/lit/ - Literature

>>17369586
nigga its 150 pages long you can read it in an afternoon (or instead of being here in this prison) thats a stupid question but you got a sound answer

>>17369586
Yes, anon. It is an ok book. Not that long, check it out.

>>17369586
I enjoyed it when I was 19. No idea if I will still enjoy it but do intend to give it a reread but I am still recovering from my reread of Damien, should have left that one in the past.

>>17369596
Are you black or do you just talk like this on the internet? I always wonder if posters who use ebonics are actually black.

>>17369750
nigga are u stupid?

>>17369586
Just read it, why would you ask that to strangers on thé internet?

>>17369586
As other posters have said it’s short so just read it if you’re curious. It’s a good Western babby’s first exposure to Eastern mysticism. Certain parts of it will appear more or less profound to you depending on which stage of life you are in.

>>17369830
>Western babby’s first exposure to Eastern mysticism.
Is it that naive? Like Alchemist-tier?

You will think it’s quite good but also kinda boring. There you go anon

>>17369586
I read it for my high school English class and really was not impressed by what I felt was its juvenile philosophy. However, I later read some excerpts in German (my second language) and was moved by the beauty of the language. Unironically I would recommend learning German if you want to read Hesse.

>>17369834
I haven’t read The Alchemist so I can’t speak to that comparison. In Siddhartha Hesse provides an overview from first principles of Buddhist thought intended to be approachable to secular European Christians. I would call it
>introductory
as opposed to
>naive

>>17369918
Thanks anon, I'm already acquainted with Buddhism but I'll read it tonight anyway.

>>17369586
it's what women think buddhism is

the pali canon is better

>>17370007
Who the fuck reads Siddartha as an alternative to the Pali canon?

>>17370007
Kek this is true. Hesse absolutely btfo.

Yea it's good

if you're curious but unfamiliar with buddhism you might like it. if you're already familiar with the topic i doubt you'd be impressed.

>>17369586
Its enjoyable.

>>17369602
>I am still recovering from my reread of Damien,
y?

>You can overcome nihilism if you're a GigaChad, who connects with people through natural charisma, which allows him to fully experience many aspects of human life.

>>17370435
Who are you quoting?

>>17369586
it's good, but written by a literal coomer

>>17370440
siddhartha's subtext

>>17370461
you sure that was not anon's pretext?

>>17370454
>written by a literal coomer
explain

>>17370416
A mix of the heavy handed symbolism, the ending and embarrassment at how seriously I took the book when young. I am not actually recovering, that was a jest.

It takes a couple of hours to read, just read it

>>17370435
This guy is right. Siddhartha is literally a gigachadpreet. He walks to a random girl and she immediately tells him he's hot and wants to fuck him. Of course you can experience every thing life has to offer if your good looks are in your favor. If he was ugly he would never date that prostitute.

>>17370454
Are you confusing Herman Hesse with Thomas Mann?

>>17369586
It's short so you may as well read it. I liked it.

>>17370575
You do not really need to be all that good looking to have a girl tell you that, you just need to go out and take part in society. Most women are fairly realistic and don't go after men who would be perceived as more attractive than they are. There are plenty of ugly and horny girls out there.

>>17370542
oh thanks. I thought it had some heavy emotional impact that I was unaware of when I read it

>>17370440
Siddhartha; Novel by Hermann Hesse

>>17369586
It's short and enjoyable but it wasn't as profound or insightful as I thought it would be going into it. Just an interesting story.

>>17370007
This, but that's not a bad thing. It kiiiinda turns buddhism on its head and arrives at a conclusion better and more engaged with real life than "just escape existence bro".

>>17370905
>just escape existence bro
That's not what Buddhism is.

>>17369586
I re-read it about a month ago, great book

>>17370911
It is. Read the fire sermon, or anything from the Pali canon, really. Anything else, even a virtous life is seen as a literal cope while you gather merit so you reincarnate into a monk.

>>17370946
>seen as a literal cope
Are you capable of expressing yourself in a genuine way without filtering everything through 4chan memes?

>>17370973
No, I am not. Deal with it lmao

>>17370980
Figured as much

>>17370905
>that's not a bad thing.
It is, actually, unless you're a hedonist or a retard

>>17370946
i saw the dopest take down of buddhism as a death cult by some muslim website, i wish i had bookmarked it, it showed all the ways that buddhism is anti-life and learned helplessness turned into an ideology

>>17369586
Yeah it's good, basically put me back on a non self-destructive path.

>>17371023
>death cult
Low IQ take
>learned helplessness
Refuted by Ajahn Thanissaro in about five minutes in one of his talks on Youtube

>>17371056
Refuted my ass. That's just him using upaya, aka buddhist taqqiya.

>>17371056
>calling an islamic interpretation of buddhism low iq

wow racist much?

>>17371064
>why yes, I pride myself on being ignorant and unwilling to confront arguments that go against my worldview, how could you tell?
You sound boring as shit

>>17371064
>upaya, aka buddhist taqqiya.
kek you are genuinely retarded if your post was unironic

>>17369750
fucking sperg

>>17371075
I've read exensively about Buddhism, both its history, philosophy and living tradition. I think it has much to offer to culture and philosophy, specially in the field of what we call process philosophy and in logic. Nagarjuna and his successor's genius insanity will one day be recognized by all, and their dialetheism is certainly something that the very best of western philosophy has only glimpsed, but not developed. That being said, I disagree with the core conclusions of the religion and find it offensive the monks conceal the real teachings of total detachment under the guise of what amount to secular values
>>17371089
This is, /lit/, man. Learn to take hyperbole and shitposting.

