-
The Art of Solitude
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $11.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Buddhism Without Beliefs
- A Contemporary Guide to Awakening
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before it was a religion, a culture, or even a system of meditation, what was Buddhism? On Buddhism Without Beliefs, celebrated teacher, translator, and former Buddhist monk Stephen Batchelor takes us back to the first years after the Buddha's awakening to reveal the root insights of Buddhism hidden beneath centuries of history and interpretation.
-
-
Disingenuous.
- By Zoltan on 04-15-16
-
After Buddhism
- Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Some 25 centuries after the Buddha started teaching, his message continues to inspire people across the globe, including those living in predominantly secular societies. What does it mean to adapt religious practices to secular contexts? Stephen Batchelor, an internationally known author and teacher, is committed to a secularized version of the Buddha's teachings. The time has come, he feels, to articulate a coherent, ethical, contemplative, and philosophical vision of Buddhism for our age.
-
-
Eye opening
- By Christopher F. Wilson on 12-20-15
-
Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness
- By: Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, Lama Shenpen Hookham - translator
- Narrated by: Ken Cohen
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness is a series of meditation practices on Emptiness, a particular aspect of the Buddha's teachings. The idea is that by beginning with one's first rather coarse commonsense understanding, one progresses through increasingly subtle and more refined stages until one arrives at complete and perfect understanding. Each stage in the process prepares the mind for the next in so far as each step is fully integrated into one's understanding through the meditation process.
-
-
Great Dharma, invaluable description of path
- By Sean on 05-03-18
By: Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, and others
-
This Is Your Mind on Plants
- By: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Of all the things humans rely on plants for - sustenance, beauty, medicine, fragrance, flavor, fiber - surely the most curious is our use of them to change consciousness: to stimulate or calm, fiddle with or completely alter, the qualities of our mental experience. Take coffee and tea: People around the world rely on caffeine to sharpen their minds. But we do not usually think of caffeine as a drug, or our daily use as an addiction, because it is legal and socially acceptable.
-
-
This is a clip show.
- By Jeff W. on 07-07-21
By: Michael Pollan
-
Verses from the Center
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The understanding of the nature of reality is the insight upon which the Buddha was able to achieve his own enlightenment. This vision of the sublime is the source of all that is enigmatic and paradoxical about Buddhism. In Verses from the Center, Stephen Batchelor explores the history of this concept and provides listeners with translations of the most important poems ever written on the subject, the poems of 2nd century philosopher Nagarjuna.
-
Secular Buddhism
- Imagining the Dharma in an Uncertain World
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the practice of mindfulness permeates mainstream western culture, more and more people are engaging in a traditional form of Buddhist meditation. However, many of these people have little interest in the religious aspects of Buddhism, and the practice occurs within secular contexts such as hospitals, schools, and the workplace. Is it possible to recover from the Buddhist teachings a vision of human flourishing that is secular rather than religious without compromising the integrity of the tradition?
-
-
Good, but repetition of old material
- By Ludwig on 02-25-18
-
Buddhism Without Beliefs
- A Contemporary Guide to Awakening
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before it was a religion, a culture, or even a system of meditation, what was Buddhism? On Buddhism Without Beliefs, celebrated teacher, translator, and former Buddhist monk Stephen Batchelor takes us back to the first years after the Buddha's awakening to reveal the root insights of Buddhism hidden beneath centuries of history and interpretation.
-
-
Disingenuous.
- By Zoltan on 04-15-16
-
After Buddhism
- Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Some 25 centuries after the Buddha started teaching, his message continues to inspire people across the globe, including those living in predominantly secular societies. What does it mean to adapt religious practices to secular contexts? Stephen Batchelor, an internationally known author and teacher, is committed to a secularized version of the Buddha's teachings. The time has come, he feels, to articulate a coherent, ethical, contemplative, and philosophical vision of Buddhism for our age.
-
-
Eye opening
- By Christopher F. Wilson on 12-20-15
-
Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness
- By: Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, Lama Shenpen Hookham - translator
- Narrated by: Ken Cohen
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness is a series of meditation practices on Emptiness, a particular aspect of the Buddha's teachings. The idea is that by beginning with one's first rather coarse commonsense understanding, one progresses through increasingly subtle and more refined stages until one arrives at complete and perfect understanding. Each stage in the process prepares the mind for the next in so far as each step is fully integrated into one's understanding through the meditation process.
