Discuss Secular Buddhism & Analytical Meditation: East Bay

A discussion group for people who practice Analytical Meditation and Secular Buddhism. This group has a very narrow focus: it will be small.

New members need to answer some questions to join. More on this below.

"Analytical Meditation:" an active analytical process, focusing and questioning. It is an intellectual effort, not a relaxation. It seeks a deeper understanding of one's own motivations, choices, behaviors, and emotions. I have no complaints about breath meditation, transcendental, or mindfulness: this group is not about those practices.

"Secular Buddhism" considers core Buddhist principles (impermanence, compassion, interrelatedness) but is silent (or rejects) the non-verifiable, the mystical, and the supernatural. The focus is on science and empirically observable phenomena. The emphasis is on pragmatic and ethical aspects of Buddhism without the cultural aspects, metaphysics, rote behaviors, and structured religion. "Be a light unto yourself. Do not follow others, do not imitate…" We seek to be happier, more "enlightened," and we seek a more compassionate world.

My understanding and interest in this path draws heavily on Scott Snibbe's excellent Skeptics Path to Enlightenment website and his 2024 book "How to Train a Happy Mind."

I am organizing this group because people don't commonly discuss Analytical Meditation. (Why?) "Meditation" covers a wide range of practices, and so does "Buddhism." It's easy to find reading material and harder to find discussions. There are no Secular Buddhist temples! I have ideas to share, and I have questions for other practitioners.

What this group is:
Sharing tools and insights. Getting unstuck, and helping others. Listening to other perspectives on your questions.
• We discuss techniques and resources. What reading helped you on your journey? What physical setting do you find most helpful?
• We share insights you are learning from your AM practice.
• We may discuss shared readings, a story, or a koan.
• We share the difficulties we encounter in our practice: both practical difficulties and difficult problems to think through.

What this group is not:
• We do not meditate at Meetups. You can obviously connect with other members if you like, but the Meetups have discussion, not silence.
• This is not a lecture series. No member is a teacher, bodhisattva, guru, sensei, or lama. "If you meet the Buddha on the road…. " Members will share their practices, guides, and insights as peers. We practice compassion and good conversation skills. Members ask questions of other members with sincere interest. We are all beginners. We remember the parable of the overflowing tea cup. Lecturers and orators will be removed from the group.
• This is not a group for people who do not practice Analytical Meditation but aspire to do so. We value those people, of course, but they would not have as much to add to the group. We want to avoid a teacher-student dynamic.
• We do not discuss the supernatural parts of any religion such as reincarnation and divine beings. We are not limited to any one school of Asian Buddhism. You can certainly have a religious belief, but that's not part of this group.

Strict Attendance Policy
• Individual Meetups will be capped at a small number because of the nature of the discussions.
• Plans change, of course. When that happens, update your RSVP so others can adjust their expectations and plans. No-shows will be removed from the group.

Practicalities
• We will meet on weekends (to be discussed) roughly monthly (to be discussed).
• We will meet at my house in the middle of Alameda. I have a nice garden where we meet when the weather is pleasant, and we meet in the living room when it's less pleasant outside. My house has plenty of free street parking, and it is easily accessible from the 51A and O (Transbay) bus lines. It is level-entrance, wheelchair accessible, though the bathroom is not ADA compliant. Check your travel time to Franklin Park in Alameda, and that's pretty close.
• I have two sweet cats who love visitors.

New Members
• Thank you for reading this far. There is another step: new members will need to answer a few short questions so we are all clear that our expectations are aligned. If people arrive with different expectations, that is awkward for everyone.
• You will a real photo. The group is private, and we are trying to establish community. That's why we are on Meetup, right? If this requirement risks your safety (you are being stalked, for example), let me know.
• I fully appreciate that this narrow focus and the quirky rules might not be for everyone. Please understand that I'm trying to create a smaller group with a more focused interest. I want to avoid casual drop-ins and -outs. I hope that this group can be a community.