/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.17381927]

Where do I start with learning about Hinduism and Buddhism, both spiritually and mythologically?

[Anonymous No.17381985]

>>17381927
https://4chanlit.fandom.com/wiki/Charts

[Anonymous No.17382012]

>>17381985
I don't like the Buddhist chart that always gets posted but am too lazy to make a better one. As for OP start with Bhagavad Gita for Hinduism and the Dhammapada for Buddhism.

[Anonymous No.17382050]

>>17381985
>>17382012
Thank you, helpful anons!

[Anonymous No.17382217]

>>17381927
This is your mantra:

SHIVOHAM

[Anonymous No.17383121]

>>17381927
With the help of heaven,

Dont bother its just a rationalisation for being lazy and not doing your duty to make yourself better and the world a better place.
Thats all idolatry ever amounts to and can ever amount to.

[Anonymous No.17383236]

>>17381927
I swear if this is another thread by that Advaita Vedanta autist replying to himself I will lose it

[Anonymous No.17384421]

>>17382012
That chart isn't that bad, what would you change about it?

[Anonymous No.17384454]

[Anonymous No.17384487]

>>17383236
are you the schizo that keeps calling everyone a crypto buddhist becuase they don't adhear to you particular world view of what the religion should be?

[Anonymous No.17384492]

>>17381927
for hinduism start with the stories
ramayana and mahbarata theres some good translations out there that give you the main story of krishna and rama
then you can move onto: the bhagavad gita and yoga sutras

[Anonymous No.17384645]

>>17384487
I would be careful about reading Advaita Vedanta interpretations such as Shankara's as a commentary to the Upanishads, they are extremely reliant on Buddhist philosophy (Shankara is called a "cryptobuddhist" by most Hindus, and most scholars agree). If you want to read the Upanishads, work through them with editions and commentaries that aren't sectarian, or at least read an interpretation that is closer to the original meaning of the Upanishads, rather than Shankara's 9th century AD quasi-buddhism.

[Anonymous No.17384688]

>>17381927
Here's a very quick and short primer, you'll fit right in
>first make a couple of pointless threads like this one, posting pictures of deities from either religion
>then stumble unto Alan Watts
>read or pretend to read him, think you know stuff, get assblasted
Here comes the branching.
>read literally every book out there from every branch of both religions
>lose a few years of your time studying the intricate differences between the approaches (at this point you might notice that it's all semantics, but better if you don't because you'll be just like the sheep on this board)
>have completely irrelevant mastery over random non-concepts
>start correcting people by saying "Actually, in the Advaita Vedanta school of thought, [spout Allan Watts bullshit here because no one reads anything after that opener] and that's why you're wrong."
OR
>just skip to the last step immediately
The sooner you realize that all Eastern philosophy and religion is a joke and a slavelike cope, the better.
If you want to be really hardcore, you can "quote" Vishishtadvaita or other schools of thought too.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I can also help you if you want to know anything specifically Shinto oriented or if you want to read The Gita, The Dhammapadas, The Upanishads, Tao te Ching, Analects or Zhuangzi. Haven't yet read some other Asian classics.
Almost forgot! Do not forget to randomly fill the board up with Guenon, Osho and the like!

[Anonymous No.17384698]

>>17384688
holy fucking seethe lmfao

[Anonymous No.17384833]

>>17384645
>>17384688

So this is the sorry state that /lit/ Buddhists have been left in after reeling from Shankara’s ironclad refutations of Buddhism

...it was to be expected

[Anonymous No.17384854]

>>17384833
>a buddhist refuting buddhism
Huh? Did you just say Shankara was self-refuting?

[Anonymous No.17384858]

>>17381927
The Avesta

[Anonymous No.17384986]

>>17384854
That’s all that buddhists can say like a broken record, since they can’t debunk Shankara’s refutation of buddhism and have been unable to do so for ~1,200 years

[Anonymous No.17384991]

>>17384986
You should read Shankara

[Anonymous No.17385029]

>>17381927
Go to a library

[Anonymous No.17385102]

>>17384991
I have read most of his works already. The most lengthy and important refutations of buddhism in his works are found in the following order
1) Brahma Sutra Bhasya
2) Mandukya-Karika Bhasya
3) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Bhasya

[Anonymous No.17385106]

>>17381927
Guénon

[Anonymous No.17385111]

>>17385102
How can buddhist works refute buddhism? I really don't get it

[Anonymous No.17385206]

>>17385111
Because Shankara wasn’t a Buddhist, he was a Hindu theologian who was initiated into Hinduism and who wrote commentaries on Hindu scriptures, he refuted Buddhism by pointing out all the contradictions in Buddhism in those very same commentaries. When you just say “but he was a Buddhist” over and over it just shows how hard you’re coping.

