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Going Buddhist: Panic and Emptiness, the Buddha and Me
It often takes a crisis to see what a life’s shape has been, to learn what really matters. For Peter J. Conradi, acclaimed biographer of Iris Murdoch, the moment came in 1982. This is his account of the life-journey on which he subsequently embarked; a self-help book for cynics, it makes clear that "going Buddhist" is neither a quick fix nor a one-shot deal. Drawing on his conversations with Murdoch, and the remarkable letters they exchanged, Conradi seeks to explain the beauty of Buddhism—a religion increasingly relevant to Westerners. Peter Conradi's recent books include the widely hailed Iris A Life.
188 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2004
1 person is currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Peter J. Conradi
24 books5 followersSee also Sunday Times journalist Peter Conradi
Peter J. Conradi FRSL (born 8 May 1945) is a British author and academic, best known for his studies of writer and philosopher, Iris Murdoch, who was a close friend. He is a Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Kingston and has been Visiting Fellow at Magdalen College Oxford and Research Fellow at University College London.
Conradi was educated at Oundle School, before going on to study English Literature at the University of East Anglia (BA, 1967), the University of Sussex (MA, 1969) and University College London (PhD, 1983).
Conradi has taught at South Bank Polytechnic, University of Colorado, Boulder (Exchange Professor), University of East Anglia, Kingston University and the Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland (British Council Professor). In 1997 Conradi left Kingston University, where he is now Emeritus Professor, to write freelance; and in 2010 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Conradi has written a number of books, including studies of John Fowles, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Angus Wilson, but he is best known for his work on the life and work of Iris Murdoch. His authorised biography of Murdoch was widely chosen as a book of the year on its publication in 2001.
Peter Conradi lives in London and Radnorshire with his civil partner Jim O’Neill. He is a practising Buddhist. He is a Trustee of the Bleddfa Centre for the Creative Spirit and has been co-editor (2007-2018) of the Transactions of the Radnorshire Society.
Peter J. Conradi FRSL (born 8 May 1945) is a British author and academic, best known for his studies of writer and philosopher, Iris Murdoch, who was a close friend. He is a Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Kingston and has been Visiting Fellow at Magdalen College Oxford and Research Fellow at University College London.
Conradi was educated at Oundle School, before going on to study English Literature at the University of East Anglia (BA, 1967), the University of Sussex (MA, 1969) and University College London (PhD, 1983).
Conradi has taught at South Bank Polytechnic, University of Colorado, Boulder (Exchange Professor), University of East Anglia, Kingston University and the Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland (British Council Professor). In 1997 Conradi left Kingston University, where he is now Emeritus Professor, to write freelance; and in 2010 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Conradi has written a number of books, including studies of John Fowles, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Angus Wilson, but he is best known for his work on the life and work of Iris Murdoch. His authorised biography of Murdoch was widely chosen as a book of the year on its publication in 2001.
Peter Conradi lives in London and Radnorshire with his civil partner Jim O’Neill. He is a practising Buddhist. He is a Trustee of the Bleddfa Centre for the Creative Spirit and has been co-editor (2007-2018) of the Transactions of the Radnorshire Society.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 21, 2011
I really loved this. It's a thoughtful, interesting, wide-ranging consideration of what Buddhism and meditation means and why they might be important to people today. It's all too easy for these topics to get either sidelined into MindBodySpirit crystal-dangling weirdness or overcome by esoteric and impenetrable writing. Conradi manages to talk about the topic in an open and interesting way without belittling it. The Iris Murdoch angle added some fascinating extra dimensions to it. Murdoch is a bit of a hole in my reading, and this book prompted me to go do some catching up.
July 10, 2020
Such an incredible eye opener on Buddhism.
It’s a biography, autobiography, textbook, and essay all in one.
So easy to read and a great introduction to Buddhism and philosophy (although having a brief background in both may help)
At times, the referencing got a little annoying.
Very interesting read and am ready to go on a month long group retreat
It’s a biography, autobiography, textbook, and essay all in one.
So easy to read and a great introduction to Buddhism and philosophy (although having a brief background in both may help)
At times, the referencing got a little annoying.
Very interesting read and am ready to go on a month long group retreat
January 17, 2020
4.5* I loved the realism of this part-autobiographical, part-literary book. Published by 'Short Books', this is a short tome (under 200 pgs) but offers a rich depth of understanding and experience like a hearty conversation with an old friend late at night.
This book entered into my life at a serendipitous time (not that I believe in childish fate) where, as an aid and inspiration I learnt a lot about myself, Tibetan Buddhism, Iris Murdoch and the friend/author Peter Conradi. The final chapter 'Stories' was my favourite. The kind of book that you want to re-read with highlighter in hand.
