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jrc2011's review against another edition
4.0
As an atheist, finding myself surrounded by ever increasing volume and number of voices espousing Buddhist beliefs, I was immediately drawn to this book.
I expected more discussion of atheism vs Buddhism but what I found was more detail about the fragmented schools of thought that make up Buddhism. Some of the stories after the mid-point of the book about all the politics of men seemed a bit "one too many' -- perhaps forming the basis of other reviewers critiques that the author ran out of interesting things to say.
In this case, it seems the author is passionately attached to the importance of these stories -- and definitely could have done a bit more editing down to turn some of the tales into boxed sidebars. There's a lot of discussion of politics between the Buddhist leaders and factions -- some of it seemed a bit much and silly to me (but people were willing to kill over the right to worship a deity, for example).
I want to acknowledge that the meditation and mindfulness are important -- as thousands of current books on emotional intelligence, leadership and management insist. However, meditation and mindfulness practice cannot stand alone without having a genuine interest in others and expanding that awareness to the commonality with others around us.
Whether you are adhering to the 4 Noble Truths and the 8 Paths or some other similar structure -- simply meditating to clear your mind and being mindful of the world around you is akin to navel gazing. You must engage with the world around you and pay attention -- and it is this underlying recommendation toward activism that I appreciate most about the author's perspective.
Like the author, I have no interest in building up my record as pious so that I can have a good afterlife. I haven't had much evidence such a thing exists -- and if I can do good while I am living now, that should be credential enough.
I like his definition of atheism vs "anti-theism" -- I have been informed by people that atheism is a religion, but for me -- I just don't think about any specific deities. That's like claiming that the static you at a point on the tv or radio spectrum as a "station" when there's no broadcast.
Two things bother me about the research and the discussion around Buddhism. First -- the Pali text was written/transcribed from oral tradition about 400 years after Buddha died. The author spent a lot of time trying to find the authentic voice of Buddha -- cutting out bits that seemed to come from other traditions or sources. But - how do we even know that is close to accurate? We're talking about oral tradition -- while Ananda must have had a hell of a memory (apparently he was one of the memorizers), who were the others sitting at Buddha's feet to accurately mentally record his discussions word-for-word to pass them down (and how did they do that and to whom)?
While we're at it -- this is nearly entirely a discussion of MEN. True - there are a few women here and there, but even the author's life sounds like a largely male-oriented world. He mentions his mother, his wife, the "moon-faced Korean" women he encounters on a tour, the wife of the wealthy king and the nun who lay down her robes after losing a discussion following Buddha's death about who was the stronger apostle (Ananda or Kassapa).
Fortunately - the use of this framework is not gender specific. I like the concepts of accepting that we will suffer (that's our nature - happiness doesn't last), learning to appreciate the moment and accept that it is all finite/fallible, and don't take things for granted -- test them and observe them on your own.
Key to all of this is the concept that "Mindful awareness is not presented as a passive concentration on a single, steady object, but as a refined engagement with a shifting, complex world." This allows you to make choices based on curiosity not just reacting based on instinct or emotion. The "middle path" is one that doesn't swing to far to the asceticism or to the bacchanalian.
In sum, he says "Buddhism has become for me a philosophy of action and responsibility. It provides a framework of values, ideas, and practices that nurture my ability to create a path in life, to define myself as a person, to act, to take risks, to imagine things differently, to make art."
I expected more discussion of atheism vs Buddhism but what I found was more detail about the fragmented schools of thought that make up Buddhism. Some of the stories after the mid-point of the book about all the politics of men seemed a bit "one too many' -- perhaps forming the basis of other reviewers critiques that the author ran out of interesting things to say.
In this case, it seems the author is passionately attached to the importance of these stories -- and definitely could have done a bit more editing down to turn some of the tales into boxed sidebars. There's a lot of discussion of politics between the Buddhist leaders and factions -- some of it seemed a bit much and silly to me (but people were willing to kill over the right to worship a deity, for example).
I want to acknowledge that the meditation and mindfulness are important -- as thousands of current books on emotional intelligence, leadership and management insist. However, meditation and mindfulness practice cannot stand alone without having a genuine interest in others and expanding that awareness to the commonality with others around us.
Whether you are adhering to the 4 Noble Truths and the 8 Paths or some other similar structure -- simply meditating to clear your mind and being mindful of the world around you is akin to navel gazing. You must engage with the world around you and pay attention -- and it is this underlying recommendation toward activism that I appreciate most about the author's perspective.
Like the author, I have no interest in building up my record as pious so that I can have a good afterlife. I haven't had much evidence such a thing exists -- and if I can do good while I am living now, that should be credential enough.
