---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The individuation of dharma practice…"
description: "\"The individuation of dharma practice occurs whenever priority is given to the resolution of a personal existential dilemma over the need to conform to ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/stephen-batchelor-5328_authority_the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occ_2017258.jpg"
---

#  The individuation of dharma practice occurs whenever…

![“The individuation of dharma practice occurs whenever priority is given to the resolution of a personal existential dilemma over the need to conform to the doctrines of a Buddhist orthodoxy. Individuation is a process of recovering personal authority through freeing ourselves from the constraints…” quote by Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/stephen-batchelor-5328_authority_the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occ_2017258.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/stephen-batchelor-5328_authority_the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occ_2017258.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/stephen-batchelor-5328_authority_the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occ_2017258.jpg)

> “The individuation of dharma practice occurs whenever priority is given to the resolution of a personal existential dilemma over the need to conform to the doctrines of a Buddhist orthodoxy. Individuation is a process of recovering personal authority through freeing ourselves from the constraints of collectively held belief systems.”

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Personal dharma emerges when one resolves personal existential issues before adhering to Buddhist orthodoxy.

**In simple terms:** Find personal truth before following doctrine.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize personal insight over conformity.

Themes

spirituality individuality Buddhism authenticity

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- meditation retreats
- counseling sessions
- personal crisis resolution
- spiritual study groups

Key Concepts

existentialism personal authority psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What personal dilemmas are you facing?
- How can you honor both personal insight and communal practice?

A Different Perspective

Orthodoxy may provide community support that is overlooked.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Belief systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-systems/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Buddhist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) [Conform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conform/) [Constraints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constraints/) [Dharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dharma/) [Dilemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilemma/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Existential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existential/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Individuation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuation/) [Individuation Dharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuation-dharma-3633202/) [Individuation Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuation-process-3633203/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Orthodoxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodoxy/) [Orthodoxy Individuation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodoxy-individuation-3633204/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Recovering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recovering/) [Resolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolution/)

## Related quotes

> [The God-image in man was not destroyed by the Fall but was only damaged and corrupted ('deformed'), and can be restored through God's grace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-god-image-in-man-was-not-destroyed-by-the-fall-but-was-only-2/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [Central to Jungian psychology is the concept of "individuation," the process whereby a person discovers and evolves his Self, as opposed to his ego.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-berman/central-to-jungian-psychology-is-the-concept-of-individuation-the/)

[Morris Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-berman/)

> [The difference between the "natural" individuation process, which runs its course unconsciously, and the one that is consciously realized is tremendous. In the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-difference-between-the-natural-individuation-process-which-runs/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [The God-image in man was not destroyed by the Fall but was only damaged and corrupted (“deformed”), and can be restored through God's grace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-god-image-in-man-was-not-destroyed-by-the-fall-but-was-only/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [“I am empty only in the sense that there is nothing fixed or intrinsically real at the core of my identity as a person.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/i-am-empty-only-in-the-sense-that-there-is-nothing-fixed-or/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [While 'Buddhism' suggests another belief system, 'dharma practice' suggests a course of action. The four ennobling truths are not propositions to believe; they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/while-buddhism-suggests-another-belief-system-dharma-practice/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [I saw that everything, all paths I had been following, all steps I had taken, were leading back to a single point - namely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/i-saw-that-everything-all-paths-i-had-been-following-all-steps-i-had/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [I hold the view that the alchemist’s hope of conjuring out of matter the philosophical gold, or the panacea, or the wonderful stone, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/i-hold-the-view-that-the-alchemist-s-hope-of-conjuring-out-of-matter/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [We have no physical model of this endless rhythm of individuation and involvement, we do have its image in the world of art, most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/we-have-no-physical-model-of-this-endless-rhythm-of-individuation-and/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [“To become—in Jung’s terms—individuated, to live as a released individual, one has to know how and when to put on and to put off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/to-become-in-jung-s-terms-individuated-to-live-as-a-released/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

> [It looks as if there were a single ultimate goal for mankind, a far goal toward which all persons strive. This is called variously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-maslow/it-looks-as-if-there-were-a-single-ultimate-goal-for-mankind-a-far/)

[Abraham Maslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-maslow/)

> [“Individuation is an attainment of spiritual maturity frighteningly seldom attained in today's mono-cultures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/individuation-is-an-attainment-of-spiritual-maturity-frighteningly/)

[Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/)

> [So that individuation may be compared to a pyramid in that it is only achieved by the placement of the top stone… The Jews,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-that-individuation-may-be-compared-to-a-pyramid-in-that-it-is-only/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“This assumption of the intrinsically repressive nature of collective experience and redemptive power of individuation is a staple of contemporary art theory and criticism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-h-kester/this-assumption-of-the-intrinsically-repressive-nature-of-collective/)

