Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening

Buddhism without beliefs seeks to reframe agnosticism as a creative place – seeking a truth ourselves rather than bowing to the authority of others. I’d always thought of it as being lazy, not having quite got round to thinking about the great questions about life. For the past three or so years, I haven’t got much further than beginning to formulate what these questions might be. I certainly don’t have any answers yet, so being agnostic – open and enquiring without lapsing into skepticism – feels a comfortable label.It is good to read again how the Buddha identified the source of anguish and craving. The book’s meditation on death is both bracing and life affirming. Furthermore Batchelor’s description about how we divide experiences into good and bad – and how we try to have more of the good and banish the bad – is one of the most compelling I’ve read so far. He explains deftly not just how the impossibility of banishing the bad this habit is but how it keeps us trapped in ‘if only...’ Two of the most destructive words that I hear in my counselling room.Batchelor concludes that ‘a culture of awakening simply cannot occur without being rooted in a coherent and vital sense of community’ and needs a ‘matrix of friendships’ that values individual creativity and rather than following the dogma of organised religion. It’s a great idea but somehow I can’t see it happening.

I really loved this book. I felt very inspired and entranced as I read Stephen Batchelors explanation on Buddhism from a secular point of view.There are parables, quotes which are broken down and explained, written meditations and paragraphs that put into words how you usually feel and think. I feel Stephen Batchelor, in this book, captured perfectly the distressed, distracted and confused part of our mind and how it affects our actions.It looks like a short book and is written in a small ish font over 115 pages and took me two days of 'not constant reading' to finishI will be reading more of his work!

This book immediately rang a bell with me. I have long felt close to Buddhism, among other reasons, because it does not require believing in any dogma. As someone who has been educated in science, I always felt uneasy with beliefs. I prefer to know, or to accept I don't know. I am an agnostic. This book spells out very clearly how Buddhism traces the path to inner peace without requiring anyone to "believe" in anything.For example, we have no real answers to metaphysical questions (the origins of the universe and such unanswerable eternal open issues) so Buddha stopped asking them. On the ethical plane, the dharma is the logical conclusions one reaches by reasoning on what is good, not some kind of given commandment. The closest thing I can find in Western philosophy is the categorical imperative of Immanuel Kant, whom I regard as the greatest thinker of Western civilization.

This author has been a revelation to me. This book bridges the gap between western and western thought. It is written in succinct prose and is easily understandable to the lay person. There is nothing nihilistic or depressing about the arguments. You are not persuaded into a materialistic view of the world, although the author is not a believer in God in the accepted sense. You begin to grasp the extraordinariness of existence without going all airy fairy on it. However, I can also see that to reap the benefit of these understandings would require a lot of hard work on the part of the seeker. You've got to know yourself very deeply, and this won't happen without loads of self-discipline in meditation and such-like.

Not what I was expecting. Not really that interested in his upbringing.

This book was recommended by a friend. Will read after course. But seems to have a good response from an intellegent person.

A wonderful book that strips away the mythology, symbolism and religious-isms that seem to accumulate around Buddhism.Short, clear, thought provoking read.(I am totally bemused by the other reviewers that say it is difficult and left them "exhausted". Whilst it certainly isn't written in a "Buddhism for Dummies" style, it is wonderfully clear and well written.)

I started Buddhism years ago, I just never knew I was doing it. I see the teachingsas a map for my life while I'm here. It's just not so easy to remember this way of life all the time.The book helps!