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Confession of a Buddhist Atheist Paperback – March 8, 2011

by Stephen Batchelor (Author)

152 customer reviews

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Does Buddhism require faith? Can an atheist or agnostic follow the Buddha’s teachings without believing in reincarnation or organized religion?

This is one man’s confession.

In his classic Buddhism Without Beliefs, Stephen Batchelor offered a profound, secular approach to the teachings of the Buddha that struck an emotional chord with Western readers. Now, with the same brilliance and boldness of thought, he paints a groundbreaking portrait of the historical Buddha—told from the author’s unique perspective as a former Buddhist monk and modern seeker. Drawing from the original Pali Canon, the seminal collection of Buddhist discourses compiled after the Buddha’s death by his followers, Batchelor shows us the Buddha as a flesh-and-blood man who looked at life in a radically new way. Batchelor also reveals the everyday challenges and doubts of his own devotional journey—from meeting the Dalai Lama in India, to training as a Zen monk in Korea, to finding his path as a lay teacher of Buddhism living in France. Both controversial and deeply personal, Stephen Batchelor’s refreshingly doctrine-free, life-informed account is essential reading for anyone interested in Buddhism.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A moving and thoughtful book that does not fear to challenge.”—The Guardian (U.K.)

“In this honest and serious book of self-examination and critical scrutiny, Stephen Batchelor adds the universe of Buddhism to the many fields in which received truth and blind faith are now giving way to ethical and scientific humanism, in which lies our only real hope.”—Christopher Hitchens

“[Batchelor] taps his committed thirty-eight-year personal Buddhist practice to inform the book’s sense of wisdom, clarity and insight. . . . An emotionally detailed and compelling account.”—The Huffington Post

About the Author

Stephen Batchelor is a former monk in the Tibetan and Zen traditions and the author of books including Alone with Others, The Faith to Doubt, The Awakening of the West, Buddhism Without Beliefs, and Living with the Devil. He lives with his wife, Martine, in southwestern France and lectures and conducts meditation retreats throughout the world.

From the Hardcover edition.

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Product details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau; unknown edition (March 8, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385527071
ISBN-13: 978-0385527071
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 152 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #29 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Eastern > Buddhism > History
- #48 in Books > History > World > Religious > Buddhism
- #86 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Atheism

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Nathanael Greene

All is well, that ends well.

July 30, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Thanks to his books, what Stephen Batchelor has found, we can find.

I had kept delaying to read this early book by Batchelor, on the theory that this early Batchelor book has been superseded in content by his more recent books.

My mistake.

In this book, Batchelor observes that we really know nothing about the Buddha's education, and how the Buddha came to arrive at the basis for his enlightenment. I have also always been conscious of this fact - but for me, this had never been a sine qua non for my attraction to and appreciation of the Buddhadharma..

Ironically, as a counterpoint, Batchelor's book provides us with the nature of Batchelor's own unique education and quest, of the Buddhadharma, which is compelling and very edifying.

In retrospect, I feel that Batchelor was very lucky to have been exposed to and ordained as a monk in Tibetan Buddhism, as his initial exposure to "Buddhism." GREAT DOUBT, GREAT AWAKENING! It's uncanny how "right view" Batchelor's instincts have been, during his quest.

One great revelation for me was this book's information about the Pali canon, and the unique biographical information contained therein about the Buddha, which is significantly different from the standard biographical information about the Buddha's early life that is universally publicized. This biographical information may be one reason why certain Buddhist scholars attach such significance to the Pali canon, in addition to the actual Pali texts containing the Buddhadharma.

