/lit/ - Literature

If there is no self or soul, what is that which is being reborn?

>>9345743
Fuck off, son.

>tfw you will never speak Latin, Ancient Greek and Sanskrit
>tfw you will never fully dedicate your life to the pursue of virtue and knowledge
>tfw you will never reach enlightenment

>>4915231
If you stare at life really hard maybe it will leave you alone and go away.

Why haven't you accepted Buddha as your lord and saviour? Why don't you visit church of meditation every day?

Dear /lit/,

I'm looking for a book on Buddhism that gives a thorough and comprehensive explanation of the different strains of the religion and perhaps the history and things like that. I'm also interested in works on Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana as the three main variants in particular.

I've already read Alan Watts' The Way of Zen and Shunryu Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind and Not Quite So. Other than that I've merely read a whole bunch of stuff online, delving mainly into particular interests such as the Forest Tradition, but not much proper, broadly oriented works. I hope you can help me. I've been learning about the subject for years, but good comprehensive books have been missing from the process. Online texts are also welcome, of course.

When you get a really nasty thought in your head, like murder, how do you deal with it?

>>2794900
>As far as suffering in general goes, I believe they are right.

I meant that it can't be solved by suicide, not necessarily that it can be solved by Buddhist practices.

>>2781372
1/2

I see a few other people have already responded to you, but I'll do it myself too.

1. The clinging is rather meant in a psychological way than a physical one. For example, clinging to your youthful appearance while aging. You refuse to be at peace with the fundamental reality that everything is in flux, and by this unrealistic desire you create a perpetual suffering for yourself.

If you approach things aware of the fact that they hold no inherent value, identity or essence and will also wither away again, you live with a clarity that is prepared for the basic nature of life. Most people downright refuse to do this, and thereby create a lot of suffering for themselves. The ability to let go will free you from this.

2. I'd say desire often is, if not always consciously so. Plenty of people are bummed out because they can't have a certain car or house or gadget or anything, and they can go very far to attain those things, even if it causes themselves and others great suffering. They also often feel entitled. Seeing through the triviality in such matters can be a great relief. Becoming concious of your desires in the right way enables you to deal with them in a way that doesn't cause any harm. Then one can follow the middle way, by just maintaining the body and neither falling prey to decadence nor asceticism.

>>2730303
Reminds me of this Buddha thing that's actually badass:

"I consider the positions of kings and rulers as that of dust motes. I observe treasures of gold and gems as so many bricks and pebbles. I look upon the finest silken robes as tattered rags. I see myriad worlds of the universe as small seeds of fruit, and the greatest lake in India as a drop of oil on my foot. I perceive the teachings of the world to be the illusion of magicians. I discern the highest conception of emancipation as a golden brocade in a dream, and view the holy path of the illuminated ones as flowers appearing in one's eyes. I see meditation as a pillar of a mountain, Nirvana as a nightmare of daytime. I look upon the judgment of right and wrong as the serpentine dance of a dragon, and the rise and fall of beliefs as but traces left by the four seasons."

What can you even do?

>>2575872
For the same reason I don't have pets, plants, children or unnecessary obligations. Rahulas the lot of 'em.

>training the body beyond the amount required for good health
>not training the mind with serious dedication

I sincerely hope you guys don't partake in this unbalanced behaviour for your own good

>>2502147

You're taking an overly simplistic view of it, I think. You should look into the social mores and responsibilities of a warrior cast prince in those days and the rigidity of societal rules. It's much easier to be an humanitarian in the modern west than as an ancient Indian prince.

Also, you seem to overlook the religious perspective of the day. Buddha was seen as someone who taught people to be released from suffering permanently. In a culture that believes in reincarnation, this is worth infinitely more than helping someone live ten years longer so he could start over in another life to suffer all over again.

Your modern, materialist humanism doesn't really apply to the situation of the historical Buddha.

Get compassionate as fuck, OP.