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Product Description
Product Description
Alone with Others is a uniquely contemporary guide to understanding the timeless message of Buddhism, and in particular its relevance in actual human relations. It was inspired by Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattava's Way of Life, the oral instructions of living Buddhist masters, Martin Heidegger's classic Being and Time, and the writings of the Christian theologians Paul Tillich and John MacQuarrie.
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First Sentence
At the very roots of our language we find two verbs: 'to be' and 'to have.' Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
At the very roots of our language we find two verbs: 'to be' and 'to have.' Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Existentialist buddhism, or modernist zen trend?,
By EMV (Nancy) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Alone With Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism (Paperback)
I sense the author is just pushing his own view on buddhism (or... existentialism) through this book: this is not a study of the crossroads between buddhism and existentialism, but the author's own view on buddhism expressed in the terms of existential thinking.St. Batchelor in this book holds a view about buddhism very much close to that of contemporary Vietnamese zen buddhism. They see the world as manyfold manifestations all sprung from one unique universal 'tank' ('alaya vijnana'); consequently they hold the view that all things and beings in this universe are linked together in complete solidarity. This is one view: but this is not really essential either to buddhism or to existentialism. It also seems to me somewhat oversimplified as a moral and as a cosmic hypothesis. Personal responsability and gratuitous compassion are closer to ancient, theravada buddhism. Anyway, I much preferred--and would recommend--the same author's "Buddhism without belief" as a contemporary, 'modernist' approach to the ageless and visionary wisdom of buddhism!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Complex and philosophical, not for everyone,
By
This review is from: Alone With Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism (Paperback)
If you are familiar with existentialism and buddhism, and you would like to read about their relationship, this book is great. But I would not recommend one to read this book for an introduction to either Buddhism or existentialism. For an introduction to Buddhism, I recommend Bachelor's other book, "Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contempory Guide to Awakening". To learn more about existentialism, I would recommend reading the philosophy of Albert Camus.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.6 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews) 65 of 66 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful, intriguing and extremely engaging.,
By Patrick D. Goonan "see profile for URL" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Alone With Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism (Paperback)
I found this book of approximately 130 pages absolutely fascinating. While it is very non-traditional, it provides a bridge that helps the modern person to relate some of the most important concepts of Buddhism through the bridge provided by Western existentialist thought.This book is very well written and Stephen Batchelor is very credible as an author having spent considerable time in Asia and having been a monk for 10 years in both the Tibetan and Zen traditions. While the book is largely his own perspective, it is a valuable one given his life experience and ability to convey complex topics in easy to understand terms. It certainly got my attention! If you are looking to read your first book on Buddhism or Existentialism, this is probably not for you. However, if you are familiar to one or both of these topics and/or are looking to understand the human condition more deeply, then you will not be disappointed at the ideas presented here. For me, this was a two sitting book that completely engaged me. I have read many books on Buddhism and Existentialism and thought this had a lot to offer a modern person in terms of making Buddhism relevant to modern contexts. I also found it a useful and sensitive exploration of the nature of loneliness and the limitations of the human condition. Among other things, it poignantly expressed how loneliness and the reality of our ultimate death could help us deepen our experience of reality through relationship and fuller engagement with life. 13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling synthesis on Buddhism,
By fotochop - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Alone With Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism (Paperback)
I've read this book three times and each time I get more out of the reading. The author is able to break down, explain, and connect the various Buddhist approaches with insight and clarity. Sometimes the language and references can be challenging (there's a glossary in the back) but his take on the commonalities of Buddhism and Christianity are some of the best and they are motivating me to read Paul Tillich, John MacQuarrie, and Martin Heidegger just to find out more. Highly recommended reading.
71 of 95 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Existentialist buddhism, or modernist zen trend?,
By EMV - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Alone With Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism (Paperback)
I sense the author is just pushing his own view on buddhism (or... existentialism) through this book: this is not a study of the crossroads between buddhism and existentialism, but the author's own view on buddhism expressed in the terms of existential thinking.St. Batchelor in this book holds a view about buddhism very much close to that of contemporary Vietnamese zen buddhism. They see the world as manyfold manifestations all sprung from one unique universal 'tank' ('alaya vijnana'); consequently they hold the view that all things and beings in this universe are linked together in complete solidarity. This is one view: but this is not really essential either to buddhism or to existentialism. It also seems to me somewhat oversimplified as a moral and as a cosmic hypothesis. Personal responsability and gratuitous compassion are closer to ancient, theravada buddhism. Anyway, I much preferred--and would recommend--the same author's "Buddhism without belief" as a contemporary, 'modernist' approach to the ageless and visionary wisdom of buddhism! |
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