--- product_id: 3717346 title: "Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening" price: "R433" currency: ZAR in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/3717346-buddhism-without-beliefs-a-contemporary-guide-to-awakening store_origin: ZA region: South Africa --- # Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening **Price:** R433 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening - **How much does it cost?** R433 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/3717346-buddhism-without-beliefs-a-contemporary-guide-to-awakening) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening [Batchelor, Stephen] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening Review: No faith necessary - Clear, insightful, and well written. A must read for any rational human in search of a comprehensive set of values that does not depend on a leap of faith. Review: Stark and Convincing - Stephen Batchelor has studied in several different countries and Buddhist traditions, but he thinks there is a core of teaching that transcends both the religion and any dogma. "Buddhism Without Beliefs" outlines a spare but elegant way of life and looking at the world that invites humans of every kind into the fold. When Batchelor talks about being “without beliefs,” what he means is separating vital teaching from formal orthodoxy. In the case of Buddhism, he goes so far as to suggest that the notions of rebirth and karma (the idea that our actions influence the course of future lives) may do more harm than good, and that they should be left behind as relics of another time and culture. In place of such creeds, Batchelor focuses on what has always been the heart of Buddhist instruction: the four noble truths, or as he strikingly calls them, the four ennobling truths. These include the fact of our dis-ease with life—what has often been called “suffering” and what Batchelor refers to as “anguish”—followed by the fact of what causes anguish and the fact that there is a way to relieve anguish, and finally a path that allows us to realize and embody that relief. Batchelor also addresses emptiness, the teaching that all people and things are connected in an ultimate sense. "Buddhism Without Beliefs" reminds me of the book of James in the New Testament, in that it is intensely pragmatic, and unsparing in its view of our human faults. It is not, however, without hope; Batchelor is no more upset with his readers than is a doctor diagnosing an illness. Identifying the problem is simply the necessary first step to curing it. The key words in Batchelor’s vision of Buddhism are creativity and freedom. Through practice of the teachings of the Buddha, we seek to obtain freedom from anguish, which is to say, freedom from the wish that the world be other than the way it is. In this freedom, we find the ability to creatively reimagine our lives and produce novel expressions of compassion, among others. This book is short and stark; hardly a sentence in it is without import. (Notwithstanding some of Batchelor’s early fulminating against religious institutions, which goes on just a bit too long.) Many of Batchelor’s insights are startling. He is not proposing something new, but artfully clarifying something very old. Although this book contains a few basic meditation exercises, it is not a book about meditation. And although it makes reference to the life and teachings of a figure called the Buddha, it is, oddly, not a book about Buddhism. It a book about a profoundly human problem, and a solution to that problem that can be embraced by anyone, regardless of age or nationality or faith. To achieve true understanding, of course, would entail leaving behind the need for this book, as one would leave behind a raft after crossing a river. But as long as we find ourselves on the river—which most of us do, most of the time—we need rafts; as long as we are adrift we need guides; and Batchelor is an exemplary one. ~ ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | 1573226564 | | Best Sellers Rank | #35,837 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #59 in Philosophy Movements (Books) #83 in Buddhism (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,443) | | Dimensions | 5.44 x 0.41 x 9.06 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | ISBN-10 | 9781573226561 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1573226561 | | Item Weight | 2.31 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 144 pages | | Publication date | March 1, 1998 | | Publisher | Riverhead Books | ## Images ![Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71b6BxGP99L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ No faith necessary *by D***N on September 6, 2025* Clear, insightful, and well written. A must read for any rational human in search of a comprehensive set of values that does not depend on a leap of faith. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stark and Convincing *by L***E on June 9, 2017* Stephen Batchelor has studied in several different countries and Buddhist traditions, but he thinks there is a core of teaching that transcends both the religion and any dogma. "Buddhism Without Beliefs" outlines a spare but elegant way of life and looking at the world that invites humans of every kind into the fold. When Batchelor talks about being “without beliefs,” what he means is separating vital teaching from formal orthodoxy. In the case of Buddhism, he goes so far as to suggest that the notions of rebirth and karma (the idea that our actions influence the course of future lives) may do more harm than good, and that they should be left behind as relics of another time and culture. In place of such creeds, Batchelor focuses on what has always been the heart of Buddhist instruction: the four noble truths, or as he strikingly calls them, the four ennobling truths. These include the fact of our dis-ease with life—what has often been called “suffering” and what Batchelor refers to as “anguish”—followed by the fact of what causes anguish and the fact that there is a way to relieve anguish, and finally a path that allows us to realize and embody that relief. Batchelor also addresses emptiness, the teaching that all people and things are connected in an ultimate sense. "Buddhism Without Beliefs" reminds me of the book of James in the New Testament, in that it is intensely pragmatic, and unsparing in its view of our human faults. It is not, however, without hope; Batchelor is no more upset with his readers than is a doctor diagnosing an illness. Identifying the problem is simply the necessary first step to curing it. The key words in Batchelor’s vision of Buddhism are creativity and freedom. Through practice of the teachings of the Buddha, we seek to obtain freedom from anguish, which is to say, freedom from the wish that the world be other than the way it is. In this freedom, we find the ability to creatively reimagine our lives and produce novel expressions of compassion, among others. This book is short and stark; hardly a sentence in it is without import. (Notwithstanding some of Batchelor’s early fulminating against religious institutions, which goes on just a bit too long.) Many of Batchelor’s insights are startling. He is not proposing something new, but artfully clarifying something very old. Although this book contains a few basic meditation exercises, it is not a book about meditation. And although it makes reference to the life and teachings of a figure called the Buddha, it is, oddly, not a book about Buddhism. It a book about a profoundly human problem, and a solution to that problem that can be embraced by anyone, regardless of age or nationality or faith. To achieve true understanding, of course, would entail leaving behind the need for this book, as one would leave behind a raft after crossing a river. But as long as we find ourselves on the river—which most of us do, most of the time—we need rafts; as long as we are adrift we need guides; and Batchelor is an exemplary one. ~ ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Exactly as titled - a guide to the dharma practice without religious requirement *by S***T on March 2, 2026* Clear, and beautifully written - lots of quotable passages that are illustrative of the essential point - the practice is the key Specific belief and/or tenets aren’t ## Frequently Bought Together - Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening - Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment - No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners: Clear Answers to Burning Questions about Core Buddhist Teachings --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/3717346-buddhism-without-beliefs-a-contemporary-guide-to-awakening](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/3717346-buddhism-without-beliefs-a-contemporary-guide-to-awakening) --- *Product available on Desertcart South Africa* *Store origin: ZA* *Last updated: 2026-04-23*