I like his definition of atheism vs "anti-theism" -- I have been informed by people that atheism is a religion, but for me -- I just don't think about any specific deities. That's like claiming that the static you at a point on the tv or radio spectrum as a "station" when there's no broadcast.
Two things bother me about the research and the discussion around Buddhism. First -- the Pali text was written/transcribed from oral tradition about 400 years after Buddha died. The author spent a lot of time trying to find the authentic voice of Buddha -- cutting out bits that seemed to come from other traditions or sources. But - how do we even know that is close to accurate? We're talking about oral tradition -- while Ananda must have had a hell of a memory (apparently he was one of the memorizers), who were the others sitting at Buddha's feet to accurately mentally record his discussions word-for-word to pass them down (and how did they do that and to whom)?
While we're at it -- this is nearly entirely a discussion of MEN. True - there are a few women here and there, but even the author's life sounds like a largely male-oriented world. He mentions his mother, his wife, the "moon-faced Korean" women he encounters on a tour, the wife of the wealthy king and the nun who lay down her robes after losing a discussion following Buddha's death about who was the stronger apostle (Ananda or Kassapa).
Fortunately - the use of this framework is not gender specific. I like the concepts of accepting that we will suffer (that's our nature - happiness doesn't last), learning to appreciate the moment and accept that it is all finite/fallible, and don't take things for granted -- test them and observe them on your own.
Key to all of this is the concept that "Mindful awareness is not presented as a passive concentration on a single, steady object, but as a refined engagement with a shifting, complex world." This allows you to make choices based on curiosity not just reacting based on instinct or emotion. The "middle path" is one that doesn't swing to far to the asceticism or to the bacchanalian.
In sum, he says "Buddhism has become for me a philosophy of action and responsibility. It provides a framework of values, ideas, and practices that nurture my ability to create a path in life, to define myself as a person, to act, to take risks, to imagine things differently, to make art."
jeff_holt_4's review against another edition
3.0
As a huge fan of "Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening" and "Living with the Devil: A Meditation on Good and Evil," the early part of this book will be a revelation of how Batchelor came to the brilliant insights in those books. However, that's what it reads, primarily, as autobiographical background. For me, it lacks the thrill of the direct theorizing that fills the other two books. Therefore, I have put this one down indefinitely.
reasonpassion's review against another edition
5.0
There are some reviews describing the book as a meandering and sometimes confusing foray into Buddhism and quote the author in his confession of taking on projects in an erstwhile and haphazard fashion. I won't go against the author in his self-description but I will note that the result is neither confusing nor meandering, if anything it achieves exactly what it declares itself to be, a journey of confession where searching for the man behind the myth, the Gotama behind the Buddha, becomes an ever-present shadow stemming from Batchelor's own life. The honesty and humility consistently exhibited here, combined with a deeply personal and committed understanding of the Buddhist experience and doctrine, is refreshing and deeply spiritual. There is never a sense in which the author fails to get to his point, any more than life is ever a failure for continuing. To dwell in the dhamma, to tread peacefully within the truth of uncertainty and take on the mentality of impermanence, this is precisely what is accomplished here and it is a journey that was a joy to walk with the author on.
cassysan's review against another edition
4.0
Went in with an open mind.
Found this just as dogmatic as most religious beliefs.
Found this just as dogmatic as most religious beliefs.
tattdcodemonkey's review against another edition
4.0
The book itself is flawed, disjointed and hard to follow at times. But the content is great. It gave voice to lots of things I've thought while learning more about buddhism as a westerner.
I don't 100% agree with all of Stephens conclusions but overall this book was exactly what I was looking for to expand my thoughts on buddhism.
I don't 100% agree with all of Stephens conclusions but overall this book was exactly what I was looking for to expand my thoughts on buddhism.
matthewdeanmartin's review against another edition
5.0
This is about four books in one-- it is a autobiography of a monk turned lay Buddhist meditation teacher, it is a telling of the historical Buddha's life, it is a travel guide to the "holy land" of Buddhism, it is a discussion of a methodology for creating a secular Buddhism.
The autobiography was pleasant to read, it is a good story. The story of the historical Buddha's life as reconstructed from the Pali texts using, of all things, a reference dictionary of names, to reassble the jumbled story line in the pali cannon. The historical Buddha lived in a "Game of Thrones"-like world with rival kings, kingdoms, everyong trying to get favor of the king, including Gautama with surprises and back stabbing along the way. This is the most human story of the Buddhas life and has disloged all others I've read in my preferred way to think about Gotama.
I say Batchelor presents a methodology because the book is light on specific advice with respect to practices (outside of applying the methodology of substracting out brahmanism, hindism from Buddhism and applying doubt and scepticism), this is a mild criticism because what does fill the book is good content.
The entire book is readable and light reading, unlike Batchelors more serious earlier existential books.