-
-
Great Dharma, invaluable description of path
- By Sean on 05-03-18
By: Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, and others
-
This Is Your Mind on Plants
- By: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Of all the things humans rely on plants for - sustenance, beauty, medicine, fragrance, flavor, fiber - surely the most curious is our use of them to change consciousness: to stimulate or calm, fiddle with or completely alter, the qualities of our mental experience. Take coffee and tea: People around the world rely on caffeine to sharpen their minds. But we do not usually think of caffeine as a drug, or our daily use as an addiction, because it is legal and socially acceptable.
-
-
This is a clip show.
- By Jeff W. on 07-07-21
By: Michael Pollan
-
Verses from the Center
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The understanding of the nature of reality is the insight upon which the Buddha was able to achieve his own enlightenment. This vision of the sublime is the source of all that is enigmatic and paradoxical about Buddhism. In Verses from the Center, Stephen Batchelor explores the history of this concept and provides listeners with translations of the most important poems ever written on the subject, the poems of 2nd century philosopher Nagarjuna.
-
Secular Buddhism
- Imagining the Dharma in an Uncertain World
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the practice of mindfulness permeates mainstream western culture, more and more people are engaging in a traditional form of Buddhist meditation. However, many of these people have little interest in the religious aspects of Buddhism, and the practice occurs within secular contexts such as hospitals, schools, and the workplace. Is it possible to recover from the Buddhist teachings a vision of human flourishing that is secular rather than religious without compromising the integrity of the tradition?
-
-
Good, but repetition of old material
- By Ludwig on 02-25-18
-
Living with the Devil
- A Meditation on Good and Evil
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the national best seller Living with the Devil, Batchelor traces the trajectory from the words of the Buddha and Christ, through the writings of Shantideva, Milton, and Pascal, to the poetry of Baudelaire, the fiction of Kafka, and the findings of modern physics and evolutionary biology to examine who we really are and to rest in the uncertainty that we may never know. Like his previous best seller, Living with the Devil is an introduction to Buddhism that encourages listeners to nourish their "buddha nature" and make peace with the devils that haunt human life.
-
-
Good ..but really dense
- By Brian on 01-17-21
-
Cynicism and Magic
- Intelligence and Intuition on the Buddhist Path
- By: Chogyam Trungpa, Opening the Dharma Treasury Editors Group - editor
- Narrated by: Devendra Banhart
- Length: 4 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on a series of talks given by Chögyam Trungpa during the first session of what was to become Naropa University, Cynicism and Magic introduces key Tibetan Buddhist concepts, including karma, the structure of ego, the paramitas, and the bodhisattva. Employing a unique and intimate teaching style, Trungpa Rinpoche presents these concepts in a larger framework of questions we all have: What is authentic spirituality? Can I find enlightenment and freedom? How should I approach life, death, suffering, and boredom? How can I develop some discipline, patience, and sanity?
-
-
Loved it, will listen to it again!
- By K. Reay on 12-16-21
By: Chogyam Trungpa, and others
-
The Way of the Bodhisattva
- Shambhala
- By: Shantideva, The Padmakara Translation Group - translator, the Dalai Lama - foreword, and others
- Narrated by: Wulstan Fletcher
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Treasured by Buddhists of all traditions, The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara) is a guide to cultivating the mind of enlightenment and to generating the qualities of love, compassion, generosity, and patience. This text has been studied, practiced, and expounded upon in an unbroken tradition for centuries, first in India, and later in Tibet. Presented in the form of a personal meditation in verse, it outlines the path of the Bodhisattvas - those who renounce the peace of individual enlightenment and vow to work for the liberation of all beings.
-
-
To hear again and again
- By Dirk on 07-09-18
By: Shantideva, and others
-
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha
- A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya
- By: Bhikkhu Ñānamoli, Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Narrated by: Taradasa
- Length: 47 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book offers a complete translation of the Majjhima Nikāya, or Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, one of the major collections of texts in the Pāli Canon, the authorised scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. This collection - among the oldest records of the historical Buddha's original teachings - consists of 152 suttas or discourses of middle length, distinguished as such from the longer and shorter suttas of the other collections.
-
-
I can't believe it's FINALLY an audible book!
- By Yetanotherguy on 12-08-19
By: Bhikkhu Ñānamoli, and others
-
The Connected Discourses of the Buddha
- A Translation of the Saṃyutta Nikaya
- By: Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Narrated by: Taradasa
- Length: 57 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This volume offers a complete translation of the Saṃyutta Nikāya, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, the third of the four great collections in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pāli Canon. The Saṃyutta Nikāya consists of 56 chapters, each governed by a unifying theme that binds together the Buddha's suttas or discourses.
