A Critique of Western Buddhism

This book does what it promises.
It gives a damning critique of Western Buddhism, and outlines a 'ruin' of Buddhism. 'Ruin' is an analogy Wallis uses for re-orientation of Buddhism to something which is barely recognizably Buddhist; a non-subjugating form of practice and theory which openly declares that itself as an ideology, which limits it's own scope, and which fully faces up to the consequences of its claims.

This is a very difficult book that needs to be taken on its own terms. Wallis used many tools of continental philosophers (Laruelle, Lacan, Zizek, Eagleton, Nietzsche, Freud and many more) for his critique. These writers use quite slippery concepts, and so much of Wallis' employment of these concepts are too. So, to understand much of this book requires quite careful attention. I was quite relieved when i watched the discussion of this book at Harvard where Wallis himself admitted, upon rereading the work with some distance, that he was also struck by how difficult it is. Some sections are much more so than others - chapter 7 and the end of chapter 4 are very hard, whereas chapters 1 and 6 were crystal clear. Other reviewers are probably correct that a reasonable familiarity with Buddhist materials (traditional and western contemporary), Lacanian psycho-analysis, and 20th century continental philosophy (particularly Laruelle) will go a long way toward making this an easier read.

The Harvard discussion, episode 3 of the Buddhist Philosophy Podcast, and mindful cranks podcast episode with Wallis are helpful resources to ascertain some of the book's meaning.

But, like many philosophers, Wallis' sometimes aloof presentation is forgivable thanks to the brilliance of his thought and argument. Wallis' use of ideas like 'conceptual parapraxis' and 'principle of sufficiency' really spoke to me, and are abound with areas for further application. The crowning achievement in the book is the critique of 'socially engaged' Buddhists; this takes the book beyond merely a critique of modernist buddhism/mindfulness that we've already seen from the likes of Zizek, Purser, and Thompson.