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Secular Buddhism

Imagining the Dharma in an Uncertain World
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( 291 ratings, 40 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Secular Buddhism collects Stephen Batchelor’s most significant writings exploring how Buddhist meditation practices have been adapted within secular Western contexts such as hospitals and workplaces. Addressing challenges like reincarnation, religious belief, and agnosticism, Batchelor investigates whether Buddhist teachings can support a vision of human flourishing without religious doctrine, offering an ethical framework suited to the modern world.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3099
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in Buddhist meditation practice outside a religious framework, including those exploring secular mindfulness, ethics, and spirituality in modern life.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

An essential collection of Stephen Batchelor’s most probing and important work on secular Buddhism

As the practice of mindfulness permeates mainstream Western culture, more and more people are engaging in a traditional form of Buddhist meditation. However, many of these people have little interest in the religious aspects of Buddhism, and the practice occurs within secular contexts such as hospitals, schools, and the workplace.

Is it possible to recover from the Buddhist teachings a vision of human flourishing that is secular rather than religious without compromising the integrity of the tradition? Is there an ethical framework that can underpin and contextualise these practices in a rapidly changing world?

In this collected volume of Stephen Batchelor’s writings on these themes, the author explores the complex implications of Buddhism’s secularisation. Ranging widely—from reincarnation, religious belief, and agnosticism to the role of the arts in Buddhist practice—he offers a detailed picture of contemporary Buddhism and its attempt to find a voice in the modern world.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Reviews highlight Batchelor’s appeal to the 'spiritual, but not religious' audience (Publishers Weekly) and praise his examination of Buddhism's secularisation (Tibet Foundation). His work is described as illuminating, thought-provoking, and useful, with commendations from scholars and practitioners such as Mark Epstein and Joan Halifax, who note its relevance to contemporary culture and clarity for both new and experienced students of Buddhism.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300234251

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 March 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 1 b-w illus.

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 272g

Pages: 296

About the Author

Stephen Batchelor is a teacher and scholar of Buddhism. He trained as a monk for ten years in traditional Buddhist communities and now presents a secular approach to Buddhist practice. The author of the bestselling Buddhism without Beliefs, he lives near Bordeaux, France.

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