forced to work out the difference between isolation and loneliness or solitude. With teachers across the ages and drawing on his life from monasticism to marriage, Buddhist writer and scholar Stephen Batchelor teaches how to approach solitude as a graceful and life-giving practice.Stephen Batchelor teaches seminars and leads meditation retreats worldwide. He’s a co-founder and faculty member of Bodhi College, which is focused on the study and practice of early Buddhism. His many books include Buddhism Without Beliefs, The Faith to Doubt, and most recently, The Art of Solitude. Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org

One of the great challenges of life is to learn to be alone peaceably, at home in oneself. And now, by way of a virus, we have been sent inside physically and emotionally, even if we’re not home on our own. We’re forced to work out the difference between isolation and loneliness or solitude. With teachers across the ages and drawing on his life from monasticism to marriage, Buddhist writer and scholar Stephen Batchelor teaches how to approach solitude as a graceful and life-giving practice.Stephen Batchelor teaches seminars and leads meditation retreats worldwide. He’s a co-founder and faculty member of Bodhi College, which is focused on the study and practice of early Buddhism. His many books include Buddhism Without Beliefs, The Faith to Doubt, and most recently, The Art of Solitude.This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode "Stephen Batchelor — Finding Ease in Aloneness." Find more at onbeing.org.

Stephen Batchelor is a Buddhist teacher who takes an unconventional approach to the practice. He was more of a scholar, studying logic and philosophy rather than mantras and deities. In his early life, Stephen traveled to India and met the Dalai Lama, which led him to become a monk who practiced Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Throughout his practice, Stephen felt torn between reason and faith, which ultimately resulted in his secular approach to Buddhism. He follows it as an ever-changing awakening rather than as a religious belief. Stephen eventually transitioned from Tibetan to Zen practice, as he was drawn by the meditation and existential questions of the world. He says keeping an open and questioning mind is key to the practice, and Zen frees the mind from what holds it back, allowing creativity and the ability to embark on the arts. Stephen says that though it

Ernie and Trey take some time to check in with each other following the official release of the first several episodes of The Mosaic Life Podcast. Timestamps 00:01:14 Intro 00:05:51 Types of Meditation 00:09:39 Memento Mori, Be Present 00:18:02 Meditation Practice 00:20:33 Stress & Anxiety 00:27:06 Trey's LifeTracker 00:35:05 Dopamine Fast 00:41:01 #LiveSoberTakeOver Goals 00:49:12 Wim Hof Method 00:56:12 Ernie's Goals & Music 01:01:04 Challenges 01:11:37 Final Check-in 01:16:27 Closing Words Noteworthy Mentions 10% Happier ( https://www.amazon.com/10-Happier-Revised-Self-Help-Works/dp/0062917609 ) by Dan Harris 10% Happier Podcast ( https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast ) Sam Harris on The Kevin Rose Show ( https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sam-harris-enlightenment-real-meditation-consciousness/id1088864895?i=1000454340591 ) Oura Ring ( https://ouraring.com/ ) Tim Ferriss on Clinical Research into Psychedelic Drugs ( https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/health/ferriss-psychedelic-drugs-depression.html ) The Life Stylist Podcast with Luke Storey ( https://www.lukestorey.com/lifestylistpodcast ) Mindrolling Podcast with Raghu Markus ( https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindrolling-with-raghu-markus/id573008740 ) Buddhism Without Beliefs ( https://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Without-Beliefs-Contemporary-Awakening/dp/1573226564 ) by Stephen Batchelor Words to Reflect Upon "I don't like that man. I must get to know him better." Abraham Lincoln Join Our Conversation Follow our journey on Instagram @onemosaiclife ( https://www.instagram.com/onemosaiclife/ ) Email us your thoughts at onemosaiclife@gmail.com If you've enjoyed our conversation, we'd greatly appreciate it if you would take a few moments to leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts ( https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mosaic-life-podcast/id1482552269 ). Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-mosaic/exclusive-content See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Buy Buddhism Without Beliefs on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jKExz1 Read my notes: https://parkerklein.com/notes/buddhism-without-beliefs Visit my website: https://parkerklein.com App used to take notes: https://twosapp.com App used to track habits: https://awarepath.com App used to reflect: https://reflectwithmuse.com Thank you for listening :) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/parkerklein/support

