Review by Choice Review
In this latest offering, Batchelor, high priest of Buddhist modernism, reflects on his 40-year encounter with Buddhism, from his earliest days as a monk in both Tibetan and Son (Zen) contexts, then as a Buddhist agnostic, and now as a secular Buddhist. Much of this material has been published before, and Batchelor's general thesis--which is that Buddhism needs to be stripped of its religious, dogmatic, and traditional elements to speak to modern people--is well known. Here Batchelor brings it all together once again in a series of free-standing essays and interviews that refine his notion of secular Buddhism. The author explores early Pali texts and key Buddhist terms along with dialogues with various philosophers and interlocutors, for example, 20th-century Western monk Ñanavira Thera (Harold Musson). In Batchelor's view, secular Buddhism can jettison standard Buddhist metaphysical views of Karma, rebirth, and Nirvana and still be Buddhist in some core sense by interpreting the Four Noble Truths and other doctrines in ethical, existential, and psychological terms rather than as statements of fact. This is a thoughtful, conversational, and accessible volume. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; general readers. --Maria Heim, Amherst College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
What if the aim of Buddhism was not nirvana-release from the cycle of rebirth-but thriving in the day-to-day grind of human life within a broader Buddhist ethical framework? In this collection of Batchelor's writings on Buddhist practice, readers get an overview of his perspectives on practicing Buddhism without its religious sensibilities. Exploring ancient texts and a cast of characters from Buddhist history, Batchelor tries to recover the historical Buddha and provide a renewed "Buddhist vision for our times," The goal of this "Buddhism 2.0" is doing something, not believing in something. At times, Batchelor (Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist) comes off as condescending toward popular approaches to Buddhism or religion in general, and he admittedly co-opts Buddhism's historical sources, plunders its practical ethics, and appropriates its philosophical premises for his own purposes. In the broader context of increasingly numerous secular approaches to religion (or religious approaches to secularism), Batchelor's work will undoubtedly appeal to many "spiritual, but not religious" readers. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
Batchelor (Buddhism Without Beliefs) has long advocated that Buddhism would flourish best in Western societies as a secular practice without such religious doctrines as karma or the cycle of rebirth. This anthology spans the 1990s to the present, showing the development of the author's ideas and how the principles he proposes are lived. Although none of the articles in this volume go into the critical depth needed to evaluate his overall project of reimagining Buddhism, it's clear from the literary methods he used to approach Buddhist texts (particularly the Pali canon) that the author is not intending to refashion Buddhism simply to meet his secular tastes. Even some of his most controversial contentions, such as a radical reevaluation of the Four Noble Truths, depend on an attempt to recover the texts rather than recasting a religion as a pragmatic philosophy. VERDICT Aimed at a broad audience, this work should appeal to anyone interested in exploring Buddhism within a rigorous framework that is both conversant with and challenging to a Western intellectual -heritage.-JW © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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