/lit/ - Literature

Christianity.

>>13510054
It was never a mostly Christian board, the highest IQ echelon of top-tier /lit/ posters was always into metaphysics and religious philosophy/esoterism etc. In the past year or two though there was an influx of people who were dogmatic Catholics and who would reflexively ridicule and attack non-Christian and non-Catholic religious teachings/metaphysics. Those people are rightfully derided as morons. For people who are not dogmatic and who just take their Christian faith and spirituality earnestly without going around larping and attacking others on the internet /lit/ doesn't really have a problem with them. The extent to which Christians are ridiculed only extends as far as some of them go beyond the pale of what's respectable.

Why yes I do believe in God and Jesus, how did you know?

>>13380794
>Because he was first and before this whole (band of aspirants) burnt all evils, therefore he is called Purusha. He who knows thus indeed burns one who wants to be (Viraj) before him.
This line is referencing that the status of Hiranyagarbha/Viraj is attainable by humans, and that an aspirant from the previous cycle of universal manifestation attained the status of Viraj (as Shankara's bhasya on this passage clearly explains), this person is spoken of as figuratively burning the other aspirants by beating them to the goal of attaining the status of Viraj. Shankara notes at the beginning of his bhasya on this passages that the Brihadaranyaka already stated before this that the status of Hiranyagarbha was attainable in (Br. 1.3.28.), Shankara then writes that this section is introduced to explain the results of the previously mentioned meditations (that win the status of Viraj), and also to point out that this is only a relative achievement as Viraj is described as possessing fear, dissatisfaction etc; preparing the reader/listener for contemplation of the Supreme Brahman and liberation which is beyond Viraj. This chapter connects to a major theme of the Brihadaranyaka and the other Upanishads as well, that the attainment of unity with the universe/Hiranyagarba is inferior to actual liberation and the unconditioned Brahman.

Are you that guy who called me a retard a few weeks ago when I recommended reading Shankara's bhasyas on them and you said you planned to read them by themselves and then afterwards read his bhasyas (who's the retard now huh?!?!). Tbqh I almost consider it a waste of time to read the select Upanishads that he wrote them on without his bhasya's, it's a totally different experience, he explains everything incredibly clearly (if you start from the beginning!) and with such brilliance, you miss out on so much if you read them without him. I would honestly recommend putting the Brihadaranyaka on the back-burner, and then reading through Shankara's commentaries on the 8 Upanishads in Gambhirananda's translated compilation, that will prepare you well for the Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya (and his bhasyas) as they are older and use more antiquated language than the later primary Upanishads.

>Why yes, I am an autodidact who has extensively studied metaphysics and concluded that there exists an eternal truth that manifests itself variously throughout history, and indeed it's true as you say that I have an appreciation for all the wisdom of mankind although my own views are informed by an eclectic reading of the Neoplatonists, Advaita Vedanta, Sufi poetry and Taoism. And yes, I do agree that theocracy and absolute monarchies are the only legitimate forms of government... you seem to be capable of guessing a remarkable amount about me