The autobiography was pleasant to read, it is a good story. The story of the historical Buddha's life as reconstructed from the Pali texts using, of all things, a reference dictionary of names, to reassble the jumbled story line in the pali cannon. The historical Buddha lived in a "Game of Thrones"-like world with rival kings, kingdoms, everyong trying to get favor of the king, including Gautama with surprises and back stabbing along the way. This is the most human story of the Buddhas life and has disloged all others I've read in my preferred way to think about Gotama.
I say Batchelor presents a methodology because the book is light on specific advice with respect to practices (outside of applying the methodology of substracting out brahmanism, hindism from Buddhism and applying doubt and scepticism), this is a mild criticism because what does fill the book is good content.
The entire book is readable and light reading, unlike Batchelors more serious earlier existential books.
stevia333k's review against another edition
Technically this book is more like set aside instead of DNF'd, but basically I'm not even sure whether I want to follow up or not.
I read this book to inform my own theology.
I used an audiobook version, meaning I couldn't just jump around that well. I was using CloudLibrary which means the table of contents menu wasn't labeled well.
The way it opened felt like too much & not enough, relying on USA christian centric shorthand. I've seen enough abusive relationships to be like oh this is a trigger warning & I didn't want to handle it when I didn't even know enough about the networks he was in. Too horrifying especially for my lack of context.
I read this book to inform my own theology.
I used an audiobook version, meaning I couldn't just jump around that well. I was using CloudLibrary which means the table of contents menu wasn't labeled well.
The way it opened felt like too much & not enough, relying on USA christian centric shorthand. I've seen enough abusive relationships to be like oh this is a trigger warning & I didn't want to handle it when I didn't even know enough about the networks he was in. Too horrifying especially for my lack of context.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry
flijn's review against another edition
3.0
In the final chapter, Stephen Batchelor describes his writing process and compares it to creating a collage. He finds bits and pieces everywhere and lets the material guide him. The result is indeed a patchwork, and I found this lack of focus a bit distracting. There is just too much going on. To name the main issues:
1. Batchelor's personal encounters with Buddhism
This thread covers most of the first chapters and I found this very interesting. He describes his reasons for going to India, how Tibetan Buddhism absorbed him (to the point of him becoming a monk) and at the same time never completely convinced him, and how he searched for ways to sooth or absolve his uneasiness. Tibetan Buddhism, Korean Theravada Buddhism, Japanese Zen, European existential philosophy, and Western Buddhist centers are all part of his journy.
2. A search for agnostic Buddhism
This is the natural result of Batchlor's background and experiences. The book's title is misleading here, Batchelor actually denounces atheim as anti-theism, and equally unfounded as the belief in gods that estrange him from Tibetan Buddhism.
For me, the reflection on his own beliefs is one of the best parts of this book. There is a beautiful annecdote in the first chapter about how he witnessed a lama ward off a storm. He was a monk at that time, and the belief in supernatural powers and the ability to control weather was part of the belief system of the school he belonged to. He recalls how he felt that what he saw was miraculous, while at the same time knowing he did not really believe something extraordinary had happened. It would take him years to confess this lack of belief to himself and to his mentor, and some more time to take this to its logical conclusion and leave the order.
After that, it takes a lot of travel, translating texts, and studying before he can fully integrate his agnosticism with his Buddhist beliefs. He turns to the Buddha to accomplish this.
3. A reconstruction of the historical Buddha
Batchelor's research confronted him with conflicting ideas and myths about the Buddha and led to the discovery that many of the traditional Buddhist claims about him are not based on anything in the Pali Canon, the massive collection of texts that comprise the earliest accounts of the Buddha's teaching. Batchelor has set himslef the task of uncovering the historical Buddha and reconstructing the politicial and social circumstances of his life.
He succeeds partly. I certainly learned a lot about the Buddha's life and the many political hornets' nests he had to navigate. The powerful need to be placated, the traditional Hindu brahmins need to be convinced, social hierarchy needs to be respected and revolutionary ideas need to be both attractive enough to generate interest and harmless enough not to be a threat to the powers that be. The Buddha does his best to maintain a neutral middle position, but he cannot help getting involved in some of the power struggles.
This is a portrait of the Buddha that certainly adds something to the my(s)t(h)ic, holy figure usually portrayed. But the structure of the book undermines the story: it leaves off for one of the other threads every now and then, which makes it harder to get the full picture.
4. A description of the theological and political struggles in Tibetan Buddhism
I think this is the thread that disrupts the flow of the book.
