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Jan 06, 2011

Michelle rated it:

This book took some perserverance. Batchelor calls his books collages, and this one did have a fragmented feel to it. I found my interest waxing and waning throughout as the subject matter flipped back and forth between the author's story, the Buddha's story, Buddhist politics and history. However, I have a very strong affinity with Stephen Batchelor, who, like me, is more interested in Siddhartha Gotama's Buddhism than the myriad sects of organized religious Buddhism available today. On page 22 More...

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Sep 22, 2011

Frank Jude rated it:

This is simply a wonderful book! The reaction to it from the more 'conservative' Buddhists (like B. Allan Wallace, from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and others from the Theravada) is all the evidence one would need to prove Batchelor's point: there are all too many Buddhists who praise the Buddha and the Buddhist traditions for it's rationality and critical questioning, but keep their questioning from reflecting back on the tradition. For such people, it's as though their understanding of wha More...

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Jul 10, 2011

Lori rated it:

This is the first Stephen Batchelor book I have read, and it definitely won't be the last. It's exactly what I was looking for. The first half of the book describes his own experience as a Buddhist monk primarily in Tibet and Korea, up until he disrobed. The second half focuses on the Buddha's life and teachings, based on Batchelor's research of the Pali Canon and his own experience in Asia as a lay practitioner.

I think it's safe to say that Batchelor is a representative of Western B More...

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Feb 17, 2011

Caitlin rated it:

Not since Chogyam Trungpa's "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism" has an analysis of Buddhism had such a profound effect on me. Part spiritual autobiography, part scholarly text. Batchelor's monastic journey led to studies and work with many important teachers (the Dalai Lama, for one). But his quest became stymied by increasing unease, due to unquestioning allegiances, archaic conventions and, eventually, as he dug deeper into the Pali Canon (bless his patience), contradictions abo More...

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Jun 21, 2010

ShriDurga rated it:

"To practice the Dharma is like making a collage. You collect ideas, images, insights, philosophical styles, meditation methods, and ethical values that you find here and there in Buddhism, bind them securely together, then launch your raft into the river of life. As long as it does not sink or disintegrate and can get you to the other shore, then it works. That is all that matters. It need not correspond to anyone else's idea of what "Buddhism" is or should be." P229
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Apr 04, 2010

Vegantrav rated it:

First, I should say a brief word about the title: Buddhism is an atheistic religion, so being a Buddhist atheist is not anything at all unusual. Now, granted, many sects of Buddhism believe in various deities and spirits; however, one of the key teachings of Siddhattha Gotama (Batchelor uses the Pali spellings) was his rejection of the theism--his rejection of the existence of Brahman and Atman: God, The Absolutle, the Self--of the Hindu culture in which he lived. Gotama's atheism, as Batche More...

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Mar 22, 2010

Eric rated it:

In the first half of this book, Stephen Batchelor tells the story of his transformations from a young secular English hippie to a monk in Dharamsala studying in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition, to a monk in a Korean Zen monastery and finally to a "lay Buddhist" trying to live an authentic Buddhist life without religion. Buddhist in practice, but not in ideology. I would call it maximum entropy Buddhism, meaning basically that unproven assertions are left out. The panoply of deities

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Mar 20, 2010

Jim rated it:

"I am glad I belong to a religion that worships a tree." No, this is not Jake Sully saluting the Na'vi in Avatar – it's Stephen Batchelor explaining his "Buddhist atheism." But in this case, 3D means dull, dispiriting and diffuse.

I enjoy confessions, especially when they involve spiritual conturbation: Mark Matousek's Sex, Death, Enlightenment; Andrew Harvey's The Sun at Midnight; even Frank Schaeffer's half-cocked Crazy for God. I also (if rarely) appreciate obli More...

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May 07, 2011

Heather rated it:

I'd first heard of this book listening to a 4-part pod-cast in which Stephen Batchelor was leading a discussion about the the historical context in which the Buddha lived & taught. I was very curious to read this investigation of what Buddhism is/was at its core before it got layered with different practices & beliefs of the countries into which it then moved from India -- Tibet, China, Sri Lanka, Japan, etc.

The book is part biography (of the man Siddhatha Gotama) and auto-biograp More...

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Apr 07, 2010

Kate rated it:

Just as Christian scholars have been investigating the historical Jesus, Batchelor has been looking for the historical Buddha. I went to Tattered Cover Bookstore last month to hear him read from the book and describe his scholarly method, sorting through Buddhist texts to find what seems authentic. I'd read one of his earlier books, Buddhism Without Beliefs, several years ago and liked it. In "Confession" he weaves his discussion of the Buddha's life together with an account of his More...

