Stephen Batchelor is the most prominent proponent of secular Buddhism. Beginning with his book Buddhism Without Beliefs to his most recent book, Secular Dharma, Stephen has played a crucial role in the development of a secular dharma relevant to our contemporary society.
Batchelor, a former monk in the Tibetan and Korean Zen Buddhist traditions, has practiced vipassana meditation and taught at various insight meditation centers, including New York Insight, Gaia House, and Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. He is currently one of the core faculty at Bodhi College, an educational organisation dedicated to an exploration of the dharma as found in the earliest Buddhist texts through courses combining study and retreats.
Stephen’s wife, Martine Batchelor, has collaborated with him on many projects and has co-taught with Stephen at various retreats. Martine has published her own work which secular Buddhists will find valuable.
The list below is not comprehensive, but does include Stephen’s more recent contributions to the development of a secular dharma.
Books by Stephen Batchelor
- The Art of Solitude (2020)
- Secular Buddhism: Imagining the dharma in an uncertain world (2017)
- After Buddhism: Rethinking the dharma for a secular age (2015)
- Confession of a Buddhist Atheist (2010)
- Buddhism Without Beliefs: A contemporary guide to awakening (1997)
Articles by Stephen Batchelor
- “Dropping the Bodhisattava Gods,” Tricycle, June 13, 2018. https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/stephen-batchelor-secular-buddhism/
- “A Secular Buddhist,” Tricycle, Fall 2012. https://tricycle.org/magazine/secular-buddhist/
- “A Secular Buddhism,” Journal of Global Buddhism, 13 (2012). http://www.globalbuddhism.org/jgb/index.php/jgb/article/view/127/142
Stephen’s interviews with….
Noah Rasheta on secular Buddhism in a nutshell – Episode 51 of the Secular Buddhism podcast, September 18, 2017 – https://secularbuddhism.com/stephen-batchelor/
Ted Meissner on his book, Secular Buddhism: imagining the dharma in an uncertain age – Episode 270 of the Secular Buddhist podcast, March 5, 2017 – https://secularbuddhism.org/episode-270-stephen-batchelor-secular-buddhism-imagining-the-dharma-in-an-uncertain-world/
Robert Wright on secular Buddhism – MeaningofLife.tv – November 2, 2016 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYXm6vAxOMI
Rana Mitter – a wide-ranging discussion with Stephen Batchelor in February 2016 for the BBC Radio 3 flagship arts and ideas programme ‘Free Thinking’. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0717c22
Dharma Talks on Dharmaseed.org
Since 2002, Stephen Batchelor has given over 200 dharma talks given at workshops and meditation retreats which are available on the website, Dharmaseed.org. His talks can be searched by topic or date.