[Anonymous No.17385227]

>>17385206
Hmm yeah I remain unconvinced. I would be careful about reading advaitin (crypto buddhist) interpretations but you do you.

[Anonymous No.17385299]

>>17385206
>Because Shankara wasn’t a Buddhist,
But scholars are unanimous that he was and even other hindu schools call him cryptobuddhist. It was Indians who invented the term, prachana buddha. Also many advaitins including the most famous ones of all time and the president of India openly proclaim that Advaita is pretty much Mahayana with some words changed.

[Anonymous No.17385305]

>>17385299
Anon please don't do this, he's gonna hit us with the endless walls of text again

[Anonymous No.17385315]

>>17385299
>But scholars are unanimous that he was
False, scholars are unanimous that Shankara was a Hindu theologian and philosopher, some scholars also think that he was influenced by Buddhism, but some scholars also think Buddhism comes from the Upanishads. You can find scholars who support any side to a debate.

[Anonymous No.17385327]

Probably not on the literature board...

[Anonymous No.17385357]

>>17385315
>You can find scholars who support any side to a debate.
Yeah, on one hand you can find the 99% of mainstream scholars including Indian ones and even including advaitins. On the other hand there's you and some pajeets on Quora. Anyone can look at that picture and look up the names to see they are all the mainstream scholars on Advaita.

Pic related, another leading scholar whose Upanishad translations you recommend all the time, saying the same thing. Because everyone says it, except indian grandmas online who believe Shankara lived 5000 bc.

>>17385305
But we have to feed the guenonfag once daily or he will feel neglected..

[Anonymous No.17385370]

People say that I'm seething but just look at the thread and tell me I wasn't right...

[Anonymous No.17385383]

>>17385357
>Yeah, on one hand you can find the 99% of mainstream scholars
do you have a source on this statistic?

[Anonymous No.17385395]

>>17385357
Even if Shankara was marginally influenced by Buddhism, which he wasn’t; that would nothing to change the fact that he refuted Buddhism by pointing out all of its contradictions, and this is largely why Buddhism died out in India because nobody could take it seriously anymore.

[Anonymous No.17385462]

>>17385395
ha yes the great poopy revisionism

[Anonymous No.17385562]

>>17385462
The facts speak for themselves. Buddhist philosophers were quite active and responded to every written critique of Buddhism by Hindus, and then after Shankara’s arguments against Hinduism emerge all these Buddhists drop off the map and suddenly for the first time don’t bother trying to write a response, and then Buddhism largely dies out in India. Buddhists flee before the brilliance of Shankara.

[Anonymous No.17385568]

>>17385562
*after Shankara’s arguments against Buddhism emerge

[Anonymous No.17385607]

>>17385562
>>17385568
Buddhists probably didn't think it was worth responding to a dude who was so dumb he could only count to one.
Also
>implying anyone gives a flying fuck about shankara in India
Don't kid yourself, Buddhism was driven out of India for several reasons, none of them having anything to do with adi "the crypto buddhist" shankara

[Anonymous No.17385649]

>>17385607
>Buddhists probably didn't think it was worth responding to a dude who was so dumb he could only count to one.
Shankara could count to one and beyond though, he mentions various numbers throughout his works. Also, why did the Buddhists care enough to respond to all the Hindu philosophers who attacked Buddhism before Shankara, but then not for him? That sounds like a wistful answer which are you giving to cope. The more reasonable and realistic one is that the Buddhists couldn’t refute his arguments. Given how closely the Buddhists had scrutinized and responded to previous Hindu criticisms of Buddhism there is no way they were not aware of Shankara, but this time they were bested by him and couldn’t debunk his arguments.
> >implying anyone gives a flying fuck about shankara in India
Yes, he is widely considered one of the most important and influential Hindu philosophers, the prime minister of India’s Guru is an Advaitin and he (Modi) mentions Shankara all the time in speeches and so on. The book “Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism's Greatest Thinker” by Pavan Varma was released not long ago in India and received lots of acclaim.

[Anonymous No.17385657]

>>17385649
cope

[Anonymous No.17385663]

>>17385657
I’m not the one coping, Shankara already won the debate in India and vanquished the nihilistic heresy known as Buddhism, we are merely living in the aftermath

[Anonymous No.17385668]

>>17385663
EXTREME cope

[Anonymous No.17385739]

>>17385663
Actual Hindus would disagree with you.