-
-
Easy to understand...
- By Munair on 04-09-21
By: Bhikkhu Bodhi
-
One Blade of Grass
- Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir
- By: Henry Shukman
- Narrated by: Henry Shukman
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of how a meditation practice gave Henry Shukman a context for integrating a sudden spiritual awakening into his life and how his depression and anxiety were gradually healed through this practice. In sharing how he grew into a Zen teacher, Shukman demystifies Zen training, casting its profound insights in simple, lucid language. Along the way, One Blade of Grass guides listeners on a journey of their own, into the hidden treasures that contemplative practice can reveal to any of us.
-
-
Now I’m really in trouble
- By Clyde E Carper III on 08-23-20
By: Henry Shukman
-
The Laws of Human Nature
- By: Robert Greene
- Narrated by: Paul Michael, Robert Greene
- Length: 28 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Greene is a master guide for millions of listeners, distilling ancient wisdom and philosophy into essential texts for seekers of power, understanding, and mastery. Now he turns to the most important subject of all - understanding people's drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves. Whether at work, in relationships, or in shaping the world around you, The Laws of Human Nature offers brilliant tactics for success, self-improvement, and self-defense.
-
-
Interesting mix of biography and thoughts
- By Tintin on 12-13-18
By: Robert Greene
-
The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching
- Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation
- By: Thích Nhất Hạnh
- Narrated by: René Ruiz
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh introduces us to the core teachings of Buddhism and shows us that the Buddha's teachings are accessible and applicable to our daily lives. With poetry and clarity, Nhat Hanh imparts comforting wisdom about the nature of suffering and its role in creating compassion, love, and joy - all qualities of enlightenment.
-
-
One of the very best...
- By Metta Bhavana on 02-26-15
By: Thích Nhất Hạnh
-
Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior
- By: Chogyam Trungpa
- Narrated by: Carolyn Rose Gimian
- Length: 5 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is a basic human wisdom that can help solve the world's problems. It doesn't belong to any one culture or region or religious tradition - though it can be found in many of them throughout history. It's what Chögyam Trungpa called the sacred path of the warrior.
-
-
A Guide to Developing Practical Wisdom for Life
- By Al on 11-18-18
By: Chogyam Trungpa
-
The Long Discourses of the Buddha
- A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya
- By: Bhikkhu Sujato
- Narrated by: Taradasa
- Length: 24 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Long Discourses of the Buddha (Dīgha Nikāya) is the first of the five Nikāyas (Collections) in the Sutta Pitaka and has its own particular character. Unlike the others which contain thousands of shorter discourses (suttas), it comprises just 34 but of much longer length - as the name indicates! This makes it in some ways a more focused collection of teachings of the Buddha and especially accessible in audio.
-
-
Good on the beginning, good in the middle...
- By Boguslaw on 05-28-21
By: Bhikkhu Sujato
-
The Miracle of Mindfulness
- An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
- By: Thich Nhat Hanh
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this beautiful and lucid guide, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercises as a means of learning the skills of mindfulness - being awake and fully aware. From washing the dishes to answering the phone to peeling an orange, he reminds us that each moment holds within it an opportunity to work toward greater self-understanding and peacefulness.
-
-
It had a big effect on my life
- By Mark on 08-29-15
By: Thich Nhat Hanh
-
In Love with the World
- A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying
- By: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Helen Tworkov
- Narrated by: Feodor Chin
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At 36 years old, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche was a rising star within his generation of Tibetan masters and the respected abbot of three monasteries. Then one night, telling no one, he slipped out of his monastery in India with the intention of spending the next four years on a wandering retreat, following the ancient practice of holy mendicants. His goal was to throw off his titles and roles in order to explore the deepest aspects of his being.
-
-
An Amazing Story Shared with Profound Perspective
- By Martin Fierro on 06-07-19
By: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, and others
Publisher's Summary
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.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Art of Solitude
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Darwin8u
- 05-31-20
Great idea, mediocre execution.
"Solitude is a fluid concept, ranging from the depths of loneliness to the saint's mystic rapture."
