Confession of a Buddhist Atheist
by Stephen Batchelor
Tuesday
Night
Reading-Discussion
Group
8:30 – 9:30 pm • Atlanta Soto Zen Center
Moderated by Shiho Gareth Young
Stephen Batchelor is a former monk in the Tibetan and Zen traditions. He has translated Shantideva's A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life and is the author of Alone with Others, The Faith to Doubt, The Tibet Guide, The Awakening of the West, Buddhism without Beliefs, Verses from the Center and most recently Confession of a Buddhist Atheist. He is a contributing editor of Tricycle magazine, a guiding teacher at Gaia House Retreat Centre, and cofounder of Sharpham College for Buddhist Studies and Contemporary Inquiry in Devon, England. He lives in southwest France and lectures and conducts meditation retreats worldwide. Stephen will join ASZC via Skype on Saturday, October 2 @ 11 a.m. to review Confession with the Sangha. A few copies of Confession will be available for purchase in the Zendo or may be purchased via Amazon.
Reviews of Confession of Buddhist Atheist
From Publishers Weekly
Batchelor's Buddhism Without Beliefs (1997)
described a secular approach to the Eastern philosophy stripped of
doctrines such as karma and rebirth; how a young British monk ordained
in the Tibetan tradition turned into a Buddhist atheist is revealed in
this new book. On the dharma trail in India and Korea, and later as a
lay resident at the nonsectarian Sharpham community in England,
Batchelor was beset by doubts about traditional Buddhist teachings.
Finally convinced that present-day forms of Buddhism have moved far
beyond what founder Gotama had intended, Batchelor embarked on a study
of the Pali canon (very early Buddhist texts) to find out what the
Buddha's original message might have been. Batchelor's own story of
conversion is woven effortlessly with his analysis of Buddhist
teachings and a 2003 pilgrimage to Indian sites important in the
Buddha's life. He is candid about his disillusionments with
institutionalized Buddhism without engaging in another new atheist
broadside against religion. While Batchelor may exaggerate the novelty
of his Buddhism without beliefs stance, this multifaceted account of
one Buddhist's search for enlightenment is richly absorbing. (Mar.
2)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier
Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Former Tibetan and Zen monk Batchelor approaches Buddhism
idiosyncratically. He sketches the historical Buddha to clear up
numerous misconceptions, discover who the man Siddhattha Gotama was,
and learn what is distinctive and original in his teachings, especially
the Pali Canon attributed to him. But Batchelor also offers his own
story: his decision to become a monk when he was still a teenaged
London hippie during the countercultural 1960s, and his return to the
secular world a decade later. Although the historical background is
important and crucial to the book, the personal story really shines
out, entraining the reader in Batchelor’s often complicated life as a
seeker who never stops searching, as he discusses his long fascination
with Buddhism and his struggle to accept, or at least come to terms
with, some doctrines, such as reincarnation, that were alien to his
former belief system. He concludes with his reflections as a
56-year-old secular, nondenominational, lay Buddhist now living in
rural France.
--June Sawyers
Reading Group Format
The reading group is informal and readings serve as a point of departure for discussions. Sometimes we follow the text closely, other times discussion is wide-ranging. It is best to read the assigned chapter before attending but not required, but please feel free to drop in for the discussion even if you haven't read the text. Each participant is given the opportunity to raise phrases or topics from the assigned portion of the text which they wish to discuss. Tea and snacks are served. Since this is such a widely owned book we are not following our general practice of having copies of the text will be available by the door to the zendo, but if you do not own the book, you can share with others who have copies.
Schedule
| Date |
Chapters |
| September 7 | Chapters 1 and 2 |
| September 14 | Chapters 3 and 4 |
| September 21 | Chapters 5 and 6 |
| September 28 | Chapters 7 and 8 |
| October 5 | Chapters 9 and 10 |
| October 12 | Chapters 11 and 12 |
| October 19 | Chapters 13 and 14 |
| October 26 | Chapters 15 and 16 |
| November 2 | Chapters 17 and 18 |