[Anonymous No.17385765]

If I see this post one more time, I will literally travel to India to shit in the streets

[Anonymous No.17385839]

>>17385765

[Anonymous No.17385863]

What would buddha think of crossdressing? I love buddhism (not a buddhist, I just follow a lot of the teachings) but I also love to dress up like a cute girl sometimes

[Anonymous No.17385878]

>>17385863
He would tell you to stop being a faggot and meditate

[Anonymous No.17386010]

>>17384833
>>17384986
>>17385206
>>17385315
>>17385395
Buddhism lives rent free in India. Keep seething guenonfag.

[Anonymous No.17386013]

poo in loo

[Anonymous No.17386275]

>>17385607
This. I've debated that schizo before and completely annihilated him and his 'arguments'. Then he comes back the next day and pretends like it never happened, posts his usual copy pasta and challenges others by saying 'refute me bro'. There's no use engaging with a literal parrot, now we just make him seethe.

[Anonymous No.17386307]

>>17385863
he'd tell you to lose your worldly hedonistic desires relating to clothes, hair, and appearance.

>tl;dr, stop being a faggot.

[Anonymous No.17386401]

Here are some websites that may provide useful for different vehicles.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/
This is a website that contains suttas from the Pali Canon, or the Theravadan lineages key texts. It also has study guides and dharma talks from the great sages of the Thai Forest tradition.

http://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/library.html
This is a Buddhist library with free pdf's many of which are very useful for understanding the history and philosophy of Buddhism. Has Theravadan and Mahayana texts.

http://seeingthroughthenet.net/books/
This has Theravadan books and texts that are useful for understanding the lineage.

https://www.dhammatalks.org/
This has many books and dharma talks in the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah and Bhikku Thanissaro. Great for an introduction to Theravadan thought. Has free physical books for shipping.

[Anonymous No.17386418]

>>17386401
https://www.amitabha-gallery.org/
A site run by the Venerable Wuling, a Pure Land bhikkuni taught by Venerable Master Chin Kung. Is Chinese Pureland, and focuses on both Other and Self Power.
Has free books and dharma talks on the Pure Land school, as well as introductory books on Buddhism.

https://www.chanpureland.org/
Next, we have a sangha in the Chinese dual cultivation of Chan and Pureland teachings, it's current teacher is Master Yuanghua. Has dharma talks available.

https://zenstudiespodcast.com/
A podcast by Domyo Burke of the Soto Zen lineage. A good introduction to Soto Zen and basic Buddhist thought. Also has an online sangha you can join if you email her.

https://terebess.hu/zen/zen.html
Free Zen and Chan texts and commentaries!

http://cttbusa.org/fas1/fas_contents.asp
This is a sangha first founded by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua of the Pure Land and Chan lineage. Has free dharma talks, books, sutra translations, and commentaries on sutras by Master Hua, as well as physical books for purchase.

https://www.fgsitc.org/
Another Pure Land and Chan sangha, with free physical books (if you pay shipping), and free pdfs as well.

https://www.amitabhalibrary.org/index.htm
Free physical texts on Chan and Pure Land teachings, as well as altar screens which usually run about 25 to 35 dollars plus shipping.

http://www.amtb-usa.org/english_inception.html
Free physical books on the Pure Land and Chan school shipped to you!

[Anonymous No.17386428]

>>17386418
https://studybuddhism.com/
This has an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism that is worthwhile to look into.

https://www.lamayeshe.com/
This has free physical books for distribution in the Gelug tradition, as well as books for purchase.

https://www.dawnmountain.org/
This is a sangha that teaches all lineages of Tibetan Mahayana.

Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche
https://dharmasun.org/

Tsoknyi Rinpoche
https://tsoknyirinpoche.org/

Mingyur Rinpoche
https://tergar.org/

14th Dalai Lama
https://www.dalailama.com/

Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche
https://www.padmasambhava.org

Lama Lena
https://lamalenateachings.com/

Alan Wallace
http://www.alanwallace.org/

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
https://ligmincha.org/

James Low
https://www.simplybeing.co.uk/

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
http://tenzinpalmo.com/

Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
https://www.mangalashribhuti.org/

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
https://khyentsefoundation.org/

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
http://www.ktgrinpoche.org/

Lama Yeshe & Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition
https://fpmt.org/

Thubten Chodron
http://thubtenchodron.org/

Thrangu Rinpoche
http://www.rinpoche.com/

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
http://www.dpr.info/

17th Karmapa
https://kagyuoffice.org/

Samye Ling monastery
https://www.samyeling.org/

Sakya Trizin
http://hhsakyatrizin.net/

Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche
http://all-otr.org/

That is all. Finally we have:
http://www.buddhanet.net/
This has many pdfs and dharma talks on all three Vehicles.

https://dharmaseed.org/
Has many dharma talks on Theravadan and Mahayana traditions, as well as few on Tibetan Mahayana.

