Buddhism Without Beliefs
by Stephen Batchelor · first published 1997
87% recommend13% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Readable, short secular take on Buddhism that separates inherited cultural and supernatural baggage from core wisdom, treating meditation as a therapeutic awareness practice; suits skeptics and rationalists.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…library, sadly. (Google Scholar might help.) Also, if you're open to the idea that there might be more, but like me, not interested in anything mystical, I highly recommend checking out Stephen Batchelor's Buddhism Without Beliefs.
on “Blind man shocks researchers with what he sees.” ↗Based on the language you're using, I'm guessing you haven't actually meditated much for any length of time. If you're open to it, I'll bet you'd like Stephen Batchelor's Buddhism Without Beliefs.
Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor. It's considered one of the founding books of the secular Buddhist movement. Not only did it open me up to the depths of the meditative path as a therapeutic practice (rather than…
on “Ask HN: Life Changing Books?” ↗…you chew through the layers of expectations, belief and doubt when it comes to Buddhism (and in particular, Zen): http://www.amazon.com/Ending-Pursuit-Happiness-Zen-Guide/dp/... http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-without-Beliefs-Stephen-Batch...
on “An Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation” ↗…and Buddhism Meet", for example). If, however, you are looking for a more general introduction to Buddhism (and Buddhist psychology) from a rationalist perspective, I'd recommend Stephen Batchelor's "Buddhism Without Beliefs."
on “The quintessential rational mind: Buddha” ↗You may want to read Stephen Batchelor's secular book "Buddhism Without Beliefs". In there, meditation is a structured way to develop awareness (mindfulness) of your subconscious thought processes and beliefs (which determine your day-to-day activities and your overall path in life,…
on “Blind man shocks researchers with what he sees.” ↗i highly recommend all of these: - "Cathedral and the Bazaar" - "Buddhism Without Beliefs" - "Mindfulness in Plain English" - "Godel Escher Bach" - "People's History of the United States" - "Debian Administrator's Handbook"
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗I have also enjoyed "Buddhism Without Beliefs" by Stephen Batchelor. It breaks down which parts of buddhism are socio-cultural concepts inherited from the cultures where it developed and what is the core wisdom.
on “Vipassana for Hackers [pdf]” ↗I didn't read all of this -- so much negativity -- but I do want to recommend "Buddhism Without Beliefs" by Stephen Batchelor if you didn't find what you were hoping for in this thread. Happy practice, y'all.
on “The Open Buddhist University” ↗> You can easily practice Buddhism in the modern context without the baggage. An excellent book on this exact topic is Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor[0]. Very readable & super short. Recommended! [0]https://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Without-Beliefs-Contemporary...
on “What Monks Know about Focus” ↗…Franklin_, _James Nasmyth, Engineer, an Autobiography_, and _Around the World on a Bicycle_ were of immediate interest and later I was also able to see a different, more helpful side to them. Batchelor's _Buddhism Without Beliefs_ and some fairly existential stories by authors like Osamu Dazai really helped me explore the conscious-existential side of life without so much of a self-help / philosophical-didactic conversion aspect.…
on “Ask HN: Books that helped you become a better person?” ↗…to be overly superficial, perhaps largely because meditation is more defined by what you do not do, than what you do. It's also worth noting that there are many types of meditation. Years ago I read "Buddhism without Beliefs" (on "agnostic Buddhism"). Bullshitty as the title may sound, the major thing that I came away with was a decent meditation practice that I stuck to for a few months. Sadly, I've found even for those…
on “Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast” ↗…belong to are also psychologists, psychotherapists or counselors (but your teacher is NOT your therapist). Stephen Bachelor has been a Tibetan AND a Zen monk, but is now neither. He wrote a book called "Buddhism Without Beliefs" which might suit you. Note though that it is almost impossible to separate meditation as it relates to your mind, and meditation as it relates to your bodily actions. When you start to understand the…
on “Tuning out: How brains benefit from meditation” ↗Haven't read that one, but "Buddhism without Beliefs" is also a great read on Buddhism without the supernatural stuff people have attached to it over the centuries.
on “The Impact of Meditating Every Day” ↗…mindfulness are generally not willing to apply analytical thinking even in the service of greater mindfulness. Attempts in this direction have been made, but I have not been impressed. https://www.amazon.ca/Buddhism-without-Beliefs-Contemporary-... http://slatestarcodex.com/2017/09/20/meditative-states-as-me... (The particular examples I have are from the Buddhism-specific conception of mindfulness, but I don't think the more…
on “Out of the Cell” ↗