This website has arisen out of the need to present the Buddha’s teachings in a way that is relevant to the 21st century Australia and are free of the cultural overlay present in all ethnic Buddhist organisations operating in this country.
In a world in which the very survival of the human species is at stake, it has become imperative that concerned people take the time to understand how Buddhism can help address some of the very serious issues facing our planet; issues like the climate emergency, wars, the growing gap between rich and poor and the general malaise that affects all societies in a globalised world.

Why Secular Buddhism?

There is an overall perception in western communities that the word secular has some anti-religious underpinnings so that from some quarters are expressing the view that characterises secular Buddhism as in opposition to traditional Buddhism. The word ‘secular’, as a qualifier for Buddhism, has come to be interpreted as to imply concern for this century, this world, our time.
Secular Buddhism is not concerned with speculation about past or future lives nor with the pursuit of transcendental states that fall outside this present life.
Secular Buddhism tries to present the Dharma in a way that reflects one of the essential characteristics of the Buddha’s teachings, that of “ehipassko” the meaning of which is “come and see”, which is an appeal to the empirical verification of the Dharma before acceptance.

In future blogs and articles we will examine in detail some of the issues raised in this presentation.
We intend to initiate a conversation with similar groups around the world.
If you have any comments, please go to the “Contact us” tab in a spirit of constructive exchange.