[Anonymous No.17386452]

>>17386428
Sorry all these links are a little Mahayana heavy OP, that's the school that I focus on, but if you're interested primarily in Theravadan Buddhism
http://www.buddhanet.net/
https://dharmaseed.org/
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/
http://seeingthroughthenet.net/books/
https://www.dhammatalks.org/
Then these should be good to help start, especially dhammatalks, as it has introductory dhamma talks and books for beginners. Accesstoinsight is also great for reading the suttas from the Pali Canon. If you have any questions just let me know, I know a bit about Buddhism.

[Anonymous No.17386456]

guenonfag 2017
>posts about a variety of things + traditionalism
guenonfag 2020
>NO HE WASN'T A CRYPTO-BUDDHIST
>NO HE WASN'T A CRYPTO-BUDDHIST
>NO HE WASN'T A CRYPTO-BUDDHIST
>I HATE BUDDHISM

advaita seethe about the crypto-buddhism is like their kryptonite

[Anonymous No.17386484]

>>17386456
I really wish he would stop spamming and being so hostile to Buddhism, it really promotes wrong View of Buddhist thought. He should just appreciate the various religious traditions for what they are and try to accomplish, and not be so condescending.

[Anonymous No.17386496]

>>17386484
He used to be one, might have something to do with it.

[Anonymous No.17386823]

>>17386496
Man what happened for him to become like this? He used to sound like a pretty cool guy, now look at him.

[Anonymous No.17386884]

>>17386452
Which books about theravada would you say are worth reading, outside of actual scripture? Nothing too introductory.

[Anonymous No.17386938]

>>17386884
It depends, what area of study do you wish to focus on? What questions do you have concerning the Dhamma? How familiar are you with the basics of Buddhism?

[Anonymous No.17386956]

>>17385863
He would think very badly of it.

[Anonymous No.17386984]

>>17386938
>what area of study do you wish to focus on?
I'm interested in most subjects, but for now I'd have to say metaphysics, anything concerning cosmology, and the four steps towards liberation.
Also I'm struggling to apply the eightfold path to my life, but I think dhammatalks are better for this than books.
>How familiar are you with the basics of Buddhism?
I know the basics. The eightfold path, the noble truths, the marks of impermanence, the twelve links, the life of Gautama, the main doctrinal differences between Theravada and other schools, the goal of the path, etc.
I'm by no means an expert, but I'm acquainted with the most important stuff.

[Anonymous No.17387052]

>>17385863
>I love buddhism (not a buddhist, I just follow a lot of the teachings) but I also love to dress up like a cute girl sometimes
why am I not surprised?

[Anonymous No.17387054]

>>17387052
Because you made the post you just replied to

[Anonymous No.17387062]

>>17386275
that never happened anon, you are delusional

Shankara’s arguments against Buddhism are irrefutable anyway

[Anonymous No.17387065]

>>17387062
>a buddhist's arguments against buddhism are irrefutable
Not sure what you're getting at here

[Anonymous No.17387068]

>>17387054
lol

the buddhists here are all schizo or something

[Anonymous No.17387072]

>>17387068
Sure, whatever you say anon.

[Anonymous No.17387091]

>>17386984
I see. I would say one book for Buddhist cosmology is this:
https://www.arrowriver.ca/book/cosmoBook.php
For metaphysics you could read through the Abidharma Pitaka and Buddhaghosa's commentary the Visudhimagga, but that's the only commentary I know of in the Theravadan tradition on it, though I'm sure there's a lot more around.
If you're having trouble applying the Eightfold Path to your daily life, then you need to reflect on what is stopping you from doing it. What exactly are you having trouble with on the Eightfold path? Lack of meditation or sutra reading? Lack of compassion or insight?

[Anonymous No.17387101]

>>17387068
there are no buddhists here. if they claim so, they are wrong 100% of the time.

[Anonymous No.17387111]

>>17387091
Thank you.
>Abidharma Pitaka
There are seven books, right? Which one would you recommend to start with?
>What exactly are you having trouble with
Following the precepts. The most important one (on lying) especially.
More generally, I find it very difficult to have the "right" everything (view, speech, etc, compassion as well), because of how spontaneous behavior is.
I admittedly don't meditate a lot, only in the morning and evening, I'm quite bad at it.

