google.com, pub-0418880821635173, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 Everything Zen: Stephen Batchelor On the Four Noble Truths

September 04, 2015

Stephen Batchelor On the Four Noble Truths

Thought of the Day:

Stephen Batchelor at Upaya Zen Center photo by ottmarliebert
“The Four Noble Truths are pragmatic rather than dogmatic. They suggest a course of action to be followed rather than a set of dogmas to be believed. The four truths are prescriptions for behavior rather than descriptions of reality. The Buddha compares himself to a doctor who offers a course of therapeutic treatment to heal one’s ills. To embark on such a therapy is not designed to bring one any closer to ‘the Truth’ but to enable one’s life to flourish here and now, hopefully leaving a legacy that will continue to have beneficial repercussions after one’s death.”

― Stephen Batchelor, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist

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