SBT Book Club
— SBT Book Club —
By popular request, we’re delighted to launch the SBT Book Club!
Each new book begins with a brief Zoom orientation where we meet our coordinator, introduce the book, and discuss how we’ll explore it together. Following the orientation, our discussions move to the SBT Book Club WhatsApp group, where members share and explore weekly questions, discussions, and reflections, facilitated by the Book Club Coordinator.
— Join Us —
To learn more, connect with fellow members, and participate in discussions, join our dedicated SBT Book Club WhatsApp group. https://sbtonline.org/whatsapp/
What We're Reading Now
Beyond Religion - by the Dalai Lama
Our current book is “Beyond Religion” by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with Tenzin Labdron serving as our first Book Club Coordinator.
His Holiness’s book explores how we can cultivate an ethical, meaningful, and compassionate life without relying on religious belief. Drawing on universal human values such as compassion, kindness, patience, and forgiveness, the Dalai Lama presents a vision of secular ethics grounded in our shared humanity and offers practical guidance for transforming the mind and living these values in everyday life.
— Format —
Beyond Religion is approximately 200 pages, and our initial plan is to read it over the course of six weeks, focusing on a few chapters each week (for example, Chapters 1–3). We’ll finalize the reading schedule together during our introductory Zoom meeting. We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be an engaging opportunity to deepen our studies and understanding, while learning together as a Sangha.
— Join Us —
We’ll kick off reading and discussing our first book on August 7, 2026, with a short online orientation held at 19:00 UTC on our SBT Zoom channel. To learn more, connect with fellow members, and participate in discussions, join our dedicated SBT Book Club WhatsApp group. https://sbtonline.org/whatsapp/
What We'll Be Reading Next
A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom - by Doug Smith
Next on our reading list is A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom: The Path of the Mahāmaṅgala Sutta – by Doug Smith, with Tenzin Wangmo serving as our Book Club Coordinator.
Doug Smith’s book explores one of the Buddha’s most practical teachings: a 38-step path toward a wiser, happier, and more meaningful life. Drawing on the early Buddhist text known as the Mahāmaṅgala Sutta, Smith brings these ancient teachings into a contemporary, secular context, offering practical reflections on how we can cultivate wisdom, ethical living, good relationships, generosity, and inner freedom in our everyday lives.
— Format —
A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom: The Path of the Mahāmaṅgala Sutta is approximately 140 pages and explores the Buddha’s teaching on the 38 blessings of a good and meaningful life. Over the course of six weeks, we’ll explore these teachings together, considering both their meaning in the context of early Buddhism and how they might be applied to our lives today. We’ll finalize the reading schedule during our introductory Zoom meeting. We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be an engaging opportunity to deepen our understanding of early Buddhist wisdom while learning and exploring together as a Sangha.
— Join Us —
Our study of this book will begin with a short online orientation held on our SBT Zoom channel. Date and time to be announced. To learn more, connect with fellow members, and participate in discussions, join our dedicated SBT Book Club WhatsApp group. https://sbtonline.org/whatsapp/