or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
85 used & new from $2.52

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

or

Get a $0.10 Amazon.com Gift Card
 
   
Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening (Paperback)

~ (Author) "LET'S GO BACK to the beginning: to the awakening of Siddhartha Gautama, aka the Tathagata, Shakyamuni, the World Honored One-the Buddha himself..." (more)
Key Phrases: centered person moves, four ennobling truths, dharma practice (more...)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)

List Price: $13.00
Price: $9.36 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $3.64 (28%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Thursday, February 11? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
39 new from $6.74 45 used from $2.52 1 collectible from $16.20

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Hardcover --  
Paperback $9.36  

Frequently Bought Together

Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening + Living with the Devil + Alone with Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism
Price For All Three: $33.34

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening by Stephen Batchelor

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Living with the Devil by Stephen Batchelor

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Alone with Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism by Stephen Batchelor

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Living with the Devil

Living with the Devil

by Stephen Batchelor
4.7 out of 5 stars (9)  $11.20
Alone with Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism

Alone with Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism

by Stephen Batchelor
4.0 out of 5 stars (2)  $12.78
Confession of a Buddhist Atheist

Confession of a Buddhist Atheist

by Stephen Batchelor
$17.16
Buddhism Plain and Simple

Buddhism Plain and Simple

by Steve Hagen
4.3 out of 5 stars (143)  $7.88
Meditation for Life

Meditation for Life

by Martine Batchelor
4.8 out of 5 stars (8)  $15.61
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As in all the major religions, there is a wisdom behind the theology of Buddhism that informs the believer in daily life. Stephen Batchelor would argue that the difference with Buddhism is that the wisdom is in fact independent of the theology and is not informative to believers only, but to everyone. In Buddhism Without Beliefs Batchelor lays out the major tenets of Buddhist wisdom, commenting on their relevance to modern life. The Buddha said that seekers must find the Truth for themselves, and Batchelor offers this book as a roadmap. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Those with an interest in Buddhism will welcome this new book by Stephen Batchelor, former monk and author of Alone With Others and The Awakening of the West. But those who are just discovering this increasingly popular practice will have much to gain as well-for Buddhism Without Beliefs serves as a solid, straightforward introduction that demystifies Buddhism and explains simply and plainly how its practice can enrich our lives. Avoiding jargon and theory, Batchelor concentrates on the concrete, making Buddhism accessible and compelling and showing how anyone can embark on this path-regardless of their religious background.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Riverhead Trade (March 1, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1573226564
  • ISBN-13: 978-1573226561
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,642 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen Batchelor
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Stephen Batchelor Page

Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
LET'S GO BACK to the beginning: to the awakening of Siddhartha Gautama, aka the Tathagata, Shakyamuni, the World Honored One-the Buddha himself. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
centered person moves, four ennobling truths, dharma practice, intrinsic freedom, authentic vision, central path, ethical integrity
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:


What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening
90% buy the item featured on this page:
Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening 4.0 out of 5 stars (113)
$9.36
Buddhism for Beginners
3% buy
Buddhism for Beginners 4.5 out of 5 stars (26)
$10.36
Open Heart, Clear Mind
2% buy
Open Heart, Clear Mind 4.9 out of 5 stars (15)
$10.17
Buddhism Plain and Simple
2% buy
Buddhism Plain and Simple 4.3 out of 5 stars (143)
$7.88

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(10)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

113 Reviews
5 star:
 (58)
4 star:
 (26)
3 star:
 (12)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (15)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (113 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
183 of 192 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars What I've been looking for without knowing it., July 22, 2002
By David A. Farnell (Fukuoka, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I ordered this book based on the review here by "Dr. of Buddhology and author of 6 books on Buddhism; Dr. S. A." His attack on it it, and the reasons he gave for that, were more persuasive than any of the positive reviews in convincing me that I should read this book. Whenever anyone says, in effect, "Don't think for yourself--just follow Scripture," I've usually found it a good idea to do the opposite. And as usual, I'm very glad I did.

Buddhism has taken on radically different forms in every culture in which it has taken root. Is Agnostic Buddhism one of the forms it will take in the West? I think it's likely. Many Westerners who are turning to Buddhism are agnostic, and stripped of the non-essentials (most of which were added long after the Buddha's death), Buddhism is a very appealing path. But so far, I have encountered little but New Age dilletantes and guru/student fundamentalists, two extremes that do not appeal to me at all. Here in Japan, I've met some very nice priests and monks, but practice has so far seemed quite ossified and heirarchical, something that really seems, well, very un-Buddhist to me.