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Aug 22, 2010

Dpdwyer rated it:

I liked his improbable development from an uneducated, drug using 60s world traveler to Buddhist scholar and teacher. Starting with several years in a Tibetan monastery in Dharamsala, followed by more years in a Korean zen monastery, he gradually jettisoned much of the ritual and cultural baggage, searching all the time for the essence of what the Buddha taught. Quote: "Gotama did for the self what Copernicus did for the earth: he put it in its rightful place, despite its continuing to ap More...

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Sep 21, 2011

Steve rated it:

The riligious mumbo jumb that bsometimes surrounds Buddhism and the raising of the Buddha to the status of a demi God have always left me a little uneasy. The Buddha's constant reiteration of the fact that he was jsu a man was one of the things that drew me to practice in the first place. He was saying that if he coulkd do it anyone could...it gave me hope that something of what he promised in his teachings is available to me. Like all religions Buddhism has undergone its adaption by those who c More...

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Jun 03, 2010

Pamela rated it:

Enjoyable read--Batchelor (the author also of Buddhism Without Beliefs) is always lucid, knowledgeable, and thoughtful. He describes his ten years as a Buddhist monk, first in the Tibetan and then in the Korean Zen tradition, his growing skepticism about central Buddhist tenets such as reincarnation, and his eventual decision to disrobe. In later parts of the book he goes in search (both in terms of study & travel) of the actual, historical Buddha, and shows how that personage differed from the More...

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Apr 14, 2011

Electric rated it:

With this book Stepehen Batchelor managed to remind me of what drew me to buddhist philosophy in the first place and what alienates me about buddhims to this day. I love the rational side that can make an impact in this live, that is not concerned with karma or metaphysical crap. He really lets these aspects shine by being honest about his own struggle with tibetan buddhism (and very little zen) and by reconstructing buddhas biography as a human being, not as the godlike figure he becomes in man More...

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Jan 02, 2011

Clifford rated it:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although it dragged a bit toward the end as Batchelor recounts the life of Buddha, a story that isn't as relevant to his premise as I think he thinks it is. Still, Batchelor's journey from his UK upbringing to studies in India to a shift in schools of Buddhism to secular Buddhism is quite fascinating. He articulates the problem I've had all my life with Buddhism since I first read Hesse's Siddartha in high school--I don't buy the supernatural aspects of it any mor More...

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Mar 12, 2011

Tony rated it:

I found much of the book to be exciting and unassuming. I too, read Alan Watts with pleasure in the sixties. Batchelor, however, hitchhiked to Tibet and Nepal, learned Tibetan, became ordained, became a high level functionary in Buddhist institutions in the East and in Europe. Finally, he comes to see his robes as a form of shouting and returns to a lay existence treating Buddhism as a philosophy and method rather than a religion. In his coverage of Buddha after his enlightenment, he exposes the More...

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Dec 08, 2011

Steve rated it:

Somewhat disappointing after Buddhism without Beliefs. The interesting, sometimes compelling story about Batchelor's travels, both physically and spiritually, during his early life are offset (to me) by his mind-numbing (in terms of excruciating detail) recreation and depiction of Siddama Gautama's (the historical Buddha's)life and spiritual travels around 300 BCE. Batchelor has read and reconstructed the entire Pali Canon and wants you to know about it. The book does have a wonderful middle s More...

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May 15, 2010

Stan rated it:

A fascinating book about Buddhism, especially for those who are already engaged with Buddhism, is Stephen Batchelor's new book "Confession of a Buddhist Atheist". That guy really is on my wavelength. I highly recommend it as a stimulating read, and I particularly want to point out a great quote
"instead of perfection or transcendence, the goal of Gotama's Dhamma was to embrace this suffering world without being overwhelmed by the attendant fear or attachment, craving or hat More...

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Sep 28, 2011

John rated it:

In this memoir, Batchelor describes his journey, from a hippie "seeker" in Nepal, to the circle of monks around the Dalai Lama, to a Korean monastery, to Buddhist communities in Europe.
He argues for the utility of Buddhist practice while arguing against superstitious beliefs in the tradition, from reincarnation to various deities.
I preferred another of his books, Buddhism Without Belief.Buddhism without Beliefs More...

