by Mike Slott
My interest in and engagement with secular Buddhism occurred fairly late in my life. From the 1970s, my energy and commitments had been focussed on the labor movement and radical political activism. I knew very little about Buddhism, and had assumed that, like other religions, it was promising some kind of perfect life beyond our world.
A young Mike Slott, in a photo from 1984
I have been a secular Buddhist since 2011, after reading Stephen Batchelor’s books on secular dharma. Having discovered this form of Buddhism, I wanted to understand how this recent development fits in with my existing interest in radical theory and activism. And so, over a period of several years, I became more engaged in exploring the points of connection between secular Buddhism and Left politics, writing a number of articles and essays on this topic. Since October 2019, I have been the editor of the Secular Buddhist Network website and SBN’s monthly newsletter, Rethinking Dharma/Reimagining Community.
As I grew more interested in secular Buddhism, I was pleased see that Ramsey Margolis and Winton Higgins had created a publishing imprint, Tuwhiri, for books on and related to the secular dharma. Their efforts have contributed to the development of secular Buddhism as an important current within Buddhism and in the larger society. At the same time, both Ramsey and Winton recognize the importance of secular Buddhism being connected to social and political activism as part of the goal of creating a flourishing life for all.
Based on these shared perspectives, I recently joined Tuwhiri’s Editorial Board and look forward to working with other board members to publish new books and expand the influence of a socially engaged, secular Buddhism.
https://secularbuddhistnetwork.org/author/mslott
Interested in joining Tuwhiri's editorial board? Have a read of this.