A Critique of Western Buddhism Ruins of the Buddhist Real [Hardcover]

What are we to make of Western Buddhism? Glenn Wallis argues that in aligning their tradition with the contemporary wellness industry, Western Buddhists evade the consequences of Buddhist thought. This book shows that with concepts such as vanishing, nihility, extinction, contingency, and no-self, Buddhism, like all potent systems of thought, articulates a notion of the real. Raw, unflinching acceptance of this real is held by Buddhism to be at the very core of human awakening. Yet these preeminent human truths are universally shored up against in contemporary Buddhist practice, contravening the very heart of Buddhism.

The author's critique of Western Buddhism is threefold. It is immanent, in emerging out of Buddhist thought but taking it beyond what it itself publicly concedes; negative, in employing the democratizing deconstructive methods of Fran?ois Laruelle's non-philosophy; and re-descriptive, in applying Laruelle's concept of philofiction. Through applying resources of Continental philosophy to Western Buddhism,A Critique of Western Buddhismsuggests a possible practice for our time, an anthropotechnic , or religion transposed from its seductive, but misguiding, idealist haven.

Having read through the book a second time I can say without hesitation thatA Critique of Western Buddhismis one of the most important books ever written on the subject of Buddhismcertainly the most important in the decades since Buddhism has established itself as an ideological resident here in the West. -The Failed Buddhist

The single most important book of contemporary Buddhist philosophic reflection. Wallis' critique masterfully addresses the twinned questions central to contemporary Buddhism: 'What use is being made of Buddhism today?' and 'What use is Buddhism today?' Richard K. Payne, Yehan Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhist Studies, Institute of Buddhist Studies, USA

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