Rahoita podcastin tekoa Patreonissa. Pienikin tuki auttaa! https://www.patreon.com/vistbacka Podcastin 37. jakson vieraana psykiatriakriittinen muttei -kielteinen psykiatriaan erikoistuva lääkäri ja väitöskirjatutkija Jani Kajanoja. Jakso taltioitiin 03.05.2019. Videoversio: https://youtu.be/4BH9mb8gnzk RSS: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:358481639/sounds.rss Jaksossa käsiteltyjä teemoja: • Psykiatria • Mielenterveys • Mielenterveysongelmat • Mielenterveyspopulismi • Mieli • Aivot • Aivosairaudet • Kärsimys • Transhumanismi • Hedonistinen imperatiivi • Masennus • Mielenterveyden verkostomalli • Stimulaatio • Diagnostiikka • Päihderiippuvuus • Vapaus • Moraali • Menestys • Meditaatio • Kilpailu • Opioidikriisi • Lääketehtaat • Lääketeollisuus • Lääketutkimus • Aleksitymia • Masennuslääkkeet • Tunnetaidot • Ajatusvinoumat • Elintasosairaudet • Kapitalismi • Huumekauppa • Järjestäytynyt rikollisuus • Psykedeelit • Buddhalaisuus • Ego • Spiritual bypassing • Tajunnantilojen kirjo • Myötätunto • Porno • Riippuvuus Linkkejä keskustelun tiimoilta: • Qualia Computing -sivuston blogaus https://bit.ly/2gtvigc • Psykiatrian verkostomallia käsittelevä katsaus https://bit.ly/2OURjdg • P factoria käsittelevä tutkimus https://bit.ly/2H8afin • Onnekkaiden myötätunto heikko-osaisempia kohtaan https://bit.ly/2Th4OSW • Janne Saarikivi ja Imre Kertészin kirja "Kohtalottomuus" https://bit.ly/2LdxFDb • Janin kirjoitus Psykiatrisen diagnostiikan haasteista https://bit.ly/2GSGxNY • Tyyneysrukous https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyyneysrukous • Artikkeli lääketehtaan pomon vankeusrangaistuksesta https://bit.ly/2YRO5uA • Janin blogaus lääketehtaiden väärinkäytöksistä https://bit.ly/2YMOTwQ • Opioidit alle 50-vuotiaiden yleisin kuolinsyy Yhdysvalloissa https://nyti.ms/2rCO2Qp • Seuran artikkeli turhista lääkkeistä https://bit.ly/2OKuvfU • Ex-poliisi Neil Woodsin luento huumeiden kieltolaista https://bit.ly/2yN4Wjw • Stephen Batchelorin kirja Buddhism Without Beliefs https://bit.ly/33hqov6 • Tutkimus joogan ja meditaation vaikutuksista egoon https://bit.ly/2TdtRX5 • Rob Burbean kirja Seeing That Frees https://bit.ly/2ZJpnKe • Oshoa käsittelevä Wild Wild Country -tv-sarja https://imdb.to/2YyVyj0 • Polttoitsemurhan tehnyt munkki Thích Quảng Đức https://bit.ly/1eynZSQ • William Jamesin kirja The Varieties of Religious Experience https://bit.ly/2OOqrLG • David Chapmanin Meaningness-sivusto https://bit.ly/2hny5eI • Janin tutkimusjulkaisut https://bit.ly/2YOzaNH • Janin blogi: https://bit.ly/2ZHHgci • Janin Facebook: https://bit.ly/2YTinNz ----- Ihmisiä, siis eläimiä -podcast rakastaa ymmärrystä avartavia näkökulmia. Syvän tiedonjanon ajaman ohjelman visiona on luoda asioiden ytimeen pureutuvaa, hitaampaa mediaa. Podcastin keskeisiä teemoja ovat tiede ja taide, tavallinen ja erikoinen, yksilö ja yhteiskunta sekä ihminen ja muu luonto. Ohjelman vetäjä, ymmärrykseltään keskeneräinen mutta utelias Henry Vistbacka on muusikko, kirjoittaja ja sekatyöläinen. • Facebook: https://facebook.com/ihmisiis • Twitter: https://twitter.com/ihmisiis • Instagram: https://instagram.com/ihmisiis • Youtube: https://youtube.com/ihmisiis • Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ihmisiis • Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2MLqNQE Podcastin tuotannon mahdollistavat Suomen kattavin ääninäyttelijäpankki Audiospot, https://www.audiospot.fi, sekä tiedettä raaka-aineenaan käyttävä taiteellinen tuotantoyhtiö Artlab, https://artlab.fi

