--- product_id: 3717346 title: "Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening" price: "฿1196" currency: THB in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.th/products/3717346-buddhism-without-beliefs-a-contemporary-guide-to-awakening store_origin: TH region: Thailand --- # Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening **Price:** ฿1196 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening - **How much does it cost?** ฿1196 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.th](https://www.desertcart.co.th/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 A national bestseller and acclaimed guide to Buddhism for beginners and practitioners alike In this simple but important volume, Stephen Batchelor reminds us that the Buddha was not a mystic who claimed privileged, esoteric knowledge of the universe, but a man who challenged us to understand the nature of anguish, let go of its origins, and bring into being a way of life that is available to us all. The concepts and practices of Buddhism, says Batchelor, are not something to believe in but something to do —and as he explains clearly and compellingly, it is a practice that we can engage in, regardless of our background or beliefs, as we live every day on the path to spiritual enlightenment. 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: A vision of freedom from the shackles of organized religion and toward self - Absolutely loved this book. Strips away the superstition, smoke and mirrors, the lies of organized religion, its overt hostility to self and indivualization and enforced conformity to mass belief, manipulation and totalitarianism and reveals both the simplicity of the Buddha's revelation, its availability to everyone, his humanity (and lack of divinity). Buddha is not a god, nor is there any god. The universe and the self at macro and micro levels are far more complex and fascinating than the limited mind numbing concept of god and kingship or even ideology allow. Buddha and his teachings are an example to reflect upon and to serve as an inspiration of growth of self, but not to worship or pray to. Meditation and the practice of Dharma (not an "-ism", not a belief) is focused inward on self-growth and betterment which projects to a better life, here and now for all, along with an acceptance of what is and that emptiness provides a fertile foundation for clarity. Prayer, by contrast, is focused outward, a submission to powerlessness of self and a surrender to the forces of a conceptual supernatural entity envisioned before science, before medicine in a violent uneducated society. Where human progress in science expands, the Dharma and Buddha's teaching will likewise grows and maintain relevance while religion remains stuck in a distant past shackled by dogma and manipulation by others. Dharma thrives in self not indoctrination or intellectual bondage. Bravo, as others have stated in reviews, this is truly the book I have been waiting my whole life to read. ## Features - Great product! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #61,191 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #116 in Philosophy Movements (Books) #136 in Buddhism (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,453 Reviews | ## 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. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A vision of freedom from the shackles of organized religion and toward self *by S***N on November 10, 2014* Absolutely loved this book. Strips away the superstition, smoke and mirrors, the lies of organized religion, its overt hostility to self and indivualization and enforced conformity to mass belief, manipulation and totalitarianism and reveals both the simplicity of the Buddha's revelation, its availability to everyone, his humanity (and lack of divinity). Buddha is not a god, nor is there any god. The universe and the self at macro and micro levels are far more complex and fascinating than the limited mind numbing concept of god and kingship or even ideology allow. Buddha and his teachings are an example to reflect upon and to serve as an inspiration of growth of self, but not to worship or pray to. Meditation and the practice of Dharma (not an "-ism", not a belief) is focused inward on self-growth and betterment which projects to a better life, here and now for all, along with an acceptance of what is and that emptiness provides a fertile foundation for clarity. Prayer, by contrast, is focused outward, a submission to powerlessness of self and a surrender to the forces of a conceptual supernatural entity envisioned before science, before medicine in a violent uneducated society. Where human progress in science expands, the Dharma and Buddha's teaching will likewise grows and maintain relevance while religion remains stuck in a distant past shackled by dogma and manipulation by others. Dharma thrives in self not indoctrination or intellectual bondage. Bravo, as others have stated in reviews, this is truly the book I have been waiting my whole life to read. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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. ~ ## 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.th/products/3717346-buddhism-without-beliefs-a-contemporary-guide-to-awakening](https://www.desertcart.co.th/products/3717346-buddhism-without-beliefs-a-contemporary-guide-to-awakening) --- *Product available on Desertcart Thailand* *Store origin: TH* *Last updated: 2026-06-08*