Secret #23: Good and Evil with Stephen Batchelor

In this enlightening Life's Dirty Little Secrets episode hosts Emma Waddington and Chris McCurry delve deep with the Buddhist philosopher, Stephen Batchelor on navigating ethical dilemmas in a world bound by societal norms. In this episode, Stephen challenges listeners to find courage and clarity in uncertainty, and to embrace radical self-acceptance as a means to thoughtful, compassionate living.

Touching on the need for like-minded communities amid the decline of traditional institutions, this episode encourages individuals to consciously forge new support systems. Stephen's call for a personal approach to spirituality and ethics resonates throughout the discussion, advocating for a non-binary grasp of morality.

Tune in to explore the balance between individual beliefs and societal pressures, and how meditation groups can anchor us in a turbulent sea of systemic issues. "Good and Evil with Stephen Batchelor" is a must-hear for those wrestling with life's complex ethical questions.

Highlights:

• The Nature of Ethical Choices
• Personal Values vs. Societal Pressures
• Inner Values and Intuition
• Stress, Binary Thinking, and Language
• Self-Acceptance and Growth

Timestamps:

[00:00] Striking similarities in inner struggles, liberating experience.

[05:07] Overwhelmed by thoughts, emotions, habits, regrets, grudges. Ethical uncertainty.

[06:35] Striving for best intentions often leads astray.

[12:58] Ethics is about becoming the best version of oneself.

[14:25] Ethics is about shaping and forming oneself.

[18:29] Tradition must adapt to the changing world.

[23:45] Ethics and imagination crucial for societal change.

[26:02] Encouraging tough questions, creativity, and ethical change.

[28:20] Marvel at the mysterious complexity of human society.

[33:07] Influential counterculture can inspire real societal change.

[36:22] Challenging binary thinking for ethical understanding.

[41:35] Language reinforces binary habits, rooted in evolution.

[43:58] Radical self-acceptance is vital in ethical training.

[46:48] Focus on non-reactive attention, ethics, community bonds.

[50:27] Navigating questions, offering support, creating understanding.

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.

Related Resources

Learn more about Stephen Batchelor

Order your copy of the Art of Solitude and Living with the Devil

Episodes mentioned -

Secret #2: We Are Not Alone with Martin Wilks

Secret #17: Adolescenting  - How to be an Adolescent with Dr. Louise Hayes