The Awakening of the West: The Encounter of Buddhism and Western Culture [Paperback]

Stephen Batchelor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1994

From Greek kings to nineteenth-century adventurers, from missionaries to monks, the encounter of Buddhism and the West is filled with intriguing personalities in Awaking of the West.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Unlike Rick Fields, whose How the Swans Came to the Lake (Shambhala, 1992. 3d ed.) focuses on American Buddhism, ex-Buddhist monk Batchelor (The Faith To Doubt, LJ 2/1/90) examines a broader canvas, surveying 2000 years of Western history. He finds but a handful of Europeans who were directly impressed by Buddhism; only during the last 150 years did any tangible "awakening" occur. While erudite, Batchelor's coverage is diffuse and uneven. Thus, while his chapter on Russian Buddhism is a captivating study of Kalmucks, reincarnated lamas, Stalinist purges, and perestroikan revival, his dismissal of theosophist Elena Blavatsky and painter Nicholas Roerich as "romantic fantasizers" is questionable. Urging Western modifications of Buddhist practice, Batchelor downplays the guru factor that produced an unbroken lineage from Gautama Buddha. Recommended for large collections only.
Dara Eklund, Los Angeles P.L.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 418 pages
• Publisher: Parallax Press (August 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938077694
• ISBN-13: 978-0938077695
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #950,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen Batchelor is a former monk in the Tibetan and Zen traditions. He has translated Shantideva's A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life and is the author of Alone with Others, The Faith to Doubt, The Tibet Guide, The Awakening of the West, Buddhism without Beliefs, and Verses from the Center. He is a contributing editor of Tricycle magazine, a guiding teacher at Gaia House Retreat Centre, and cofounder of Sharpham College for Buddhist Studies and Contemporary Inquiry in Devon, England. He lives in southwest France and lectures and conducts meditation retreats worldwide.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Little Known Corners of History, August 7, 2002

By 

James S. Taylor (Scarborough, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Awakening of the West: The Encounter of Buddhism and Western Culture (Paperback)

Batchelor, a convert from Tibetan to Zen Buddhism (assuming he hasn't converted again since), is one of the more interesting Western authors on Buddhism. This work surveys the history of contacts between Buddhist persons and schools as they were both visited by Westerners and came themselves to visit the West. It comes in five sections. Most people seem to like the final two, as they deal with contacts made in modern times, but a lot of this is covered better in Clarke's Oriental Enlightenment. The first three segments, however, are a fascinating overview of some surprising encounters that are not widely known. Did you know there's evidence of a Greek ruler discussing philosophy with a Buddhist monk a couple hundred years before Christ? How about Buddhist traders plying their trade across the Middle East into Egypt before and during the time of the Early Church? Or Catholics and Buddhists squaring off in the court of the Khans in Medieval Central Asia? Who knew? Most of the book, however, is a tradition by tradition account of how Buddhism came largely to Europe. Another book, How The Swans Came To The Lake, compliments it by telling the story in North America. I have two main reservations. First, some modern figures are given short shift because, even though they were popular, they didn't represent the best Buddhist teachings. As a history, however, they should reflect their social importance. Second, given that this is an encounter with the West, and Christianity is the major Western religion, Batchelor could be better informed on the history and theology of that religion. A fair number of his statements in connection to it are not well considered. Either way, this work is, over-all, great arm-chair travel for the reader interested in Buddhist history.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent history of Buddhism., February 14, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Awakening of the West: The Encounter of Buddhism and Western Culture (Paperback)

An excellent resource, this book ostensibly comments on Buddhism in the West, by which the author means Europe, but not the Americas. However, it goes beyond this and for each sect covered in modern times, it gives a history of the founding of the particular school or movement and what its beliefs are that differentiate it from other types of Buddhism. Particularly for a beginner, this is good way to sort out who's who in the world of Buddhism

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucid, compelling, informative, October 2, 2000

By 

krishna sherchan (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Awakening of the West: The Encounter of Buddhism and Western Culture (Hardcover)

Batchelor hits a home run with this text. The narrative device of contrasting Asian and Western personalities who were key to the interplay between Buddhism and European cultures makes this book easy to get hooked into. It almost reads like an adventure novel in places, and the doctrinal and historical perspectives are well written and balanced. This book starts with the ancient Greeks of Alexander's empire and traces the seemingly willy-nilly encounters through the millennia. Batchelor's best, most inspiring book, it did not get the attention it deserved when it was issued.