Buddhism without Beliefs

A Contemporary Guide to Awakening

127 pages

English language

Published Sept. 9, 1998 by Riverheads Books.

ISBN:
978-1-57322-656-1
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OCLC Number:
38962610

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4 stars (13 reviews)

A national bestseller and acclaimed guide to Buddhism for beginners and practitioners alike

In this simple but important volume, Stephen Batchelor reminds us that the Buddha was not a mystic who claimed privileged, esoteric knowledge of the universe, but a man who challenged us to understand the nature of anguish, let go of its origins, and bring into being a way of life that is available to us all. The concepts and practices of Buddhism, says Batchelor, are not something to believe in but something to do—and as he explains clearly and compellingly, it is a practice that we can engage in, regardless of our background or beliefs, as we live every day on the path to spiritual enlightenment.

1 edition

Review of 'Buddhism without Beliefs' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

There are definitely good nuggets within this book. Some of the writing tends to drag things out with overly repetitive explorations of a one word topic. I get that from the perspective of how deceptively complex some things can be. However in many places it feels like the scripture reading in the Holy Hand Grenade scene in Monty Python's Holy Grail. There is no new depth added either directly, or even indirectly because something is being described again from a different perspective. It just feels like extra word count.

If you are reading this in passing it is a quick read. If you are reading this trying to meditate on the concepts then it is best to take it one chapter at a time and explore those concepts of each chapter in isolation. It will still be a quick read in terms of time that eyes are on pages but …

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Subjects

  • Buddhism -- Customs and practices
  • Buddhism -- Doctrines
  • Religious life -- Buddhism