The Art of Solitude, Creativity, and Secular Buddhism With Stephen Batchelor

Solitude is part of wellbeing. Alone time allows you to ponder good questions, explore creativity, and consider what it means to be a good human. In this episode, Stephen Batchelor, a former Buddhist monk, shares the art of solitude, what it means to be a secular Buddhist, the value of going against the stream, how to live an ethical life, and the intersection between Buddha and Socrates. Find some time to be alone with yourself and take a listen!

Listen and Learn:

What is secular Buddhism
How do we ask ourselves good questions
The creativity in solitude
The value in going against the stream
Being who you are
Buddha and Socrates as contemporaries
Leading an ethical life

About Stephen Batchelor

Stephen Batchelor is a former monk in the Tibetan and Zen traditions. He has translated Shantideva’s A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life and is the author of Alone with Others, The Faith to Doubt, The Tibet Guide, The Awakening of the West, Buddhism without Beliefs, and Verses from the Center. He is a contributing editor of Tricycle magazine, a guiding teacher at Gaia House Retreat Centre, and cofounder of Sharpham College for Buddhist Studies and Contemporary Inquiry in Devon, England. He lives in southwest France and lectures and conducts meditation retreats worldwide.