It sure is interesting how opinions differ among the Tibetan sects. Batchlor describes how differences over the veneration of an aggressive god (named Dorje Shugden) lead to a schism that seperates the Dalai Lama's Geluk school from (for example) the New Kadampa Tradition. This is not just a theological issue, since the unity of Tibetan Buddhism strengthens Tibet's cause in the West. It is therefore not surprising that the Dalai Lama tries to hide this internal struggle from the western world, including the western Buddhist communities.
I can see that this issue is relevant to the author, especially since his own doubts about the tradition he was first trained in concern the more 'magical' and 'paranormal' sides of Mahayana Buddhism. Still, I feel the issue is too big for this book. There is too little room to get a full understanding of this complicated issue. The result is a hasty summary of the problem that spikes interest but also distracts from the other issues.
Conclusion
Definitely a recommended read for anyone interested in Stephen Batchelor, Tibetan Buddhism, and the historical Buddha. If it is only one of these subject you're interested in, another book may be better because this is not a book that allows you to concentrate on only one of the mentioned subjects. The book made me curious to seek out [b:Buddhism without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening|90557|Buddhism without Beliefs A Contemporary Guide to Awakening|Stephen Batchelor|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348553487s/90557.jpg|87397].
1. Batchelor's personal encounters with Buddhism
This thread covers most of the first chapters and I found this very interesting. He describes his reasons for going to India, how Tibetan Buddhism absorbed him (to the point of him becoming a monk) and at the same time never completely convinced him, and how he searched for ways to sooth or absolve his uneasiness. Tibetan Buddhism, Korean Theravada Buddhism, Japanese Zen, European existential philosophy, and Western Buddhist centers are all part of his journy.
2. A search for agnostic Buddhism
This is the natural result of Batchlor's background and experiences. The book's title is misleading here, Batchelor actually denounces atheim as anti-theism, and equally unfounded as the belief in gods that estrange him from Tibetan Buddhism.
For me, the reflection on his own beliefs is one of the best parts of this book. There is a beautiful annecdote in the first chapter about how he witnessed a lama ward off a storm. He was a monk at that time, and the belief in supernatural powers and the ability to control weather was part of the belief system of the school he belonged to. He recalls how he felt that what he saw was miraculous, while at the same time knowing he did not really believe something extraordinary had happened. It would take him years to confess this lack of belief to himself and to his mentor, and some more time to take this to its logical conclusion and leave the order.
After that, it takes a lot of travel, translating texts, and studying before he can fully integrate his agnosticism with his Buddhist beliefs. He turns to the Buddha to accomplish this.
3. A reconstruction of the historical Buddha
Batchelor's research confronted him with conflicting ideas and myths about the Buddha and led to the discovery that many of the traditional Buddhist claims about him are not based on anything in the Pali Canon, the massive collection of texts that comprise the earliest accounts of the Buddha's teaching. Batchelor has set himslef the task of uncovering the historical Buddha and reconstructing the politicial and social circumstances of his life.
He succeeds partly. I certainly learned a lot about the Buddha's life and the many political hornets' nests he had to navigate. The powerful need to be placated, the traditional Hindu brahmins need to be convinced, social hierarchy needs to be respected and revolutionary ideas need to be both attractive enough to generate interest and harmless enough not to be a threat to the powers that be. The Buddha does his best to maintain a neutral middle position, but he cannot help getting involved in some of the power struggles.
This is a portrait of the Buddha that certainly adds something to the my(s)t(h)ic, holy figure usually portrayed. But the structure of the book undermines the story: it leaves off for one of the other threads every now and then, which makes it harder to get the full picture.
4. A description of the theological and political struggles in Tibetan Buddhism
I think this is the thread that disrupts the flow of the book.
It sure is interesting how opinions differ among the Tibetan sects. Batchlor describes how differences over the veneration of an aggressive god (named Dorje Shugden) lead to a schism that seperates the Dalai Lama's Geluk school from (for example) the New Kadampa Tradition. This is not just a theological issue, since the unity of Tibetan Buddhism strengthens Tibet's cause in the West. It is therefore not surprising that the Dalai Lama tries to hide this internal struggle from the western world, including the western Buddhist communities.
I can see that this issue is relevant to the author, especially since his own doubts about the tradition he was first trained in concern the more 'magical' and 'paranormal' sides of Mahayana Buddhism. Still, I feel the issue is too big for this book. There is too little room to get a full understanding of this complicated issue. The result is a hasty summary of the problem that spikes interest but also distracts from the other issues.
Conclusion
Definitely a recommended read for anyone interested in Stephen Batchelor, Tibetan Buddhism, and the historical Buddha. If it is only one of these subject you're interested in, another book may be better because this is not a book that allows you to concentrate on only one of the mentioned subjects. The book made me curious to seek out [b:Buddhism without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening|90557|Buddhism without Beliefs A Contemporary Guide to Awakening|Stephen Batchelor|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348553487s/90557.jpg|87397].