Reaching into the old archives, here is an old talk given on a Monday night class at Against the Stream. The talk challenges us to look at our clinging to views around being a "Buddhist"

Dharma Talk by Dave Smith - 7/17/2016

Stephen Batchelor is a contemporary Buddhist teacher and writer, best known for his secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism. He is the author of "Buddhism Without Beliefs" and most recently has written "After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age". In this entry to the Buddhist Geeks series on ethics, Stephen joins host Vincent Horn to consider what it means to secularize Buddhist ethics. They discuss the process of removing early Buddhist ethics from its early Indian metaphysics, and between the ethical practice laid out by early Buddhism and more Western versions of ethics. They finish by discussing the metaphysical faith of secularism, in particular the role that rationalism & individualism play in this translation project. Episode Links: StephenBatchelor.org http://www.stephenbatchelor.org/ "After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age" by Stephen Batchelor http://www.amazon.com/After-Buddhism-Rethinking-Dharma-Secular/dp/030020518X "Syntheism: Creating God in the Internet Age" by Alexander Bard & Jan Söderqvist http://syntheism.org/wp-content/syntheism_book/Syntheism.html "Cyber Philosophy and the Void" http://www.buddhistgeeks.com/2014/03/bg-315-cyber-philosophy-void/ "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari https://www.amazon.com/Sapiens-Humankind-Yuval-Noah-Harari-ebook/dp/B00ICN066A?ie=UTF8&me=&ref_=mt_kindle

This episode, I sit down with Edward Norton (@EdwardNorton). Edward is an actor, filmmaker and activist. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards for his work in Primal Fear, American History X, and Birdman. He has starred in scores of other films, including Fight Club, The Illusionist, and Moonrise Kingdom. Unbeknownst to most people, Edward is also a serial startup founder (e.g. CrowdRise; here’s my current campaign), a UN ambassador for biodiversity, a massively successful investor (e.g. early Uber), a pilot, and deeply involved with wilderness conservation. In this conversation, we cover a lot of ground, including: His beginnings in acting, and what early mentors taught him What separates great actors from mediocre actors, as illustrated through an early Marlon Brando story Edward’s physical preparation for American History X (and camera trickery) The importance of surfing His favorite books, documentaries, underrated films and filmmakers, and essays (The Catastrophe of Success, etc.) His advice to his 20- and 30-year old self And much more... And here’s a bonus, another favorite book he remembered after we stopped recording: Buddhism Without Beliefs. Enjoy! This podcast is brought to you by 99Designs, the world's largest marketplace of graphic designers. I have used them for years to create some amazing designs. When your business needs a logo, website design, business card, or anything you can imagine, check out 99Designs. I used them to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body, and I've also had them help with display advertising and illustrations. If you want a more personalized approach, I recommend their 1-on-1 service. You get original designs from designers around the world. The best part? You provide your feedback, and then you end up with a product that you're happy with or your money back. Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run. This podcast is also brought to you by Wealthfront. Wealthfront is a massively disruptive (in a good way) set-it-and-forget-it investing service, led by technologists from places like Apple and world-famous investors. It has exploded in popularity in the last 2 years and now has more than $2.5B under management. In fact, some of my good investor friends in Silicon Valley have millions of their own money in Wealthfront. Why? Because you can get services previously limited to the ultra-wealthy and only pay pennies on the dollar for them, and it’s all through smarter software instead of retail locations and bloated sales teams. Check out wealthfront.com/tim, take their risk assessment quiz, which only takes 2-5 minutes, and they’ll show you—for free–exactly the portfolio they’d put you in. If you want to just take their advice and do it yourself, you can. Or, as I would, you can set it and forget it. Well worth a few minutes: wealthfront.com/tim. ***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Visit tim.blog/sponsor and fill out the form.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

We finish up our discussion with meditation teacher Ken McLeod, touching on a number of fascinating and challenging topics. Ken speaks about the distinction between answering the questions that drive us, as opposed to simply understanding “what the Buddha taught.” He gets into where he thinks these questions originate from, and also what meaning evolution might have on our personal stories. Ken also explores the dichotomy of lay vs. monastic practice, and uses several analogies to illustrate the differences, including from both music and sports. Vincent and Ken get into a spirited and philosophical discussion as to how far one can take these analogies and how accurate they might be when applied to Buddhist theory and practice. This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Pragmatic Buddhism. Episode Links: Unfettered Mind ( http://www.unfetteredmind.org ) Buddhism Without Beliefs ( http://amzn.to/ednqVh ) Malcolm Gladwell ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Gladwell ) Khyungpo Naljor ( http://www.tibetanlineages.org/biographies/view/151/6285 )

Secular Buddhist teacher Stephen Batchelor joins us to explore some of the ideas presented in his newest book, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist. We start off by examining the two Buddhist doctrines of karma and rebirth, using the original teachings of the Buddha, especially the “imponderables” as a touchstone for the conversation. Stephen’s basic claim being that the belief in rebirth doesn’t have sufficient evidence behind it, and it actually takes away from the core practices and teachings of the Buddha. We conclude the interview by exploring the difference between agnosticism and atheism, which Stephen claims can be integrated together into what he calls an “ironic atheism.” Episode Links: Stephen and Martine Batchelor ( http://www.stephenbatchelor.org ) Buddhism Without Beliefs ( http://amzn.to/bHGkI7 ) Confession of a Buddhist Atheist ( http://amzn.to/9WL5X1 )

- On this episode we discuss our recent trip where us farangs (the Thai word for people of European origin) visited Phuket in Thailand. - Kathoeys in Thailand (who are born physiologically male but, as one Thai saying goes, have a female heart) and avoiding transphobia in feminist movements. - Thailand has recently had a military coup and has banned George Orwells book 1984 and we cover this, as well as having a discussion on representative versus direct democracy. - The relationship people have with animals in Thailand compared to Western countries. - Travelling as vegans and anti-consumerists. - Skin whitening products being sold in the supermarkets (rather than the tanning products sold in the West). - The books we read while we were away: Atheism The Case Against God and Buddhism Without Beliefs. - The importance of direct action, discussions on violence and non-violence, and direct action and ableism. - Where to now for the movement for Palestine now there is an indefinite ceasefire. - For more information on this episode and for links to all of the stories and clips from it, go to: http://progressivepodcastaustralia.com/2014/09/20/thailand/

"This deep, spiritual work," according to Michael, "is ultimately, is about resolve." In Stephen Batchelor's, Buddhism Without Beliefs, this idea of committed, fearlessness is supported where he suggests that we continually take accurate stock of our lives and then live from this place of honesty with resolve. While these suggestions are simple, they are not necessarily easy. Accepting as Suzuki Roshi says, "Things as it is," and then acting consciously from this recognition. Anything less sets us up for suffering. This suffering is caused the wars that we often subtly declare with things that are external. These declarations then fuel our own interior conflict. So what is our resolve? Rumi says, "Pain wil be born from that look cast inside yourself and this pain will make you go behind the veil." While Rumi leaves it to us to see what's behind the veil his words direct us into the direct experience of using our own dissatisfaction in order to heal the world. Doing so helps us lead embodied lives of fearlessness. If we truly want peace, This fearlessness is something to be cultivated. How do we do this? "Begin," Michael says, "with sitting still since doing so that we may have the chance to be totally available to what's needed. When we can engage the world from grace and ease, our entire life becomes a reflection of this perspective. This is how we change the world.  

"This deep, spiritual work," according to Michael, "is ultimately, is about resolve." In Stephen Batchelor's, Buddhism Without Beliefs, this idea of committed, fearlessness is supported where he suggests that we continually take accurate stock of our lives and then live from this place of honesty with resolve. While these suggestions are simple, they are not necessarily easy. Accepting as Suzuki Roshi says, "Things as it is," and then acting consciously from this recognition. Anything less sets us up for suffering. This suffering is caused the wars that we often subtly declare with things that are external. These declarations then fuel our own interior conflict. So what is our resolve? Rumi says, "Pain wil be born from that look cast inside yourself and this pain will make you go behind the veil." While Rumi leaves it to us to see what's behind the veil his words direct us into the direct experience of using our own dissatisfaction in order to heal the world. Doing so helps us lead embodied lives of fearlessness. If we truly want peace, This fearlessness is something to be cultivated. How do we do this? "Begin," Michael says, "with sitting still since doing so that we may have the chance to be totally available to what's needed. When we can engage the world from grace and ease, our entire life becomes a reflection of this perspective. This is how we change the world.  

Colin Marshall talks to Sharpham College for Buddhist Studies founder Stephen Batchelor, author on, scholar of and educator about Buddhist topics. His latest book, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, recounts his journey from young spiritual seeker to devoted monk to questioning student to holder of the complex hybrid of principles and practices he has achieved today. This personal narrative builds upon and provides a background to his famously controversial Buddhism Without Beliefs.