SBT - Community

Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is an American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Tradition. He is well known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense views, his ability to clarify complex philosophical points for all audiences, and his familiarity with all traditions of Buddhist thought and non-Buddhist traditions as well. SBT, the Secular Buddhist Tradition, is an international online Sangha established by Venerable Te...

What exactly is it to call yourself a Buddhist? How do you choose a tradition and teacher? How do you begin to engage with the Buddhist path? These questions and many others are shared in this teaching.    Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is an American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Tradition. He is well known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense views, his ability to clarify complex philosophical point...

Our Mindful Diet Practice is aimed at cultivating and maintaining healthy and balanced dietary habits.  This practice is a part of our Skillful Living Teaching Series and our Skillful Living Lifestyle. Which is comprised of the 10 tenets of a wholesome spiritual life. The fifth tenet being 'Eat well' – to move towards a healthier and more balanced diet, embracing moderation while becoming awa...

Teaching on Death and Dying SBT, the Secular Buddhist Tradition, is an international online Sangha established by Venerable Tenzin Tharpa as a spiritual community for like-minded friends. Friends dedicated to the study and practice of the timeless wisdom of the Buddha. A community committed to goodness and improvement, embracing skillful living and a holistic spiritual lifestyle. In our teachings,...

Six Perfections (Skt. prajnaparamita ) - The perfection of wisdom . The practice of the perfection of wisdom is the primary practice of the bodhisattva.  Bodhichitta - The altruistic mind of awakening . Bodhichitta is perhaps the single most important aspect of the Mahayana path. The term bodhichitta is comprised of two words, bodhi (Skt.) meaning awakened, and citta (Skt.) meaning mind; toge...

Generally, Secular Buddhism is focused on the earliest Buddhist teachings, referred to as the EBTs, which some believe are the most authentic teachings of the Buddha. Therefore, Secular Buddhism is based strongly on the Theravada Tradition of Buddhism. The idea of a secular Mahayana path began to emerge when members of my sangha started asking for bodhisattva vows. When I investigated their motiva...

The term bodhisattva is comprised of two words, bodhi (Skt.)–meaning awakening, and sattva (Skt.)–meaning, essence, being, or spirit; together they can be translated as one who possesses the mind of awakening. The Mahayana tradition (often referred to as the Bodhisattva Vehicle) is founded upon the bodhisattva ideal. The bodhisattva is an advanced practitioner (monastic or lay) who possesses the a...

Mind training is a Mahayana practice with the aim of cultivating and attaining bodhichitta, the altruistic mind of awakening.   Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is an American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Tradition. He is well known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense views, his ability to clarify complex philosophical points for all audiences, and his familiarity with all traditions of Buddhist thought an...

Emptiness (Skt. sunyata; Tib. tongpa nyi): Synonymous with voidness, suchlessness, essence-lessness, and identitylessness. The term emptiness pertains to the doctrine that all phenomena, both external and internal, are interdependent and empty of inherent existence.   Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is an American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Tradition. He is well known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense...

This is the second teaching from our Sunday retreat - Sunday, 25th, 2021 Top 10 Meditation Tips #10)  Put comfort and quality over duration - It’s the quality of your meditation that’s important, not the duration of each session. A short, deeply engaged meditation is far more beneficial than an hour of conceptual chatter forcing yourself to sit in discomfort #9)  Keep your practice perso...

This is the first teaching from our Sunday retreat - Sunday, 25th, 2021   Meditation aspiration With a deep appreciation for this precious life and a resolve not to waste it,      I now engage in meditation. With a deep conviction in the vast benefits and importance of this practice,     I now engage in meditation.   With the wish to develop myself and...

Sunday, April 4th- The topic of this teaching is ‘buddha nature’ The innate potential of all beings to awaken; or the mind’s innate potential for complete clarity; further understood as the emptiness of inherent existence of the mind. Buddha nature is often referred to as the essence of awakening or enlightened essence, for without it, enlightenment would not be possible. Read about ‘buddha nature...