[Anonymous No.17387175]

>>17387111
>Which one would you recommend to start with?
I am unfortunately rather unsure. I am only parting familiar with Theravadans sadly. You may wish to send an email to a monk such as Ajahn Summedho or Bhikku Bodhi, as their lay followers respond to emails I believe, though it may take time.
>Following the precepts.
I too have problems following precepts, especially the fifth. You should remember that as a lay follower, you may break precepts, but it is better to break them and start over again than to not have any at all! As for lying, you should try to remember that the Buddha taught that things need to be said at the right time, for the right person, and to be non harmful in it's manner. Sometimes it's okay to lie if the opposite is hurting someone deeply. At the same time, we should try to be as true in our speech as possible, and if we are following the precepts and Eightfold path, we won't have skeletons in our closet to worry us anyway, and we can be as open as possible.
>More generally, I find it very difficult to have the "right" everything
Right View comes with practice, faith, and vows in the Mahayana tradition, and this is applicable to your lineage as well. When we practice wholeheartedly, then wisdom and compassion will come forth naturally. You may wish to spend more time doing metta meditation and practice in your daily life to promote more compassion when you need it most. You can do this practice at any time. For example, if you see a man or woman that makes you feel lust, you might instead begin to wish them happiness and freedom from suffering whenever you see them.

[Anonymous No.17387210]

>>17387175
Furthermore, if someone makes you angry, you may wish to reflect on the Three Marks, and realize that your anger is not You, not permanent, and ultimately illusory.
>I admittedly don't meditate a lot, only in the morning and evening, I'm quite bad at it.
You should not see yourself as good or bad at meditating, but rather as a beginner that will learn the path in time. Always keep the mind of a humble beginner, and you will go far. You can incorporate meditation into any practice of daily life. Mindfullness is key. For example, when you cut potatoes for your meal, you may use mindfulness while you cut and slice, or use insight to see the dependent origination of the potato, knife, and everything around you. While you cut, you may chant the name of a Buddha or scriptures. Or you may practice metta and thank all the beings that made you and the potatoes possible. Remember, daily life is not separate from meditation. When you practice in this way, you will gain the Noble Eightfold path quickly, and be able to uphold the precepts much easier.

[Anonymous No.17387256]

>>17387175
>Sometimes it's okay to lie
Is it? The relevant sutta is pretty harsh on liars.
>The Buddha was sitting with his son Rahula who was seven at the time. The Buddha asked Rahula if he saw the few drops of water left in the ladle the Buddha was holding. Rahula replied that he did. The Buddha tells Rahula "that is how little understanding one has who tells deliberate lies."
Aren't the precepts supposed to be absolute? It is my understanding that if you break one, even a single time, it's pretty much the same thing as if you broke all of them on a regular basis. You either follow the precepts or you don't.

> if you see a man or woman that makes you feel lust, you might instead begin to wish them happiness and freedom from suffering whenever you see them
This seems simple enough to try, thanks.
I guess it's somewhat difficult to practice wholeheartedly when there's no real support structure. I'm the only person I know who even has an interest in religion, let alone Buddhism. And there aren't any temples near me.

>Always keep the mind of a humble beginner,
>daily life is not separate from meditation.
This sounds very Zen-like. Are you a Zen practicioner?

[Anonymous No.17387300]

>>17381927
Wikipedus river valley civilization

[Anonymous No.17387317]

>>17384688
/thread

[Anonymous No.17387323]

>>17387256
>Is it? The relevant sutta is pretty harsh on liars.
This is true. Lying is not good at all, but sometimes necessary for the lay practicioner, though we should try to avoid it when possible. For example, if we meet a man on the road, and he asks us where the Buddha is so he can slay him, then it is best to lie and tell him something false rather than let him fall into the hells by killing a Buddha. Yes, we take on the karma of lying, and it may even send us to the hells, but we should not be concerned with this as we have saved another sentient being from suffering. This is the Bodhisattva way.
>I guess it's somewhat difficult to practice wholeheartedly when there's no real support structure. I'm the only person I know who even has an interest in religion, let alone Buddhism. And there aren't any temples near me.
I have a similar problem, but thankfully most sanghas are now online. You can google for various temples that are closest to your location and see if they offer online classes or instructions.
>This sounds very Zen-like. Are you a Zen practicioner?
Chinese Zen, or Chan as it is known, as well as Pure Land practices. More Pure Land than Chan, to be honest, as meditation is not my strong suit. I spend most of my "official" practice time doing Buddha name recitations, mantras, and visualization practices focused on the Eastern Pure Land of the Medicine Buddha. I mostly do prostration meditations or walking meditations when I do meditate, as I simply can never focus enough to sit still.
Outside of official practice I try to spend as much of the day as possible reciting the Buddha Name.

