Secular Buddhist teacher Stephen Batchelor joins us to explore some of the ideas presented in his newest book, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist. We start off by examining the two Buddhist doctrines of karma and rebirth, using the original teachings of the Buddha, especially the “imponderables” as a touchstone for the conversation. Stephen’s basic claim being that the belief in rebirth doesn’t have sufficient evidence behind it, and it actually takes away from the core practices and teachings of the Buddha. We conclude the interview by exploring the difference between agnosticism and atheism, which Stephen claims can be integrated together into what he calls an “ironic atheism.”

Episode Links:

Stephen and Martine Batchelor ( http://www.stephenbatchelor.org )

Buddhism Without Beliefs ( http://amzn.to/bHGkI7 )

Confession of a Buddhist Atheist ( http://amzn.to/9WL5X1 )

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