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/lit/ - Literature

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17008801 No.17008801 [Reply] [Original]

Are there any books that properly explain what the different branches of buddhism are and will help me figure out which one is actually worth investigating?

>> No.17008803
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17008803

>>17008801

>> No.17008887

>>17008801
Bumpin
I’m retarded, can’t grasp where to start with Buddhism and there’s a shitload of pseudogurus

>> No.17009055

Can you ever really be a Buddhist as a westerner?
I think Alan Watts and Jung argued for the idea that trying to enter a religion which isn't culturally your own is useless. Is it true?

>> No.17009070

>>17009055
You'll always feel like a tourist if you jump into the pond, but if you bring back water for the tribe you'll be seen as a hero.

>> No.17009110

I'm trying to understand, too. Specifically how mahayana thought reconciles itself with what the historical buddha taught. For example;

>the Buddha now explains its positive aspect and says that nirvana has the four attributes of the Eternal, Bliss, the Self, and the Pure

How is this compatible with the Buddha's view that Paranibbana is beyond qualification, and that questions about eternality or annihilation of parinibbana do not apply.

>> No.17009175

>>17009070
What does that mean exactly

>> No.17009183

ravi zacharias already refuted buddhism, dont bother

>> No.17009250

>>17009055
It depends on how much of the ideas depends on their culture. For example, consider Christianity. Of we are talking about living the Christian way, not among Christians, how much would you need to know about western culture to become a follower of Christ? Are the French customs needed to be a real TM Christian?

>> No.17009270

>>17009250
No, you can grasp Christian theology without having been born in a historically Christian country.
Is this the case for Buddhism? It seems to be, but I regularly see posters claiming the opposite.

>> No.17009636

Can you become enlightened without a teacher?

>> No.17010016

>>17009636
bump

>> No.17010175

other buddhist thread was moved to /his/ wtf? Is this what's happening now?

>> No.17010207

>>17009175
If you can actually carry the wisdom the religion/practice imparts upon you.

It's easy enough to follow doctrines, it's another matter to understand them to a degree in order to spread them, or even teach them.

>> No.17010215
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17010215

>>17009055
>Jung argued for the idea that trying to enter a religion which isn't culturally your own is useless. Is it true?
I personally don't think so, but you're gonna have a harder time assimilating yourself into the spiritual 'climate'. It would probably be like learning a new language, but on a much deeper level. On Jung's concerns: These were about the west at large in light of its spiritual vacuum. He was warning against jumping into undue syncretism. I don't recall him objecting as much to the idea of a driven individual pursuing what they feel is the right path.

>> No.17010238

>>17008801
read an introductory text by someone like Lopez or Conze, once you're aware of names of different sects and their basic ideas you can dig deeper

>> No.17010264

>>17009636
Yes. There is no set path to enlightenment. As long as you are living the universe will teach. Everything which Buddhist teach are just shortcuts.
From what I've read one knows they are getting there when they overcome the desire for enlightenment. Or rather part with it.

The whole method of teaching is based on paradox and oxymoron statements/teachings such as desiring enlightenment when it's all about ridding one self of desire. Leading one to realize this path of spiritual growth is about letting go and not building, for the paradigm one tends to build on is of the conceptual world of man's thoughts. This needs to be dismantled before significant spiritual growth can occour.

>> No.17010338

>>17010175
The other thread's OP wasn't about books, relax.

>> No.17010351

>>17010215
I think Jung pretty much said that if you wanted to get into a tradition that wasn't your own culturally, you had to adapt it to your culture instead of adapting to its culture (which is impossible)

>> No.17010367

Sorry frend but this religion has been debunked

http://home.messiah.edu/~rcollins/EASTR1.htm

>> No.17010390

>>17010351
Yeah, sorry, that sounds more accurate. I'm of the personal opinion that a person sufficiently driven or fit for the task by constitution can embrace an image of self not of their own culture.

>> No.17010403

>>17010390
Probably.
In the case of Buddhism, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Mahayana was literally designed to be adaptable to different territories and cultures anyway.

>> No.17011143

>>17010264
Several Buddhists sects say that unless you're a monk you're getting reborn though, and that as a normal person the most you'll be able to achieve without monastic asceticism is stream-entry.
How do other doctrines of enlightenment compare to Buddhism's?

>> No.17011163

>>17009636
I'm not memeing just do psychedelics
dont @me

>> No.17011167

>>17011163
Seeing how the average psychedelics user behaves makes me skeptical that they could be conducive to enlightenment

>> No.17011243

>>17011143
I thought the Buddha never actually talked about rebirth. Why do all sects believe in it though

>> No.17011253

>>17011143
I do not know of specific doctrines. Sorry, anon.

I'd say that statement of yours is right in most cases though. Even the truer for Buddhist in the west still cling on to western practices, values and concepts. And the ones who do become truly enlightened are few and far between. There exists a better (caste) system in the eastern world which allows one to reach enlightenment easier.

Every aspect of enlightenment I have read or encountered relies on overcoming the self/ego and fully realizing that the universe does no wrong. Being in tune with the All is more than the daost sense of wu-wei. This even overlaps with Nietzsche in a sense because a realized person in Buddhism is faced with the decision of actually achieving enlightenment or one learning to see and understand they come back into humanity to spread their teachings.

>> No.17011356

>>17011253
I just mean that buddhists weren't the only one to come up with enlightenment even though their extreme apophatism regarding nirvana is unique among religions. Moksha, henosis, fana, kevala, gnosis, I'm wondering if anyone knows if the process for thos is different than for nirvana (even though they all mean the same thing, the methods are different).
>Being in tune with the All
It should be noted that Buddhists don't believe in an All though, this is another thing that sets them apart from other religions. They'll tell you nirvana isn't about joining the All whereas other forms of enlightenment usually describe it so

>> No.17011739

Bump

>> No.17012417

Yes
https://ordinationthai.org/

>> No.17013184

>>17009055
You're dumb if you want to be a buddhist

You're smart if you want to reach enlightenment