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Dec 07, 2010

Kurt rated it:

Batchelor's skepticism deepens as he describes his own experiences with Tibetan and Korean (Zen) Buddhism while offering a parallel unfolding tale of the historical Buddha in his political and economic milieu. It's a well-told story, if somewhat speculative, marketed to take advantage of the current boomlet in atheistic treatises. The historical material is interesting, however, and may be helpful to those looking to fill in their knowledge of Siddhattha Gotama, his times, and the early developm More...

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Jul 13, 2011

Marshall rated it:

Part spiritual memoir, part biography of the Buddha. The first section is the author's journey through Tibetan Buddhism and Korean Zen in his youth, growing ambivalent and doubtful as he encountered superstition and dogma. This sets up the second part, where this book gets really interesting. He disects the Pali Canon, teasing out any aspects of the Buddha's teaching that were influenced by the Hindu culture in which it was steeped, and attempts to create a cohesive narrative of the Buddha's lif More...

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Jun 04, 2010

Maughn rated it:

This book confirms my suspicions and observations that Buddhism - especially of the Tibetan varieties - can be just as rigid in its orthodoxies, just as jealously sectarian, and just as ridiculously superstitious as the other religions of the world. Batchelor's recommendation, as always, is not to treat Buddhism as a religion at all: a set of necessary beliefs, an agenda of personal salvation tied to an eschatology (what happens after I die, how the world will end), or trust in magical priestcr More...

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Aug 26, 2010

Michael rated it:

This is the second book by Batchelor that I've read. Like Buddhism Without Beliefs, this book intertwines person experience with explication about Buddhism; however, this book reaches so much deeper into Batchelor's personal history and experience and the historical record of the Buddha. The resulting picture of the historical Buddha is complex and human; the resulting picture of Buddhism is intimate and functional.

I've been waiting for this book to be written for ten years.

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Jul 27, 2010

Megan rated it:

it was satisfying to read a book about buddhism from someone with a deep understanding of it. and it was reassuring to read a book about spirituality from someone who is an atheist, to feel like i could trust everything he said as having passed his own rigorous mental testing. but i wasn't really interested in finding out about the life of the historical buddha, and it seemed an odd choice to combine this heavily researched info with personal memoir and narrative.

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Mar 22, 2010

Jan rated it:

I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of snootiness in the voice. I've listened to several of the author's talks and while I have enjoyed listening to him, there seems (to me) to be just a hint of arrogance, a tiny little bit of smugness that I was afraid would be exaggerated in this book. But it's not! He makes a compelling argument. And is not at all combative. The work seems very scholarly, but also very engaging and easy to read. I enjoyed reading his personal history and I loved learning a More...

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Sep 30, 2011

Zak rated it:

The thing that first drew me to this novel was the cover. Browsing through the shelves of a bookstore, the great design stood out among the other books. So, on a whim, I decided to purchase it. The first half of the book mainly comprises of autobiographical stories from the author, which some might find dull. I thought it was interesting, mainly because Batchelor has lived an unorthodox life. Later on the narrative shifts to stories about the Buddha himself drawn from the Pali Canon, which is co More...

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Jul 02, 2010

Ashley is currently reading it

"In a shifting, contingent, and unpredictable world, the practice of such a middle path is a juggling act. There is no guarantee that having found it, one will not lose it again. This way of life that might once have been liberating can turn into another dead end if one clings to it too tightly. As a way of life, the middle path is an ongoing task of responsiveness and risk, grounded on a groundless ground. How do you find the middle path?"

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Apr 14, 2010

Daniel rated it:

I started reading this book eagerly thinking it was a biography of The Buddha, but what I found was primarily a memoir. He does cover The Buddha's life in the context of his own travels in Tibet. This part of the book reminded me of Julie and Julia.

Overall a very good read and a good companion to his earlier book Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening (which I have read several times now.)

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Jan 21, 2011

Nicole rated it:

Stephen Batchelor does a nice job researching and reporting on the historical Buddha. I especially liked the way he teased out prevailing Indian spiritual beliefs at the time that seem to pervade the Buddha's teachings (such as reincarnation), but which Stephen does not find as central in the Dharma as he researched the Pali Canon. I enjoyed reading Stephen's description of his Buddhist evolution, interspersed with an objective historical accounting of the Buddha's life. It was a good read.

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Jul 16, 2011

Barb rated it:

Stephen Batchelor has written two books here, I think. The first is biographical, the second more of an examination of the possible conditions and circumstances of the historical Buddha's life and teachings. Both are excellent books and worth reading, but are a bit difficult to follow (being combined as they are). Still, recommended to anyone who is attracted to Buddhism but finds the doctrine of established sects troublesome.

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