The Awakening of the West: The Encounter of Buddhism and Western Culture - Softcover

Batchelor, Stephen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0963878441 ISBN 13: 9780963878441

Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media, 2011

Synopsis

The Awakening of the West is an insightful and elegantly written history chronicling the developing relationship between Buddhism and Western culture. As anyone familiar with the work of Stephen Batchelor (best-selling author of Buddhism Without Beliefs) would expect, The Awakening of the West is presented in a fresh and lively way and backed by thorough research. Using the innovative approach of starting with the present and working back in time, Batchelor makes it easy to connect familiar contemporary Buddhist teachers to their historical roots. He breathes life into history by capturing the personalities and times of famous and lesser-known but important Buddhist figures. After absorbing these stories and their context, readers will not only have a greater appreciation of Buddhism as a religion but can gain insights that can help them develop their own discerning wisdom. The Awakening of the West is a unique, engaging and important book for anyone seeking a greater understanding of Buddhism.

About this title

From Library Journal:

Unlike Rick Fields, whose How the Swans Came to the Lake (Shambhala, 1992. 3d ed.) focuses on American Buddhism, ex-Buddhist monk Batchelor (The Faith To Doubt, LJ 2/1/90) examines a broader canvas, surveying 2000 years of Western history. He finds but a handful of Europeans who were directly impressed by Buddhism; only during the last 150 years did any tangible "awakening" occur. While erudite, Batchelor's coverage is diffuse and uneven. Thus, while his chapter on Russian Buddhism is a captivating study of Kalmucks, reincarnated lamas, Stalinist purges, and perestroikan revival, his dismissal of theosophist Elena Blavatsky and painter Nicholas Roerich as "romantic fantasizers" is questionable. Urging Western modifications of Buddhist practice, Batchelor downplays the guru factor that produced an unbroken lineage from Gautama Buddha. Recommended for large collections only.
Dara Eklund, Los Angeles P.L.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0963878441
• ISBN 13: 9780963878441
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 436