Buddhism without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening

After having read a lot of books and attended many buddhist meditations, i was ready to give up on the practice of dharma. this book eschewed many of the dogmatic elements that were turning me off and made a profound impact on my thinking process. i don't think i can do a better job of reviewing this book than the others - this may just be my way of telling mr. batchelor thanks.

I don't know who the other reviewer is from Lexington, although, important as he is, I suppose I should. I do know that we have little in common other than our Central Kentucky location. That Stephen Batchelor deconstructs Buddhist religiosity to arrive at its therapeutic core I find infinitely liberating. I am not persuaded by "sola scriptura," whether invoked by the illustrious "Dr. of Buddhology" or the Christian fundamentalists who dominate the religious (and political) landscape here in the Bluegrass.
What, finally, is more important? Deference to the Tripitaka or releasing oneself and others from suffering?
And shouldn't a "Dr." of anything know how to spell?

Batchelor's approach to Buddhism is to treat it as a culture of awakening, and as an approach to everyday living, rather than as a religion. By taking this approach, he avoids dubious metaphysical belief systems, such as reincarnation, and focuses on the elements of the Buddha's teaching that shed light on the common aspects of all human experience. I loved the book, finding it well-written, insightful, and inviting. Great stuff if you are interested in the experiental aspects of Buddhism, rather than the metaphysical beliefs.

Stephen Batchelor has created a polished gem that gleams amid heaps everywhere of religious jargon, sentimentality and guilt-laden paternalism. His is straight talk about how to practice as the Buddha did; it's Buddhism without the -ism.

I had absolutely zero expectations, thus there can be no disappointments.

If you are into any concepts of philosophy or are just curious to what exactly entails Buddhism then you need to buy this book. Re-read; NEED TO BUY.

I am no expert on Buddhism, but have read several books and meditated on and off for 40 years. Batchelor has, in this slim volume, articulated an accessible Buddhism that is largely shorn of the metaphysical baggage and cultural accouterments, that make it so hard for many Westerners to understand. I like his take on responsibility. The writing is quite meditative and beautiful. I highly recommend this book.

...Faster than I could have expected. Book as described.

Well written and informative.

Nice introduction to some of the aspects of Zen training..