[Anonymous No.17387371]

>>17387323
>This is the Bodhisattva way.
Then it is exclusive to Mahayana?
I think a Theravadin monk would tell you to avoid lying by just telling the guy you can't disclose the information or whatever, and that in the end, his own karma is not your concern.
>sanghas are now online
I guess, it's not really the same thing though. There's quarantine anyway so dhammatalks will do for now.
>Chinese Zen
Is there a lot of difference with Japanese Zen?
>visualization practices focused on the Eastern Pure Land of the Medicine Buddha
Interesting, I thought PL was exclusively focused on Amitabha.
Speaking of Pure Lands, are they the same thing as Buddha-fields (Buddkakshetra)?

[Anonymous No.17387390]

>>17385357
I was litteraly away for almost a year
I come back and guenon fag is still here

[Anonymous No.17387508]

>>17387371
>Then it is exclusive to Mahayana?
Before the fifteenth century when the Pali Canon was reorganized, monks that would become the Theravadan tradition often took Bodhisattva vows as well as Arahant vows. Aside from this, you are correct in that you could not disclose the information, but what then if the bandit decides to kill you for not speaking? Better to lie and direct the bandit to the wilderness where he will do no harm to anyone. Again, you still incur the karmic penalties for lying, but the benefit for the other sentient beings is much greater.
>I guess, it's not really the same thing though. There's quarantine anyway so dhammatalks will do for now.
I would disagree, I stay in touch with my monastery, and they do allow one on one interviews with monks to help with individual practice. The only thing they can't really help with is correcting your meditation posture.
>Is there a lot of difference with Japanese Zen?
I would say there is not too great a difference between the two, as Rinzai and Soto are really just Lin-Chi and Caodong imported to Japan, with more patriarchs. There are more similarities than differences. One difference is that Soto and Rinzai tend to focus on their own Japanese patriarchs and then the Chinese ones. Chan also has a habit of being more infused with other Chinese schools of Buddhism such as Tien-tai and Pure Land, as well as Esoteric Chinese practices.
>Interesting, I thought PL was exclusively focused on Amitabha.
In Tibetan Mahyana and Shingon, the main Pure Land practices focus on Vairocana, Akshobya, Bhaishasjyaguru, or Amitabha. While Chinese Pure Land is mostly focused on Amitabha, you occasionally hear of monks and lay followers wishing to reborn in a different pure land. I want to be reborn in the Eastern Pure Land because I have a greater affinity to the Medicine Buddha. I also still recite the Three Pure Land sutras and recite Amitabhas name as a backup in case I don't make it there. In the sutra of Medicine Buddha it states that anyone who recites his name or mantra that fails to obtain the Western Pure Land will be guided by the Medicine Buddha to there, or go to the Eastern Pure Land.
>Speaking of Pure Lands, are they the same thing as Buddha-fields (Buddkakshetra)
Yes. This is Shakyamuni's Pure Land, as explained in the Vimalakirti Sutra.

[Anonymous No.17387513]

>>17387068
Western Buddhists are usually insufferable reddit-tier scientific, materialist-atheists
>lol no I don't actually believe in karma or rebirth dude, those are just metaphors

[Anonymous No.17387526]

>>17387513
Yes there are stupid and self-righteous people in every religion anon

[Anonymous No.17387568]

>>17387508
>monks that would become the Theravadan tradition often took Bodhisattva vows
Could you point me towards resources on this subject?
>I would disagree
Do you think it's worth it to get in touch with a monastery that's very far from where I live, in another country possibly?
>wishing to reborn in a different pure land
For what reason?
You mention affinity, but how do you figure you have a particular affinity for one Buddha and not another? What criteria come into play?
Doesn't recitation of Amitabha's name guarantee rebirth in his Pure Land even if the recitation is done only once? That's how I understand his vow, but I'm not sure.
>Shakyamuni's Pure Land
I didn't know he even had one.

[Anonymous No.17387629]

>>17387568
>Could you point me towards resources on this subject?
https://tricycle.org/magazine/bodhisattva-vow-eight-views/
>There is a common misconception that there is no such thing as the Bodhisattva Vow in the Theravadin tradition. However, there is such a path. In the classical Theravadin tradition, the Bodhisattva Vow is undertaken by those who aspire to full buddhahood, rather than to the liberation of an arhant.
>While most Theravadin practitioners aspire to the condition of an arhant, there are said to be some following the bodhisattva path today.

