Buddhist atheists

[Angrboda]

It occurred to me that there is a viewpoint on Buddhism that I left out that is very pertinent to your question. Some, if not many, view Buddhism as more a way to live a good life, than as a path to any kind of salvation through karma and reincarnation. In this light, the practice of Buddhism can be seen as a path to inner peace and justice, even viewing the Buddha as less a religious figure, but more a guide to the good life, and a moral teacher, in the same way that some may emphasize the aspect of Jesus as a moral teacher, with or without accepting his divinity — even without accepting his historicity (or its veracity). I've even read accounts that suggest that the Buddha himself in his first person teaching often demurred on the question of reincarnation and Karma, preferring to focus on the here and now. In this aspect, for some, Buddhism's metaphysical doctrines can be viewed in the same light as the belief in gods in Buddhism, that yes they are there, but they're just not important. These types of Buddhism likely would emphasize the aspects of compassion, which is core to Mahayana Buddhisms, and the practice of detachment as noted in the four noble truths (the practice of which, is greatly misunderstood by Westerners), and the moral guidance offered by frameworks such as the eightfold path, and that provided by the wisdom of Buddhist sages throughout the ages.

So in that sense, yes, there are aspects which might appeal to an atheist, just as they appeal to anyone.

(I'm not well versed on the literature here, but authors like the Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh and the Buddhist nun Pema Chodron may help. I have been looking for a good text on the Buddhist doctrine of Anatta, and I found a book that discusses it and which appears to give a good and substantial introduction to real Buddhism, apart from what I discuss in this post. That book is by Rupert Gethin.)