Early Buddhism as Philosophy of Existence

‘The strength of this book is its interdisciplinary nature. Babbitt fuses her knowledge of world literature and world philosophies with her experience of vipassanā Buddhist meditation in the West, most particularly its message about seeing things as they are, both within oneself and in the world. The result is a novel and challenging exploration into the way in which Buddhist concepts converge with and speak to existential themes present in our global literary and philosophical heritage.’—Elizabeth Harris, Department of Theology and Religion, Honorary Fellow, Edward Cadbury Centre, University of Birmingham, UK

‘The book offers a powerful meditation on the ways in which key aspects of Buddhist philosophy bear on and challenge philosophical liberalism using arguments and insights that derive from the uniquely positioned, embodied knowledge of the author herself. The book’s experiential emphasis is fresh, interesting and intellectually boundary-crossing, coming from a professional philosopher. The author’s use of literary examples combines with an accessible yet poetic narrative style to create a text that invites readers to reflect on some of the most important ideas and questions of our day while offering new (and liberating) views of the relation between human death and human freedom.’—Lauren Leve, Associate Professor, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

‘I don’t know anyone who has described more movingly what it is to live in the shadow of death. I am grateful to have known her, and take inspiration from her truthfulness, humility and calm acceptance.’ —William Hart, Editor, Translator, Writer and Teacher; Author of The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S. N. Goenka