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Secular Buddhism: An Introduction
Secular Buddhism is not a religion, but a wisdom path centered in practice. It is skeptical of any teachings that are not supported by scientific and psychological evidence.
There is no scientific proof of rebirth. There are rational explanations, but they all rest on unprovable assumptions. Hence, secular Buddhists don’t believe in a literal rebirth after death or the supernatural (such as heavens and hells). It views the Sutras as a mix of tradition and authentic teachings of the Buddha, and should be studied critically.
Secular Buddhism is one way to think about the Buddhist way of life beyond the confines of traditional Buddhist religion. I believe that the Buddha Dharma is evolving and adapting itself to modern secular culture. The new emerging face of the Dharma is secular Buddhism, the fourth vehicle of Buddhism.
There is no scientific proof of rebirth. There are rational explanations, but they all rest on unprovable assumptions. Hence, secular Buddhists don’t believe in a literal rebirth after death or the supernatural (such as heavens and hells). It views the Sutras as a mix of tradition and authentic teachings of the Buddha, and should be studied critically.
Secular Buddhism is one way to think about the Buddhist way of life beyond the confines of traditional Buddhist religion. I believe that the Buddha Dharma is evolving and adapting itself to modern secular culture. The new emerging face of the Dharma is secular Buddhism, the fourth vehicle of Buddhism.
- GenresBuddhism
101 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 11, 2016
17 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Jay N. Forrest
21 books7 followersJay N. Forrest is a Christian mystic pursuing God through prayer, meditation, simplicity, solitude, and silence. He is the author of The Deeper Life: Finding God on the Mystic Path.
Jay N. Forrest was an ordained Pentecostal minister for over two decades. He earned his doctorate of ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Christian University. He has deeply explored many philosophical and religious traditions and is certified to teach mindfulness meditation.
Jay N. Forrest was an ordained Pentecostal minister for over two decades. He earned his doctorate of ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Christian University. He has deeply explored many philosophical and religious traditions and is certified to teach mindfulness meditation.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 22, 2018
Good starting point
I would recommended this book as a good starting point for those who want to learn about secular Buddhism. It makes good, scientific arguments regarding mysticism, but doesn't denigrate other schools.
I would recommended this book as a good starting point for those who want to learn about secular Buddhism. It makes good, scientific arguments regarding mysticism, but doesn't denigrate other schools.
January 21, 2019
Many questions answered.
Very good reading. Answered many of my questions. I am just now starting down the Buddhist path and had many questions about rebirth and mythology. Jay helped me comprehend them.
Very good reading. Answered many of my questions. I am just now starting down the Buddhist path and had many questions about rebirth and mythology. Jay helped me comprehend them.
December 23, 2016
Being new to Secular Buddhism, this book was a good introduction to the basics. However, as the author states upfront, there is a lot of repetition because this was not written as a book but is a compilation of podcasts and entries on his blog. I did learn a good bit about secular buddhism and traditional buddhism, but the format was a bit off-putting.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews