/lit/ - Literature

Buddhism isn't a religion it's a way of life.

>>12382742
Hinduism: Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads
Buddhism: Pali Canon

t. Haven't read either desupai, but this is what I hear of secondhand. The quote attached is from Krishna in the Gita. Good luck, OP. There's much wisdom in these cultures.

Ramayana->Krishna-leela(story of Krishna)->Mahabharata->Gita
that is how I was taught as an Indian kid, also there are bunch of stories relating to various god that was told during special prayers , idk their origins . Also, I would suggest you read these wiki pages:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashavatara

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma

Ramayana->Krishna-leela(story of Krishna)->Mahabharata->Gita
that is how I was taught as an Indian kid, also there are bunch of stories relating to various gods & goddesses that was told during festive prayers , idk their origins . Also, I would suggest you read these wiki pages for more info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashavatara

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma

>>12382850
You might think it is as a stupid way to approach Hinduism (which may very well be true), but it is the way most kids are taught here (atleast in my state:Rjasthan).

>>12382742

good Buddhism intro's:

What the Buddha Taught - Rahula
In the Buddha's Words - Bodhi
Buddhism as Philosophy - Siderits (more an overview of the core doctrines of each school)
Dhammapada is a primary text but is not complex and can itself serve as an intro

Some people may recommend you to read the works of X Buddhist thinker first (i.e. that guy who posts Mahāprajñāpāramitā in every thread) but that just reflects their personal preferences and you should wait until you've read some intro books first or else you will not understand a lot of the context and ideas. Generally it's the Mahayana and Vajrayana that has the most interesting philosophy, Theravada is usually more centered around meditation but there is some Theravada metaphysics/philosophy too. There are loads of primary texts and sutras but you should just read Siderits book first to figure out which ones you want to read.

With Hinduism most people on /lit/ are generally interested in the philosophy and not the ritualistic or devotionalistic aspects and so my usual recommendations are geaed towards that. There is a lot of very interesting Hindu philosophy and thinkers too as with Buddhism, but you need to get a grasp of the basics before you would be able to understand them. Below are some intro books and general non-sectarian texts which are revered by most schools.

Essentials of Hinduism - Bhaskarananda (covers more than just Hindu philosophy)
Essentials of Indian Philosophy - Hiriyanna
Bhagavad-Gita & Principal Upanishads - Radnakrishnan has good translations of both with helpful notes
Intro to Hindu Doctrines - Guenon (only read if you are okay with Perennialism and an anti-modern worldview, if you are though its good)
The Puranas contain a mix of spiritual teachings and myth/history and can be interesting e.g. Vishnu Purana, Siva Purana, Bhagavata Purana etc

The Mahabharata and Ramayana are more Homeric-style Indian epics than religious texts but there are occasional religious teachings in them, mostly in the Mahabharata.

Vedanta is a very interesting school of Hindu philosophy, Advaita Vedanta has the most stuff translated to English, but you can find texts from other Vedanta schools too, some good beginner Advaita texts include Ashtavakra Gita (not Byrom's translation it's trash), Avadhuta Gita and Atma Bodha. There are also various Hindu sages from the 19th-20th centuries who are considered to be examples of modern people who have reached liberation while living (Jivanmuktis), and you can read their collected talks and writings, Nisargdatta Maharaj, Ramana Maharshi and Ramakrisha are all great.

>>12382850
>>12382872
There is nothing wrong with doing this approach OP, this would help you understand the cultural background and context of a lot of Hindu texts/stories/philosophy better although it isn't necessary to fully understand the philosophy/metaphysics as presented in a given text.

MahaPrajnaParamita-Sastra

For a cultural understanding, read retellings of the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Purana stories, and some poetry (e.g. the Gita Govinda). Also watch some videos of Hindu festivals and puja ceremonies.

For a historical and theological understanding, I'd heartily recommend David Kinsley's 'Hinduism: A Cultural Perspective', Gavin Flood's 'Understanding Hinduism' and Hinduism Today's 'What Is Hinduism?'

>>12383638
*should be 'An Introduction To Hinduism' for Gavin Flood.

Fuck Buddhism and Hinduism.

Anyone know which is the best source for learning about the Ajivika doctrine and/or Makkhali Gosala?

I just discovered them and I lament that they went extinct and have been forgotten.

>>12384415
"History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas" by A.L. Bashan is the standard book on them, I always see it cited when they're discussed.

>>12384460
Based /lit/ always has the answers. Thank you.