Favourite quote:
"The meditator (and author / reader) can be split into two contradictory people...the mystic and the cynic...The mystic does not see more than the cynic: he sees less... The meditator remembers that life itself is sacred... The cynic forgets this." p. 164-5.
Three things I'm going to do in response to this book:
1. Read Iris Murdoch's The Sea, The Sea
2. Attempt a one month retreat at some point in my life
3. (already started) Reread Hesse's 'Siddhartha' with new eyes
This book entered into my life at a serendipitous time (not that I believe in childish fate) where, as an aid and inspiration I learnt a lot about myself, Tibetan Buddhism, Iris Murdoch and the friend/author Peter Conradi. The final chapter 'Stories' was my favourite. The kind of book that you want to re-read with highlighter in hand.
Favourite quote:
"The meditator (and author / reader) can be split into two contradictory people...the mystic and the cynic...The mystic does not see more than the cynic: he sees less... The meditator remembers that life itself is sacred... The cynic forgets this." p. 164-5.
Three things I'm going to do in response to this book:
1. Read Iris Murdoch's The Sea, The Sea
2. Attempt a one month retreat at some point in my life
3. (already started) Reread Hesse's 'Siddhartha' with new eyes
November 10, 2018
A personal account of a man who solved a life crisis by getting into tibetan buddhism. Somestories of how it changed his outlook on himself and on life, and I felt a lot of sympathy for him and the message that he is spreading, but ultimately too indulging on some not-so relevant stuff to be fully engaging.
September 14, 2019
Brief, but not bad. The author was a friend of Iris Murdoc. Both she and the author dabbled in secular Buddhism. He gives a nice description of his take on the belief system along with some of the problems he has seen as Buddhism has come to western cultures.
June 29, 2022
Enjoyed reading this a lot more than I am enjoying his biography on Murdoch. It feels like a more honest attempt at biography when the writer includes themself and their relationship with the subject directly in the text.
February 8, 2021
I bought this book some years ago and read about half of it. I am a more experienced Buddhist now and have also become a fan of Iris Murdoch. This little volume is good for both.
June 11, 2014
This is a gem of a book.
It contains a personal account of how Peter J Conradi (who was Iris Murdoch’s biographer) found Buddhism. If you are at all interested in Buddhist thought, you’ll enjoy its simplicity.
Three quotes will suffice to bring the message to life:
“Fear is said to be the messenger telling one to ‘wake up’: to panic is to mistake fear for the message itself.”
“Instead of saying ‘Don’t just sit there, do something,’ we should say the opposite: ‘Don’t just do something: sit there.’”
“To bring all this theorizing and the seemingly endless abstruse disputes down to a practical day-to-day level and suggest its possible relevance in everyday life: recognizing the emptiness of apparently solid thoughts of anger, pride, jealousy or desire when they arise slows down the chain-reaction process whereby they spawn further thoughts. Later, when you have gained some experience in the process of liberating thoughts, they are said to undo themselves as a snake might untie a knot in its own body. Finally, in a third stage, you master the liberation of your thoughts which can now, like a thief in an empty house, cause you no harm.”
It contains a personal account of how Peter J Conradi (who was Iris Murdoch’s biographer) found Buddhism. If you are at all interested in Buddhist thought, you’ll enjoy its simplicity.
Three quotes will suffice to bring the message to life:
“Fear is said to be the messenger telling one to ‘wake up’: to panic is to mistake fear for the message itself.”
“Instead of saying ‘Don’t just sit there, do something,’ we should say the opposite: ‘Don’t just do something: sit there.’”
“To bring all this theorizing and the seemingly endless abstruse disputes down to a practical day-to-day level and suggest its possible relevance in everyday life: recognizing the emptiness of apparently solid thoughts of anger, pride, jealousy or desire when they arise slows down the chain-reaction process whereby they spawn further thoughts. Later, when you have gained some experience in the process of liberating thoughts, they are said to undo themselves as a snake might untie a knot in its own body. Finally, in a third stage, you master the liberation of your thoughts which can now, like a thief in an empty house, cause you no harm.”
October 20, 2013
apart from never realising before iris Murdoch was a Buddhist and now i want to re read her books i didnt find this book very engaging,but kept at it as a friend who i respect reccommended it....was a relief to finish now i can read something else! sorry!
January 4, 2016
Engaging and interesting perspective of exploring Buddhist philosophy. Slightly indulgent in some of the anecdotes to make it a brilliant book.
November 7, 2013
re-read 4.4.13
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews