About Me
I’m Stephen Schettini, author of The Novice, and this is my weblog. I was ordained a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Gelukpa tradition in 1974, trained in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Switzerland and began teaching in 1982. I left shortly afterwards, gave up my place in the Buddhist mainstream and stopped calling myself a Buddhist; however, I continued to put what I learned into practice. To put all this another way, I’m far more interested in the Buddha than in Buddhism, and nowadays lean more on the Pali canon than the Tibetan. I teach mindful reflection as a way of facing up to the grimy realities of life, not as a path of trancendental escape. As appealing as that might be, I find reality more pressing.
When I returned the robes to my preceptor Geshe Rabten, he told me, “Once a monk, always a monk,” and he wasn’t kidding. True, I was giving up the privileged lifestyle, but whatever had been embedded in me was still there. Since then I’ve practiced without any of the formal trappings and outside of all traditions; I’m also a firm believer in the examined life, and this blog helps me strip away my self-conscious coverings—hence, The Naked Monk.
My primary interests are teaching and writing. My personal website is schettini.com and my professional one Quiet Mind Seminars. I’m a happily married man with two step-daughters, my fair share of stress, and the conviction that certainty is an illusion.
If you enjoy this blog, please add your comments, It’s nice to meet those who agree with me, but I tend to grow more—and write better—in response to disagreement and protest. Don’t be shy — beneath the guise of ego we’re all pretty much the same.
Hello Stephen. I came across a review of your book today. From what I’ve learned so far, I am intrigued. I’ll be picking up your book (and Batchelor’s new one) very soon. I’ve been practicing Vipassana for a handful of years now (intermittently), but I’m intrigued about your journey. Essentially, my initial impression is that our beliefs may be quite similar. I’ve never been the type to want to be anyone’s disciple, and skepticism. This has held sway despite the fact that the Buddha’s teaching make a lot of basic sense to me. “Buddhism,” because it is an “-ism,” is not really my type of thing. The Four Noble Truths, however, and the fundamentals of the Buddha’s teachings, seem to make a great deal of sense.
It’s good to find outlooks that resonate with one’s own. I wish you well! Congratulations on delivering the book… I look forward to your stories.
Thanks Peter. I guess we both see Buddha and Buddhism as two distinct things. I hope you enjoy the book.
Peter… the book is wonderful. I just finished it.