/lit/ - Literature

I only pray that you will take what is good from him and not let his limitations chain you. Even psychologically, “Eastern wisdom” is not for us who are flesh and blood of the West; Orthodox Christianity is clearly the tradition that was given us—and it can be clearly seen in the Western Europe of the first ten centuries, before the falling away of Rome from Orthodoxy. But it also happens that Orthodoxy is not merely a “tradition” like any other, a “handing down” of spiritual wisdom from the past; it is Gods Truth here and now—it gives us immediate contact with God such as no other tradition can do. There are many truths in the other traditions, both those handed down from a past when men were closer to God, and those discovered by gifted men in the reaches of the mind; but the full Truth is only in Christianity, God s revelation of Himself to mankind. I will take only one example: there are teachings on spiritual deception in other traditions, but none so thoroughly refined as those taught by the Orthodox Holy Fathers; and more importantly, these deceptions of the evil one and our fallen nature are so omnipresent and so thorough that no one could escape them unless the loving God revealed by Christianity were close at hand to deliver us from them. Similarly: Hindu tradition teaches many true things about the end of the Kali Yuga; but one who merely knows these truths in the mind will be helpless to resist the temptations of those times, and many who recognize the Antichrist (Chalmakubi) when he comes will nonetheless worship him—only the power of Christ given to the heart will have strength to resist him.

Just picked up this.

>>18830654
Oh, and i'm reading The Life of Moses by St. Gregory of Nyssa

>>18830556
Damn those are some thick and juicy legs

>>18830556
Polybius' Histories

Stoner by John Williams. it's great I'm flying through it.

>>18830671
What is it about?

>>18830705
Roadtrip fiction from Montana to Canada so far. really good descriptive prose. two characters, entirely set in the cab of a truck. tarintino style dialogue

About halfway currently, it's pretty good.

Just started this and I'm hooked, I legitimately feel that this book will leave a big impact on me and I can't help but continue reading it.

>some anon pressured me to read chp 2 of Husserl's Logical investigations, might read more
>Sanskrit textbooks
>Casually reading thru Crime & Punishment
Finished BK a month or so ago.

one dimensional man by marcuse

I'm hate-reading pic rel.

John Gray is extremely retarded. This book is slightly less retarded than Straw Dogs so far. The fact that he is so sure of himself makes him a pretty entertaining writer though.

>>18830556
Just finished grand inquisitor. Gonna re-read it and jot down Ivan's main arguments.

I think he's basically saying that God, as Jesus, wanted love from man as of a completely voluntary act, and so gave man complete moral freedom to do whatever he want so that when humans DID turn to God, it was something extra special I guess. But in doing so, he's forsaken the one chance at united mankind and ending our suffering entirely, instead deciding to let us be "free" because of him overestimating our ability to resist sinful temptations. So now people suffer, some who don't deserve it at all (as ivan put it the chapter before), and many would gladly give up the freedom God gave them, and even their conscious that they got from mankind eating the apple, if it meant they get taken care of, and they no longer suffer. So if God wanted to appeal to these people, why did He not just strip them of their conscious? And if God doesn't care for the sinners, and only cares for those who try to live in his image, then he isn't very loving god

I don't think this is exactly what his points were, so Ill reread, but lemme know what you guys thought of the chapter

I've read a few from this collection. "The Best of Everything" has been the most powerful so far. Stories about letting life go by while disillusioned with major events like marriage and the veneer of The American Dream peeling away really impact me. I feel like it happens to so many people but what can you do about it? It's so easy to stay where you're at because you're used to it and the unknown of what's outside can be crippling.

>>18830775
It left a bit impact on me. It was the only book that ever did.