4 people found this helpful

Culadasa Review

February 3, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

From Culadasa's website:
"The autobiographical musings of a Westerner who first became a Tibetan monk, then a Korean Zen monk, and ended up as a secular Buddhist. This book is a very useful critique of the shortcomings of institutional and religious Buddhism. It, and his “Buddhism Without Beliefs,” enunciate an agnostic alternative to Buddhist religiosity that is well worth adopting. The author’s re-interpretation of the traditional story of the Buddha’s life is especially fascinating and helpful. There are many good reasons to read this book. It is an important work, and is very strongly recommended. But there is one important caveat: Batchelor’s disappointment and lack of personal fulfillment have led him to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Because he has not been able to achieve the ultimate goals of the Buddhadharma himself, he has seriously underestimated the validity and attainability of those goals. It does not occur to him that, not only have the Dharma teachings been grossly distorted through time, but so have the meditation practices that once led uncountable numbers to personal transformation and Awakening. A “Christian Atheist” is someone who accepts and values the teachings of Jesus, but doesn’t believe that Jesus is God or has the power of salvation. As a “Buddhist Atheist,” the author sees Buddha’s teachings as a valuable path to better living and social change, but not as a means to personal spiritual transformation or any transcendent Awakening. In the end, his disillusionment and cynicism show through quite clearly. This is a valuable, informative, entertaining and highly readable book, but despite the author’s seeming credentials, it is NOT authoritative on the subject of Buddhadharma."

3 people found this helpful

Searching for the original teachings of the man, Gotama Buddha.

September 7, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Stephen's journey includes becoming a Tibetan Buddhist monk, disrobing, and studying Zen Buddhism in Korea then eventually, logically, discards orthodoxy, rites, rituals, traditions & scripture, gods, & spirits as unhelpful or believable. Rather reality as it is in the natural world.

Today he's happiest incorporating the Dhamma into his daily life as Gotama taught. Wonderful!

One person found this helpful

An Interesting Read

May 21, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Very interesting read. This was actually recommended by James Altucher (on one of his podcasts) so I was curious to read it. It had a great deal of detail and historical facts that were well recounted. It was a very deep look at the journey of the author and in the end, I found his conclusion to be one that I aligned with as well. It was a great account of how he found his way into (and somewhat out of) Buddhism.

2 people found this helpful

Enjoyable autobiographical wanderings of an (eventual) secular Buddhist

March 23, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Batchelor's patchwork of stories about his monastic and lay life and some of the things he has seen and learned was an enjoyable read for one who has interest in Buddhism but is not persuaded that there is any supernatural justification for following that path. He sprinkles some vaguely supported arguments for benefits of mindfulness meditation, but mostly flips between his life and the historical life of Gotama.

Meet the real man who became the Buddha!

January 10, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Stephen Batchelor has gone to the most original sources available to sort out the real message from the man who is now known as the original Buddha. It is surprising and rewarding to learn that concepts such as karma and reincarnation are not a part of Buddha's message! The book demands your attention and reads like a textbook in some sections, but the overall experience will illuminate both those with prior Buddhist exposure and those approaching Buddhism for the first time. Rewarding read and a life changer for those who can leave behind the misconceptions that are too prevalent in modern Buddhist theory and practice.

Amazon Customer

reasoning and logic displayed through out the book is a joy to read

April 20, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

An interesting documentation on why a highly respected Buddhist monk became an atheist. The knowledge, reasoning and logic displayed through out the book is a joy to read. Stephen Batchelor provides convincing arguments that there is no need for adding supernatural beliefs and religious propositions to the basic teaching of S. Gautama.

2 people found this helpful

Most recent customer reviews

Amazon Customer

Couldn't put it down!!!

Published 1 month ago

Front cover was pretty water damaged but the book was still intact and ...

Front cover was pretty water damaged but the book was still intact and readable even though it also affected the first 60 pages in the book.Read more

Published 2 months ago

I'm giving two stars because of the effort the author ...

I'm giving two stars because of the effort the author put in to writing. The first couple of chapters I thought were potentially leading to something profound so I kept on...Read more

Published 7 months ago

good read thank you

Published 9 months ago

Questioning if you can believe some but not all

The author has a large vocabulary but a wonderful way with words. I've always been so interested in religious studies although I feel I can take certain aspects of each religion...Read more

Published 10 months ago

Taylor Montgomery

Got it as a gift for a friend she loves it

Published 11 months ago

An important book

Stephen Batchelor expresses here, very clearly, a way forward for students and seekers who cannot accept traditionally strong assumptions of the Buddhist worldview.

Published 1 year ago

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