And then along comes Batchelor's book, a breath of fresh air. This is just what I've been looking for.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
107 of 110 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful non-dogmatic introduction to Buddha's teachings, May 26, 1999
By A Customer
In this wonderful, concise introduction, Batchelor has captured the essence of the Buddha's teachings . By going directly to the source and peeling away the accumulated dogma of various traditions, he makes Buddhism relevant for our time. He shows how, despite the Buddha's wishes, over time Buddhism became a religion and an institution unto itself. Of course, rigid doctrinaire thinkers like Bob Thurman will see red when they read Batchelor's simple wisdom, which eliminates the need for hocus-pocus and a priestly class. Batchelor even questions the need for belief in karma and reincarnation, long accepted as essential Buddhist beliefs.

Batchelor presents his ideas in simple, but not simplistic, prose, with easy-to-grasp examples. His credentials as a Buddhist and a scholar are beyond reproach, and while others may disagree, no one can question his seriousness and authority. Unlike self-styled gurus and flim-flam artists like "Lama Surya Das" (Jeffrey Miller), Batchelor is not interested in self-aggrandizement; merely in conveying his ideas.

He succeeds admirably in this book.

Highly recommended.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
98 of 105 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Purest dharma. Hard-won insight., July 10, 1999
By Tyree A Hilkert (San Mateo, CA) - See all my reviews
Mr. Batchelor's dual background - first as a Tibetan monk and translator then later as a Korean Zen monk - gives him two eyes to see Buddhism with. It gives him cross-cultural depth perception that allows him to see the essense of awakening separate from the cultures that encrust it. Perhaps that helps him write such a succinct, clear, and radiant book.

It's odd that Batchelor is an unwitting lightning-rod for the Buddhist religious right. (Bet you didn't think that was even POSSIBLE, did you?! Surprise! Sadly, Buddhism isn't all that different from any other religion.) He doesn't attack their beliefs. He stays in the vast middle and says that he honestly doesn't know.

When I saw him lecture, I saw a student of Thinley Norbu's stand up and beg him to believe in rebirth! It was like watching a fundamentalist Christian begging someone to accept Jesus as his personal savior, as though Buddhism was about embracing the right conceptual beliefs. It was the oddest and saddest thing! Why bother becoming a Buddhist if you're going to behave like that?

He handled it with great patience and compassion, I thought. I asked him about it afterwards and apparently it happens to him all the time!

Wonderful book.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Is It That, Now?
Batchelor's guide to Buddhism is a very thought-provoking, insightful look at human behavior. It's written in a way that doesn't condescend the reader but also doesn't pull any... Read more
Published 1 month ago by D. Ashal

5.0 out of 5 stars Should Buddhism be "Westernized"?
In reading the many criticisms of this book, there is one specific denunciation used repeatedly: that this boook is a "Westernized" version of Buddhism. Read more
Published 3 months ago by C. Delf

5.0 out of 5 stars Good place to start.
A great non-techinal overview overview for the western seeker. This was one of the first books on Buddhism that I read and it led to me many others.
Published 3 months ago by Jeffrey Small

3.0 out of 5 stars Was I expecting too much?
By reading the title, we can form an idea of what the(first part of the) book is about. Buddhism is a practice according to Batchelor, not something to believe in. Read more
Published 5 months ago by MonstrousVermin

4.0 out of 5 stars Spirituality For The Rational
I don't consider myself a Buddhist, though I admit I've had a long fascination with it, as well as an affinity for many of its tenets. Read more
Published 5 months ago by S.A. Alenthony

1.0 out of 5 stars New Age not Buddhism
It is a pitty that Buddhism did not work for Mr Bachelor.
But Buddhism can NOT be everyone's peace of cake! Read more
Published 6 months ago by M. Stefan

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for open minds
I found this book by accident and like other reviewers it turns out this is what I was believing and practicing for years. Read more
Published 7 months ago by D. Dawson

3.0 out of 5 stars Why I want to read this book...
I haven't read this book yet - so I guess it can't be called a review. However - I have read a large selection of the reviews expressed here. Read more
Published 8 months ago by S. Olney

1.0 out of 5 stars Buddhism by an Angry Materialist
Its not that this slim book is neither scholarly nor articulate.
It is the problem that Bachelor himself clearly lacks any insight, depth, compassion or meditative... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Dorje

4.0 out of 5 stars No guru, no mantra, no temple?
This deserves the attention given Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett's neo-atheist arguments. (I reviewed them all here. Read more
Published 8 months ago by John L Murphy

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.