[Grant H. Kester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-h-kester/)

> [“The act of consciousness is central; otherwise we are overrun by the complexes. The hero in each of us is required to answer the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/the-act-of-consciousness-is-central-otherwise-we-are-overrun-by-the/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

## More by Stephen Batchelor

> [“Gotama did for the self what Copernicus did for the earth: he put it in its rightful place, despite its continuing to appear just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/gotama-did-for-the-self-what-copernicus-did-for-the-earth-he-put-it/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [“We perceive the world in a particular way and confidently expect it to conform to its appearance. But we fail to recognize that certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/we-perceive-the-world-in-a-particular-way-and-confidently-expect-it/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [“Anxiety, alienation, loneliness, emptiness, and meaninglessness are the fruits of living as an isolated subject admist a multitude of lifeless objects. Although our scope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/anxiety-alienation-loneliness-emptiness-and-meaninglessness-are-the/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [“... We have to constantly confront our deepest anxieties, our emptiness, our despair, our doubts; and there is nowhere for us to escape and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/we-have-to-constantly-confront-our-deepest-anxieties-our-emptiness/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [“There is nothing one can have that one cannot fear to lose. Instead of living life in order to have more abundantly, live life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/there-is-nothing-one-can-have-that-one-cannot-fear-to-lose-instead-of/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [Buddhism, I think, is probably facing the single most difficult transition from one historical epoch to another, which is really the transition to modernity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/buddhism-i-think-is-probably-facing-the-single-most-difficult/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [ \[Mindfulness\] is not concerned with anything transcendent or divine. It serves as an antidote to theism, a cure for sentimental piety, a scalpel for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/mindfulness-is-not-concerned-with-anything-transcendent-or-divine-it/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [The art of dharma practice requires commitment, technical accomplishment, and imagination. As with all arts, we will fail to realize its full potential if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/the-art-of-dharma-practice-requires-commitment-technical/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [The denial of "self" challenges only the notion of a static self independent of body and mind-not the ordinary sense of ourself as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/the-denial-of-self-challenges-only-the-notion-of-a-static-self/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [While 'Buddhism' suggests another belief system, 'dharma practice' suggests a course of action. The four ennobling truths are not propositions to believe; they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/while-buddhism-suggests-another-belief-system-dharma-practice/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [“The inner aim of thought is never fully realized until it ripens into vocal utterances through which others can have access- albeit indirect- to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/the-inner-aim-of-thought-is-never-fully-realized-until-it-ripens-into/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [“Our religion, with its beliefs, rituals, and dogmas becomes another segment among all the other segments that constitute our linear and fragmented existence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/our-religion-with-its-beliefs-rituals-and-dogmas-becomes-another/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [“For others, however, the significance of anxiety in disclosing a fundamental insight into human existence is grasped. At this point their consciences will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/for-others-however-the-significance-of-anxiety-in-disclosing-a/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [“Wisdom that neglects method leads to excessive introversion and an inability to effectively communicate with others. Method without wisdom can produce well-intentioned but naive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/wisdom-that-neglects-method-leads-to-excessive-introversion-and-an/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [So the Buddha is presenting awakening not as a single mystical experience that may come upon us at some meditation, some private moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/so-the-buddha-is-presenting-awakening-not-as-a-single-mystical/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

[Explore all 101 Stephen Batchelor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

## More Authority quotes

> [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/)

[Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/)

[Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/)

> [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/)

[Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/)

> [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/)

[Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/)

> [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/)

[Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/)

> [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/)

[Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/)

> [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/)

[Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/)

> [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/)

[Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/)

> [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/)

[Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/)

> [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/)

[Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/)

[Browse all 4,003 Authority quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The individuation of dharma practice occurs whenever priority is given to the resolution of a personal existential dilemma over the need to conform to the doctrines of a Buddhist orthodoxy. Individuation is a process of recovering personal authority through freeing ourselves from the constraints of collectively held belief systems.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stephen Batchelor"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occurs-whenever-priority-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Authority"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occurs-whenever-priority-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/stephen-batchelor-5328_authority_the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occ_2017258.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/stephen-batchelor-5328_authority_the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occ_2017258.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/stephen-batchelor-5328_authority_the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occ_2017258.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The individuation of dharma practice occurs whenever priority is given to the resolution of a personal…” — Stephen Batchelor",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Stephen Batchelor",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The individuation of dharma practice occurs...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occurs-whenever-priority-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/the-individuation-of-dharma-practice-occurs-whenever-priority-is/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
