The Unofficial Buddhist: A Path Made by Walking
R. Bluck
October 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1558/isbn.9781800505728 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Key points | Argues that 'unofficial Buddhists'—those practicing outside monastic traditions—are a significant and growing population, and that their approach offers a viable middle way between ancient and modern, religious and secular, and Eastern and Western perspectives. |
Abstract
What is an unofficial Buddhist? Someone whose monastery is their living room! This book explores Buddhist-inspired teaching and practice for today’s secular world – but outside the monastic traditions of Buddhism. The Unofficial Buddhist seeks to find a middle way between ancient and modern worldviews, religious and secular approaches, and Asian and western cultural attitudes. Drawing on traditional Theravada and modern Zen sources, it suggests practical ways of engaging with the Buddha’s ancient path of morality and meditation, leading towards the wisdom of awakening. Western Buddhists often practise with friends or alone. Perhaps they have no local Buddhist centre, or haven’t found those nearby appealing – or they’re wary of organized religion in general. These ‘unofficial Buddhists’ have been called Buddhism’s ‘new pioneers’, exploring the inner territory of how to practise the Buddha’s teaching in the modern world. In both Europe and North America, they’re probably more numerous than any of the traditional groups. So if you have been practising Buddhism without finding a local centre where you feel comfortable – or if you are outside Buddhism, but looking in with interest – you are probably an unofficial Buddhist yourself. If so, this book is for you.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |