Alone With Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism

by Stephen Batchelor

A lack of being remains unaffected by a plenitude of having.

The essential element involved in ‘renunciation’ is our forsaking the values of having and awakening to the consciousness of being.

Wisdom that neglects method leads to excessive introversion and an inability to effectively communicate with others. Method without wisdom can produce well-intentioned but naive and superficial acts of altruism that alleviate merely the symptoms of suffering without tackling the root cause of the problem.

The Bodhisattva should be characterized by an open, outgoing generosity, tempered by mindfulness and ethical restraint. He should be accepting and submissive, yet fired by a natural, joyous enthusiasm. His mind should be discerning and critical, yet rooted in a deep inner calm. This is the model upon which we strive to pattern our lives as we engage in the actualization of the path.