Twenty-five centuries have passed since the Buddha began his teaching, and Buddhism continues to inspire people around the world, including those living in secularized societies. But what does it mean to adapt religious practices to a secular context?

Stephen Batchelor has long articulated a philosophical, contemplative, and ethical view of Buddhism appropriate to our time. Post-Buddhism is the culmination of four decades of study and practice in the Tibetan, Zen, and Theravada traditions. Making a brilliant critical reading of the oldest canonical texts, Batchelor describes the Buddha's teaching not as a dogmatic metaphysics but as an ethical and pragmatic teaching. He understands Buddhism as an ever-evolving culture of awakening, whose longevity responds to its ability to reinvent itself and interact creatively with the societies it encounters.