>Do you think it's worth it to get in touch with a monastery that's very far from where I live, in another country possibly?
Certainly, as long as they speak your native language.
>You mention affinity, but how do you figure you have a particular affinity for one Buddha and not another? What criteria come into play?
Mainly the vows that the Medicine Buddha made and how they relate to my problems in daily life. Mind you, I still am hedging my bets for rebirth in the Western Pure Land as well, so it's not like I'm rejecting it. Hopefully when I achieve rebirth I'm not split in half.
>Doesn't recitation of Amitabha's name guarantee rebirth in his Pure Land even if the recitation is done only once?
Only in the Japanese forms of Pure Land Buddhism. In it's Chinese form rebirth is not guaranteed unless the name is said with a clear and unconditioned mind, ie the Buddha mind.
>I didn't know he even had one.
According to Mahayana he does. It's certainly different from Amitabha's or Vairocana's, but it's a Pure Land nonetheless, and equal to any Buddha's Pure Land.

[Anonymous No.17387704]

Is Sikhism dvaita or advaita? Does anyone know of any Sikh theological texts in English? Thank you

[Anonymous No.17387719]

>>17387704
Neither, Sikhism isn't Hinduism. Within the schema, however, it would fall under Dvaita, as it posits a separation between man and Brahman. This isn't 100% accurate, but then guenonfag also thinks that "Dvaita" means "ontological dualism ala manichaeanism", so these terms are rather loose.

>>17387390
Sadly.

[Anonymous No.17387768]

>>17387719
Are Sikhs idealists, like Hindus?

[Anonymous No.17387824]

>>17387629
>the Bodhisattva Vow is undertaken by those who aspire to full buddhahood
Right, there was a famous monk who said he had undertaken this vow in a previous lifetime but abandoned it due to the effort required to become a Buddha. I don't recall who it was, maybe Ajahn Chah or Ajahn Lee.
>native language
No, but every big monastery has monks who speak English anyway.
>the vows
What was it about his vows that struck you if you don't mind me asking?
>According to Mahayana he does
Where is this said, in the Pure Land sutras? The concepts of pure lands/Buddha-fields interests me from a metaphysical perspective, I'd like to learn more.

[Anonymous No.17387924]

>>17387719
According to the Sikh Encyclopedia you are wrong and Sikh metaphysics is closest to Advaita, which is not surprising as Hindu poet-saints steeped in non-dualism like Kabir have their verses in the Sikh scripture.

Also, do you have to mention me in every post? This is pretty funny to watch you retards obsess over me

https://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/metaphysics/atma

>The Sikh concept is nearest to the Upanisadic Advaitic viewpoint. In Sikh lore, atma is considered to be of the nature of pure resplendent consciousness : man turi joti sarupu hai apna mulu pachhanu 0 my Self ! you are of the nature of light; do recognize your origin (GG, 441). `Light` here signifies consciousness. The Self (atma) is conscious while the nonself is the object of consciousness. Though itself not an object of consciousness, atma is apprehended by unmediated intuition. "As the Self realizes, enlightenment grows without effort" (GG, 87). In fact, consciousness is directed outwards to objects, inwards to atma. Atma is pure consciousness without any content. Thus the content less consciousness within is atma. Atma is not different from Paramatma, the Cosmic Consciousness, but is only a fraction there of.

>Kabir designated it as Ram ki ans (a fraction of Ram). It is the subtlest, purest essence of life: nirmal joti nirantari jatipurest light constantly seen inside (GG, 1039). It remains unperturbedatma ado/u na do/at (GG, 87) through life`s vicissitudes, pleasures and pains. Uninterrupted tranquillity is its hallmark. In its corporeal attire, it passes through cycles of transmigration. Through Divine Grace, it can merge back into the Cosmic Soul (Paramatma) and escape the throes of birth and death again and again. It is equated with Brahman : atam mahi parbrahmu lahante they discover Parbrahma in atma (GG, 276). The individual soul and the Cosmic Soul are indistinguishable one from the other: atma paratma eko karai (he) reckons the personal soul and Cosmic Soul as one (GG, 661). The atma is Divine, the Divine is atma: atam deu deu hai atamu (GG, 1325). Atma is also equated with the Creator: atam pasara karanhara prabh bina nahi janiai. The Self is the creator of the entire universe, beyond it reckon naught (GG, 846). It is also equated with the immanent God: atam Ramu ravia sabh antari the immanent Self pervades everything (GG, 916). The experiential realization of this identification is the summum bonum of Sikh mysticism.

[Anonymous No.17387931]

>>17387924
>Atam dhian (self absorption) is the operational mode for such an attainment and atam gian (self knowledge) is its apprehension. The empirical ego (Aaumai) is only an object of consciousness. There must be a witness of the empirical ego, otherwise there can be no unity of apperception in our knowledge of the external objects and that of the empirical ego. Atma, in fact, is such witness. However, atma itself is not an object of knowledge; it is the presupposition of all knowledge the knowledge of objects as well as that of the empirical ego. Atma is thus the transcendental Self as distinguished from the empirical ego. Intuitive apprehension of this is atam gian and its actual experience is atam claras, vision of the Self. Such experiential absorption in the Self is attended with the highest aesthetic pleasure, atam ras or atam rangaesthetic, because it is based on an experience of ultimate beauty.