Sunday, March 28th. The topic of this retreat teaching is ‘bodhicitta (the mind of awakening) and the practice of ‘Mind Training’ (or as I like to call it ‘Heart Training’) training to become a more loving person. More specifically we will be studying Lama Tsongkhapa’s ‘Eleven-point method for generating bodhicitta’. These mind training contemplations are practiced within our Insight meditation an...

Zoom Teaching on The Four Noble Truths - Monday, March 8th For more on Tharpa’s teachings on The Four Noble Truths download his free texts, Tibetan Buddhist Essentials – Volume 2 – Page 4 http://tenzintharpa.com/wp-content/up... ​ Tibetan Buddhist Essentials – Volume 3 – Page 47   http://tenzintharpa.com/wp-content/up...​ Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is an American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Tra...

Friday the 5th – this short teaching pertains to the first of our ‘Ten Tenets of a Holistic Spiritual Lifestyle’ – ‘develop the mind’.   Free PDF Text: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Is0... ​ The Ten Tenets of a Holistic Spiritual Lifestyle https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bs6N...​ Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is an American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Tradition who offers a modern and progres...

Secular Buddhism can be understood as an approach to the study and practice of the Buddha’s teachings aimed at clarifying and demystifying them by lifting them out of their presumed religious, mystical, and cultural context. Secular Buddhism can be understood as a more objective and rational approach to the Buddha’s teachings, seeking to reinterpret them through fresh eyes, skeptical not of the Bu...

The Four Gifts is a daily practice of generosity that can be offered to the world throughout your day. The gifts of your stability, calmness, care , and happiness . Qualities that are contagious and bring out the best in others and in ourselves. This practice is especially beneficial for those who suffer from social discomfort. This practice is generally applied when engaging with others but can b...

Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is an American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Tradition who offers a modern and progressive presentation of the Buddha's teachings, favoring a more secular approach. Venerable Tharpa is well known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense views, his ability to clarify complex philosophical points for all audiences, and his familiarity with all traditions of Buddhist thought and non-Budd...

Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is an American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Tradition who offers a modern and progressive presentation of the Buddha's teachings, favoring a more secular approach. Venerable Tharpa is well known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense views, his ability to clarify complex philosophical points for all audiences, and his familiarity with all traditions of Buddhist thought and non-Budd...

Meditation aspiration With a deep appreciation for this precious life and a resolve not to waste it,     I now engage in meditation. With a deep conviction in the vast benefits and importance of this practice,    I now engage in meditation.   With the wish to develop myself and uncover my full potential,     I now engage in meditation. &n...

This content is available for free download in text format (pdf), video (avi), and audio (mp3) at: http://TenzinTharpa.com Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Gelug Tradition and a devoted student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Venerable Tharpa shares a modern progressive presentation of the Buddha's teachings favoring a more secular approach. He is well known for his pragma...

This content is available for free download in text format (pdf), video (avi), and audio (mp3) at: http://TenzinTharpa.com Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Gelug Tradition and a devoted student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Venerable Tharpa shares a modern progressive presentation of the Buddha's teachings favoring a more secular approach. He is well known for his pragma...

This content is available for free download in text format (pdf), video (avi), and audio (mp3) at: http://TenzinTharpa.com Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Gelug Tradition and a devoted student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Venerable Tharpa shares a modern progressive presentation of the Buddha's teachings favoring a more secular approach. He is well known for his pragma...

Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is an American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Tradition who offers a modern and progressive presentation of the Buddha's teachings, favoring a more secular approach. Venerable Tharpa is well known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense views, his ability to clarify complex philosophical points for all audiences, and his familiarity with all traditions of Buddhist thought and non-Budd...

Venerable Tenzin Tharpa is an American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Tradition who offers a modern and progressive presentation of the Buddha's teachings, favoring a more secular approach. Venerable Tharpa is well known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense views, his ability to clarify complex philosophical points for all audiences, and his familiarity with all traditions of Buddhist thought and non-Budd...