As a Western student of Buddhism, I am interested in how Buddhism is being formulated as it expands from its Asian origins. I am interested in the debates that ensue when an age-old tradition finds itself again in its formative years, trying to rearticulate itself to suit a new cultural context. It is for these reasons that I am drawn to Stephen Batchelor, whose goal is to articulate a new and relevant Buddhism.
My goal in this paper is to examine Batchelor on his own terms and in his own words. As such, this study focuses mainly on primary source material. Aside from the three critiques under discussion, I do not address any other commentaries of Batchelor’s work.
I chose Bhikkhu Punnadhammo’s, Bhikkhu Bodhi’s, and Sangharakshita’s critiques primarily because they were the most prominent and most interesting voices of opposition to Batchelor’s work. I chose to focus on all of Batchelor’s main philosophical texts, for they are inter-related and they illustrate a progression of thought. The majority of my biographical information on Batchelor comes directly from Batchelor himself, who provided me with a detailed resumé of his life and work.
Whereas the first half of this paper outlines the issues under discussion in a fairly objective manner, the second half provides more original thought and personal analysis.