[Anonymous No.17387949]

Imagine being this far gone. I feel bad for him.

[Anonymous No.17387970]

>>17387949
>be wrong
>get corrected
>hurr durrr I would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for that meddling guenonfag!!!

[Anonymous No.17387972]

>>17387970
I didn't read your posts, I'm just saying that I feel bad for you.

[Anonymous No.17388001]

>>17387924
>>17387931
you should read things before having an opinion on them, this is basically ramanuja 101. in fact, it's diametrically opposed to shankara on a number of points.

[Anonymous No.17388011]

>>17387949
reminder he once posted this
>It's been 24 hours and none of you ming-mongs have replied to this. All the more embarrassing considering YoU CaN't HaVe Up WiThOuT dOwN mY dUdEz loooooollzzlz lmafaooo :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!1!111! was intended to be the epic GOTCHA retort. Writhing animals.

[Anonymous No.17388015]

>>17388011
Is he a literal schizophrenic?

[Anonymous No.17388095]

Alright, thanks for the answers re: Sikhism. I have no idea what's going on in this thread; it seems I opened a bag of worms. I only asked because I have a Sikh friend and wanted to know more about what they believe in fundamentally.

[Anonymous No.17388177]

>>17387091
This is something I wanted to read for a long time, for entertainment mainly. Thank you.
>728 pages
holy moly

[Anonymous No.17388227]

>>17388001
> you should read things before having an opinion on them,
It was the Sikh encyclopedia website which claimed it was closest to Advaita, not me, I’m just talking about what it says
>this is basically ramanuja 101
Not really, the main parallel would be that the Atma is described as a fraction of the Paramatma or Cosmic Conciousness, similar to how in Vishishtadvaita the Jivas are fractions or parts of Brahman; but the rest is much closer to Advaita.

Ramanuja has a different analysis of consciousness than Shankara, Ramanuja denies and argues against the possibility of undifferentiated, pure, non-dual consciousness without any object.

> Rāmānuja also defends philosophical theses that these two schools rule out. The most important of these theses is the view that consciousness is always consciousness of some object distinguished by a characteristic (cf. Śrī Bhāṣya, I.i.1. “Great Siddhānta” p.53 and “Great Pūrvapakṣa” p.32). This is the doctrine known as “dharmabhūtajñāna” in the Viśiṣṭādvaita tradition (Śrīnivāsadāsa VII.2). It implies the view that all epistemic states, be it consciousness or perception, are intentional or object oriented. If it is the case that even consciousness requires an object for its existence, it follows that there can be no such thing as pure consciousness apart from difference

https://iep.utm.edu/ramanuja/#SSH2c.i

Ramanuja differs from Advaita Vedanta and Sikhism, which both accept that consciousness can be non-dual and without any object; Ramanuja’s position on consciousness actually puts him closer to the common Buddhist position on consciousness.

[Anonymous No.17388258]

>>17384645
so thats a yes you are the guy calling people crypto buddhists. get help schizo lol

[Anonymous No.17388269]

>>17388258
Well, either way, I'd still be careful about reading Advaita Vedanta interpretations such as Shankara's as a commentary to the Upanishads...

[Anonymous No.17388289]

>>17388258
First day on /lit/?

[Anonymous No.17388354]

>>17388289
fuck...am i getting memed fuck sake lads you've done me,i thought it was a real guy who was just a schizo mad at hindus and advaitas ffs. my face is red.

[Anonymous No.17388435]

>>17388354
>thought it was a real guy who was just a schizo mad at hindus and advaitas ffs
That’s literally who it is, he has posted it in every thread remotely related to eastern philosophy for over a year, just trying searching for that image or the associated text on warosu to see what I mean. For a while, many people thought it was a bot, but it turns out he is just a neurotic schizo who lurks 24/7, he probably gets paid autism-bux to stay at home

[Anonymous No.17388561]

>>17388435
I post that image and the copypasta sometimes (I posted it ITT) but a lot of times somebody else posts it before me. It's not just one poster, sorry for not being your boogeyman.

[Anonymous No.17388578]

>>17388561
Yea I post it too.

[Anonymous No.17388697]

>>17388561
There's several people that do this, though. It's just a response to Gueonfag, who >>17388435 was talking about. It makes him mad though, so it's the little victories.