>>17371317
>the core conclusions
Seems hard to disagree with the four noble truths.
>monks conceal the real teachings
Why wouldn't they? Such teachings are of no use to laymen.

>>17371373
The four noble truths are but one interpretation of the suffering in life, and they owe a lot to the Upanishads and even to other religions and philosophies like Jainism, as much as Buddhists might dislike nigantha nataputta. So they're far from being eternal rediscovered truths. Also the entire edifice of Buddhism stands or falls in rebirth, and Dharmakirti's proof for it is laughable. There's nothing wrong with the monks keeping more advanced teachings for the initiated, but it's still dishonest with the laity that's supposed to support them in a symbiotic manner.

>>17369586
It’s really comfy. Easy to grasp and relatable regardless of ones age.

>>17371527
>The four noble truths are but one interpretation of the suffering in life
Not really, no.
1. pain exists, nothing to be said here
2. the origin of pain being craving is hardly disputable
3. this one is unfalsifiable anyway
4. only the fourth noble truth could be said to be arguable as the Dharma can't be demonstrated to be the best path towards the cessation of pain, but it seems to work
Whether or not you choose to take the 4NT to heart and follow the Dharma is another matter entirely. Nowhere is it really said that you absolutely should follow the teachings, you're free to choose to accept Samsara and the pain that goes with it. The 4NT are only relevant within the mindset of someone who wishes for pain to cease in the first place.
>dishonest with the laity
If the laity want to get the more advanced teachings, they should ordain. And they do, in the actual Buddhist countries.

It is my absolute favorite book. It tells the story of a man who, faced with internal and spiritual turmoil, decides to do whatever he wants all the time and becomes Chad and ascends. It is no more deep than that, but neither is your life.

>>17371588
Suffering exists, sure, and it partly happens when we don't get what we want. No one diputes that. But the rest of that relies on a specific interpretation. I could argue its true root is a pain imp that stings your luminous mind and work from there until I arrive to a system just as internally consistent. As for the rest of your post, it's fortunate people can choose what they believe, but if we have one shot at life and no guarantee of anything else it doesn't make it much sense deny ourselves community and personal fullfillment under the assumption they're not worth it. Unless of course, that makes you happy. But that still doesn't mean it'a more than one interpretation.

>>17371822
>deny ourselves community
How is practicing Buddhism, i.e. taking refuge in the Sangha, to "deny yourself community"?
>personal fullfillment
The entire point of the teachings is to convey the idea that the fleeting pleasures we get from partaking in "unskillful" activities are inferior to the more lasting, deeper pleasures gotten through more skillful means. And this isn't just Nibbana, but the jhanas or just following the N8P in general.

>>17371837
That's fine, but it's all subjective and no more valid than anyone else's choices. Still, that doesn't mean you're right or you can be certain you'll attain anything after death, and it follows it might be a mistake to disdain the companionship of others outside the religious community, or trying to live a good life for its own sake instead of following a dogma that tells you to see the body as only a machine producing bile, sweat, blood and excrement. I suggest you look up the Jain concept of many-sided-truth.

>>17372080
>no more valid than anyone else's choices.
As I said before, there is no statement made by Gautama (that I know of) that people should adhere to his teachings "or else". He's pretty clear from the get-go: if you're tired of suffering, he offers you a way out. It was never anything more than that.
Of course it is assumed in the scriptures that samsaric existence is not as good as Nibbana because the pleasures it grants are transient. Doesn't mean it's wrong for you to choose Samsara.
>doesn't mean you're right
Skepticism is nice but it doesn't lead anywhere. You need to take a leap of faith at some point.
>Jain concept
Anekantavada is very similar to Gautama's own statement about the ineffable nature of truth.

>>17372121
I have no issue with Gautama, just some of his followers and ontological leaps of faith beyond the practical ones I already take every day starting by getting out of bed.

>>17372236
>I have no issue with Gautama
>just [...] ontological leaps of faith
How do you reconcile these two things?

>>17372258
I have no issue with a 2500 year old deae indian ascetic. Chill, man.

>be content living in poverty and never expect anything better for your life

buddhism is literally a psyop by a wealthy prince

>>17372372
>and never expect anything better for your life
You don't understand Buddhism. Start with the Dhammapada.

>>17372431
>you just haven't read marx!

yeah, i already know that trick

>>17372431
Doesn't it teach that all conditioned life will be suffering for all eternity tho?

>>17372436
>I wish to remain ignorant
Okay.
>>17372448
All that is conditioned is impermanent, all pleasure is impermanent. All life within Samsara will experience untold pleasure as well as terrible suffering as they cycle through existence. Nibbana is the way out from conditioned existence and into pure, eternal, unconditioned bliss. This is all in the Dhammapada, it barely takes an afternoon to read.

>>17372474
>Nibbana is the way out from conditioned existence and into pure, eternal, unconditioned bliss.
souinds kind of hedonistic and selfish

>>17372484
Not at all. As I said, start with the Dhammapada.

>>17372489
>read my pamphlet

no, you read MY pamphlet

>>17372517
You're confused and ignorant about Buddhism, so I'm pointing you towards something that will help you understand why you're wrong. If you don't want to understand, why post in the first place?