>>18831458
Forgot image

>>18831458
>so that when humans DID turn to God, it was something extra special I guess
kek. my thoughts are that ivan is mostly concerned with the fact that giving humans freedom was an act of hostility and a curse, for a few reasons. firstly, it is a burden on us humans, one which is too heavy for the vast majority of us to carry. secondly, it essentially guarantees that humans will come to reject God, causing them to suffer meaninglessly under the weight of their freedom; ivan (if i recall correctly) is disgusted by this because it means that Christ HAD to have known beforehand that this would happen (it is the only possible outcome), but still chosen to allow humans their freedom. then there is also the whole thing about a martyr that shields the weak majority from the meaninglessness of their suffering, but that part is just a consequence of the real argument. it's been years since i read this so i may be misremembering it. i should really read TBK again sometime.

>>18830556
Let the Right One In

>>18831643
The trouble I have with the chapter is that what Ivan is saying sorta overlaps my pre-conceived thoughts about God, and I don't want to mix up Dostoevsky's message with my own beliefs. Incredible book. Hard on my peanut zoomer brain

>>18830654
stop being schismatic, return to Papa

>>18830556
The Old Man and the Sea

Also post that juicy ass

>>18831757
it's an understandable concern. i would try and use the book to further your understanding not of God himself, but of humanity's reaction to him. Dostoevsky is a more of a psychologist than he is a theologian, after all. another thing to consider is that Dostoevsky himself was an extremely religious guy, and definitely opposed Ivan's position, despite it being apparently bulletproof. it really is a super destructive blow to Christianity, and i think you can actually see Alyosha becoming increasingly uncomfortable as the argument advances, and he slowly realizes that literally his entire life is being utterly btfo by Ivan's superior rational skills, lol. i know you haven't finished the book yet so i won't spoil anything, but Dosto does respond to Ivan in the following chapters, so it's not just checkmate on the spot or anything.

>>18830556
Why you take a picture of your sister like that

>>18831772

>stop being schismatic, return to Papa
>Vatican II affirms that the Holy Spirit is in Orthodoxy and that Orthodoxy has retained the fullness of Church Tradition & Theology

Sorry mate, the Pope said you don't need to be in communion with the Pope to be saved, or to keep the correct doctrine.

the passion according to g.h.

>>18831843
>try and use the book to further your understanding not of God himself, but of humanity's reaction to him
That's really insightful, anon, thank you

>>18830556
holy based

>>18830556
Read Man and His Becoming According to the Vedanta or Intro. to Hinduism. Crisis of the Modern World is one of his weaker and more boring books

>>18830775
It's written in the throes of passion, you can tell. Very well written book. I started reading at about 10 or 11 pm and ended up staying up to 7 in the morning to finish it, which rarely if ever happens.

>>18830556
Chamberlain

>>18832049
Crisis of the Modern World is the best book to redpill and shock the normies since is about common themes.

>>18832006
bro youre gonna get double married or use birth control or some shit and burn forever just come home

>>18830556
>gardner's kant and the critique of pure reason
>bear's slant
>bataille's visions of excess

Harry potter and the half blood prince lol

>>18830654
orthodox christianity wasn't given to us born in protestant countries. its as foreign to us as hinduism is.

>>18830556
Hey where did you find that girl who let me tea bag her? I met her at a bar and didnt think I would ever see her again after I shit in her bed and left

Revolt Against The Modern World by Evola, have had the book for a few years and haven't read it. I just waited until it was "time" so I got the impulse a week and a half ago to start reading. So far so good

>>18830556
Seiobo there Below, the Dhammapada and Winnie the Pooh

Picrel. Alien 4 today, the abook has significantly less content than the books so I'm listen to it, then relistening my flit version and reading along. It'll be over in 2.5--3h.

Then gonna finish forensic sci: bg; more or less all known stuff.
Then doing bowling alone.
Need more fiction before I can continue with the heavy stuff. It weighs on me and I need like a fucking a break.

>>18830556
before this, I was reading crisis but got bored quickly because i had read east and west prior. I'm going to skip it and go straight to Reign of Quantity.

>>18831458
>but lemme know what you guys thought of the chapter
It basically says that humans are pathetic slaves by nature and they not only don't want freedom, but they will also hate anyone that gives it to them. They will love and praise the one that takes their freedom and dominates them as long as he feeds their pathetic slave mouths. And he's totally spot on, people LOVE authority. I don't get, why he still was a Christcuck.