- Stephen Batchelor, The Art of Solitude
An interesting exploration of solitude. Lots of potential, but I'm not sure Batchelor's experiment (the collaged structure) worked well, so minus one star. Also, a large chunk of this small book is imported directly from Montaigne, so I'm not sure how much of this is more than an extended greatest hits collected by Batchelor on the topic of solitude. Integrated into his sections on Montaigne, Vermeer, and the Buddha, Batchelor inserts his experiences with solitude, peyote, Ayahuasca, and other hallucinogenics. Those sections seem to capture my entire experience with the book: a bit of insight, accompanied by sweats, nausea, and the need for ginger candy to get the bad taste out of my mouth. OK. Maybe it isn't that bad. It just wasn't that great either.
Reading this makes the experience seem entirely too negative. I wasn't unhappy to re-read a lot of Montaigne. The guy is my JAM. Also, the chapters on Vermeer were pretty damn good too.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Douglas C. Bates
- 03-03-20
Multiple Perspectives on Solitude
Stephen Batchelor has written yet another inspiring and instantly controversial book -- so controversial that as soon as the book was published the Zen teacher Brad Warner condemned it without reading it.
The book is an investigation of solitude from many perspectives. The controversial perspectives in the book involve the author's participation in traditional Native American shamanic ceremonies involving peyote and ayahuasca. Anyone with basic knowledge of Buddhism knows that there is a Buddhist precept against the use of intoxicants. Anyone who has actually gotten to know a bunch of Buddhist teachers knows that a lot of them drink and many of them tried psychedelics in their youth. Also, anyone with basic knowledge of Buddhism knows that the Buddha tried a wide variety of spiritual techniques available to him, including ascetic practices that nearly starved him to death. Had the Buddha had access to Native American spiritual practices, wouldn't one expect that he might have tried them?
These controversial aspects of the book will stimulate debate for a long time. Batchelor does a fine job in his book at deftly poking at this Buddhist dogma and gently pointing to some of the hypocrisy associated with it.
While the controversial parts will likely be the most talked about, for me the best part of the book was its exploration of Montaigne's approach to solitude and its resulting positive effect, as recorded by Montaigne in his "Essays." For those familiar with both Batchelor and Montaigne, they have a great deal in common, as both have long-standing commitments to religion and both had mid-life awakenings that caused them to become philosophical skeptics. Batchelor famously described this in "Buddhism Without Beliefs" and "Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist." Similarly, Montaigne described his adoption of Pyrrhonian skepticism and how he applied it to his Catholicism in the most famous of all of his essays, "An Apology for Raymond Sebond."
Those who enjoyed Batchelor's prior explorations of "religious" skepticism will likely enjoy "The Art of Solitude." Yet, this is perhaps the least "Buddhist" of all of Batchelor's books. While solitude is heavily used in Buddhism, Buddhism has nothing close to a monopoly on it. This book goes far beyond Buddhism in its exploration of solitude.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Richard Daley
- 05-21-20
I enjoyed this book.
Different from Stephen's prior books. I enjoyed it very much. I enjoy Stephen's point of view, and absolutely share the interest in solitude.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- daveygravy
- 04-29-20
90% cool
could have done without the "eating the psychedelics" stuff.
don't get me wrong,"I went to college", but it could have been excluded losing nothing probably.
note about app, I didn't like how couldn't reread, etc... was first time I used the app
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael R. Whitenton
- 12-27-21
Fantastic book blending Western philosophy, Buddhism, experience from one of the great gifted teachers of our time
Title says it all. I’ll return to this and fill it out more when I have time.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael
- 09-24-21
Vipassana Meditation Is Key
The Art of Solitude is employed to help one sit so as to reach the cessation of thought/consciousness. At this point one can clearly see what enters the mind and can if necessary remediate it to a wholesome result. So, breathe in, breathe out.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- D. Raynal
- 06-20-21
Enjoyed it totally
All I can say is that SB has a special way to present complex concepts with ease and grace. Worth listening to several times.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A close reader
- 06-07-20
thoughtful and enlightening
The introduction made this book sound like a random pastiche, but in fact it is the deft idiosyncratic yet relatable —almost playful—exploration of solitude and its many forms and practitioners Read calmly and clearly by the author.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- A. L. Root
- 11-27-20
Too self-indulgent!
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!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- JohnT
- 01-06-22
A fascinating set of essays on solitude
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.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Lee
- 10-22-20
Eye-opening
I simply wanted to 'thank' Stephen for providing this wonderful journey through solitude, though there's a 12 word minimum requirement...
Stephen, thank you.