We are an independent group of individuals from across the world, shaped by diverse lives, professions, and contemplative traditions.
What unites us is a shared conviction: that the divisions we see in the world can be understood—and transformed.
This calls for an ethical foundation that goes beyond religion, ideology, or the moral claims of any single group.
With Mindfulness-Based Ethical Living (MBEL), we are developing a program that supports mindful and ethical living—without imposing new rules.
We look forward to crossing paths with you soon.
Stephen Batchelor
Author - Dharma-Teacher - Artist
Stephen Batchelor
Stephen Batchelor is a British author, artist, and meditation teacher known for his influential books on secular Buddhism and philosophy. His secular and contemporary interpretation of Buddhist teachings, rooted in long personal experience and scholarship, inspired the MBEL course developed by the MBEL team.
Jochen Weber
BuddhaFoundation - MBSR-Teacher - Author
Jochen Weber
Jochen, a German physician, MBSR-Teacher, founder of buddhafoundation.org, ethicalmindfulness.org and initiator of the MBEL group. He is dedicated to promoting ethical mindfulness and secular Buddhist values through daily practice, community, education and projects that foster growth and social engagement.
Ayda Duroux
MBCT-Teacher - Physician - Counseling
Ayda Duroux
Ayda, a former paediatric doctor in Munich, was shaped by her work in intensive and palliative care. Moving from Germany to Italy, she pursued an MSt in MBCT at Oxford, exploring mindfulness, neuroscience, and wisdom traditions. She co-founded MBEL and volunteers with Mind & Life Europe.
Mike Slott
SecularBuddhistNetwork - Author - Activist
Mike Slott
Mike Slott, a long-time US political and labor activist, explores secular and socially engaged Buddhism in his writings and in his 2024 book Mindful Solidarity. A practitioner since 2010, he serves as editor of the SecularBuddhistNetwork.org and its newsletter, Rethinking the Dharma.
Carmel Shalev
Ethicist - Author - Dharma Teacher
Carmel Shalev
Carmel, Yale Law PhD, is an Israeli expert in bioethics and human rights, authoring key books and teaching end-of-life care at Tel Aviv University. A secular Buddhist, she co-translated Buddhism Without Beliefs and wrote In Praise of Ageing (2020), and co-develops the MBEL course.
Sylvia Plich
Psychotherapist - MBSR Teacher- Facilitator
Sylvia Plich
She teaches specially designed Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBI) for psychology students, physical therapists, and psychotherapists. A Buddhist and meditation practitioner for thirty years, she has been part of the MBEL program development team since its inception.
Wolfgang Woellmer
Medical Physicist - Author
Wolfgang Woellmer
After a career as a German medical physicist specializing in lasers, he retired in 2015 and turned to Buddhist philosophy. He journeyed to Mt. Kailash, publishing The Inner and Outer Paths of Mt. Kailash (2014), and organized the 5th International Kailash Conference (2022) online.
Dr Sharon Tobias is a retired clinical psychologist whose work is informed by her Buddhist practice. She is an active member of the Secular Buddhist Network.
Luis Daniel Gonzalez
Zen Buddhist - Entrepreneur - Glocal Activist
Luis Daniel Gonzalez
A senior Zen Buddhist practitioner, pragmatist, lawyer, development economist, and entrepreneur. Committed to global power change for ethics through Costa Rican projects: public education, urban river regeneration, rural development, poverty alleviation, clean energy, decentralized AI, and wellness.
Karl-Heinz Brenzinger
MBSR-Teacher
Karl-Heinz Bernzinger
Lorna Edwards
Psychotherapist - Mindfulness-Teacher
Lorna Edwards
Lorna Edwards is an eco-systemic psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher in the South Wales valleys, Cymru/Wales. She works outdoors with clients to engage with the more-than-human world and contributed to the early development of the Mindfulness-Based Ethical Living (MBEL) course.
Ulla Koenig
Dharma Teacher - BuddhaFoundation
Ulla Koenig
Ulla König is a Vipassana meditation teacher and author at BuddhaFoundation, Germany. She leads secular Buddhist retreats, teaches mindfulness in social projects and prisons, and integrates Buddhist wisdom into daily life. She is a mother of two.
Saskia Graf
Dharma Teacher - BuddhaFoundation
Saskia Graf
Saskia Graf is a translator, project manager, and Dharma teacher at BuddhaFoundation. She promotes secular Buddhism, leads projects empowering women, and received the 2024 Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award for her engagement and teaching
...and more
Sharon Tobias, Cira Cullen and more...
In Memoriam
Tina Sideris
Proin quis
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