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The Art of Solitude

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The Art of Solitude

By: Stephen Batchelor
Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
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About this listen

When world renowned Buddhist writer Stephen Batchelor turned 60, he took a sabbatical from his teaching and turned his attention to solitude, a practice integral to the meditative traditions he has long studied and taught. He aimed to venture more deeply into solitude, discovering its full extent and depth.

This beautiful literary collage documents his multifaceted explorations. Spending time in remote places, appreciating and making art, practicing meditation and participating in retreats, drinking peyote and ayahuasca, and training himself to keep an open, questioning mind have all contributed to Batchelor's ability to be simultaneously alone and at ease. Mixed in with his personal narrative are inspiring stories from solitude's devoted practitioners, from the Buddha to Montaigne, and from Vermeer to Agnes Martin.

In a hyperconnected world that is at the same time plagued by social isolation, this book shows how to enjoy the inescapable solitude that is at the heart of human life.

©2020 Stephen Batchelor (P)2020 Yale Press Audio Buddhism Eastern Philosophy Spirituality

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I simply wanted to 'thank' Stephen for providing this wonderful journey through solitude, though there's a 12 word minimum requirement...

Stephen, thank you.

Eye-opening

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Stephen makes no secret of his intention to present these essays in "collage" form i.e. in no particular order. The content and interest of each of these 32 essays varies greatly and so did my interest in them. e.g. those on Michel de Montaingne in which he quotes directly from Montaingne's, at times, incoherent ramblings as amongst those of the least interest. The reasons being that it was written of the time (1500s): so he was an arch theist and ardent supporter of the Catholic church with all its failings, ultra conservative, pious, believed strongly in the established order and obedience to it, hated (really hated) change etc. Yes bizarrely he saw himself as a philosopher of the day and regarded himself as superior to the ancient Greek schools which he was disdainful of.

The most interesting chapters were those about Stephen's experiences from Buddhism, his thoughts on the ancient Buddhist teacher/writer Santideva, his findings and conclusions as a very experienced meditation practitioner (a real revelation here) and his different experiences of experimenting with hallucinatory substances that he calls "medicines" (the reason for this terms becomes clear late in the book). I found the majority of the book's content to be of great interest.

On the Audible version, the author himself narrates the text which means he is relating his experiences first hand directly to the listener which adds to the interest and impact. Overall satisfaction is increased if you have some knowledge of Buddhism as there are references made that might be otherwise meaningless.

A fascinating set of essays on solitude

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The world is on fire - literally in Australia, the Amazon, California Indonesia, etc., but Stephen Batchelor see fit to reward himself at 60 with jet-setting round the world (increasing climate change) to consume various hallucingenic drugs and to celebrate and recount his memories of his life as a Buddhist teacher. The Buddha spent his life helping people, as did Christ, and other notable religious leaders. This book is self-indulgence, drug-induced navel-gazing with friends: no good spiritual example here!

Too self-indulgent!

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