/lit/ - Literature

>What does /lit/ think about Buddhism, Zen, ...?

It's interesting as something you read on text, embarassing when you see someone actually try it.

Good luck with it though, there's nothing wrong with being retarded.

>>2145682
> call it retarded
> think he makes a point

never change /lit/

I did a bit of reading about eastern religions a lot when I was a younger man, Taoism was especially appealing to me. It's much like any other religion at it's core though, a system for improving yourself and at the same time alienate other people.

>>2145693
holy shit, thank you

>>2145693
wtfamireading.jpg
alienate who?
how?

>>2145699
are you asking about an eastern religion in particular, or religions in general?

1/Read the Tao Te Ching.
2/Compare all available translations.
3/????
4/Profit!

>>2145700
>much like any other religion
>a system for improving yourself and at the same time alienate other people
alienate other people?
taoism?
srsly?

It's a fucking medieval religion, just like the rest of them. If you want to research it for cultural or historical insight then go ahead, but don't expect some spiritual epiphany.

>>2145706
I wasn't talking about Taoism, I was talking about Buddhism, but Taoism could fall into the same idea. It alienates people because you're following a path that is radically different from the mainstream unless you live in eastern china or Tibet.

>>2145706
>medieval
wtf are you talking about?

>>2145710
so culture "alienates", unless it's "mainstream"?

ITT: the legendary wisdom of 12 year old neckbeard

>>2145713
It's more polite than calling it prehistoric, ancient, or antiquated.

>>2145715
al·ien·ate/ˈālēəˌnāt/
Verb:

1. Cause (someone) to feel isolated or estranged.

yes, that is exactly what it does

>>2145719
Yeah, sure, polite, whatever.
I don't think these words are synonyms, kid.

>>2145721
no.jpg

>>2145729
Atleast I ain't mad, bro.

Taoism is more like a school of philosophy.
Also, Lao Tse is very similar (and contemporary) to Heraclitus.

>>2145732
no u

>>2145706
It's a lot older than the medieval ages.

Though I'm an atheist and don't put much stock in mysticism, I found Buddhism's conception of impermanence and the illusion of the self to be really compelling. It genuinely made me think twice about some things as an a-religious philosophical proposition, even I didn't agree 100%.

At least what I think I understood to be Buddhism's ideas were cool, I admittedly haven't read that much and might have misunderstood some things.

>>2145736
Buddhism = ok
Taoism = wow

Abrahamic religions:
hurrdurr thou shall agree with me or I fucking kill you.
Dharmic religions:
notasinglefuckwasgiventhisday.jpg

...and remember to brush your teeth before you go to bed, kids!

>>2145736
Yeah I know that, I probably should have specified that I was talking about Zen Buddhism, which was invented in the medieval era.

The problem is that the philosophically interesting parts of religion are never put into practice. It's like the non-violence stuff preached within Christianity. It's great on paper but not so much in practice.
For instance, check out this video (ignore the joke video title). It puts an interesting perspective on the whole "Western atheist seeking Eastern enlightenment" thing. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bniRZSeVQMw

its a bunch of nonsense for self absorbed swpl's. It's for people who found unitarianism to be insufficiently weak-kneed and sanctimonious. The interesting branches of Buddhism make demands on your action.

>>2145749
You evidently don't know shit about shit, so would you please kindly shut the fuck up?
Super pretty please?

>>2145748
>I was talking about Zen Buddhism
Step one: keep your fucking mouth shut.

>>2145755
Step Three: Profit?

>>2145760
You forgot step two: keep it shut.

>>2145760
Step three is: ????

I spent about three months reading up on zen buddhism and I understood nothing.

>>2145763
Glad we got that sorted out. When will you start?

>>2145764
Shh

>>2145765
Shhh

Seems quiet ITT.
I like it.

As someone who has lived in a monastery, I can comment on certain aspects of buddhism.
The gods that exist in buddhism are simply representations of parts of your mind.
Respect of your place in nature is critical.
It's much more about realization and exploration of your own mind than any other religion, which I would hesitate to even call it.

>>2145706
>Over 2500 years old
>medieval

>Existance is shit, the best you can aspire to is getting rid of it.

...Yeah, no thanks.

>>2145797
This is Buddhism.
Taoism is moar liek:
>Existance is shit, the best you can aspire to is to enjoy the fuck out of it.
Vastly superior.

>>2145802
Nirvana is bliss and the lack of desire
Buddhism pursues this

>>2145802
Hmm.

Wow almost all of you have no fucking idea what you are talking about do you?

>>2145806
The Tao pursues nothing. He just is.

>>2145809
So, what?

>>2145809

Anyone that says they understand zen doesn't understand zen.

The Anal Cannon pursues nothing. It just places a funnel into an asshole, and the 2nd whore pukes into it. After the ass is filled with puke, a cock then fucks it until the pressure is all built up. After the asshole has been fucked hard enough, the cock is pulled out and the anal cannon explodes! To top it all off, ass to mouth occurs, with both ladies licking off the fresh mix of vomit and ass for the ultimate understanding!

>>2145821

Worthy of Oscar Wilde. No trollan.

I thought I replied before, but anyway

>>2145802

No, just no, buddhism does not say don't enjoy life, just say don't because attached to it, just live an enjoy the moment.

Forget it. An Atheist should be reading Jiddu Krishnamurti, Osho or U.G. Krishnamurti.

Contrary to what the Susan Blackburn's say, Buddhism is not the atheist's religion. You still have to have some degree of faith/willful suspension of disbelief to practice the religion.

Karma and Reincarnation, for example, are a sine qua non. There is no naturalist intepretation of it, either. It's basically accepted as true by all schools unanimously.

>>2145802

No, that's not Taoism.

>>2145874
Zen does not talk aobut karma or reincarnation, and a few buddhist talk about karma and reincarnation as a metaphor

a cheap fetish which allows us to maintain a semblance of emotional stability while fully participating in the mad dance of our modern capitalist lives.

see steve jobs and other CEOs who subscribe to western buddhism.

>>2145895

Rebirth is a fact for Zen Buddhists. You're simple wrong.

>>2145898
Zizek knows shit about buddhism, I've read his articles in the topic and I don't believe he has even read the Pali cannon.

buddhism is about don't get attached, is not about avoid pursuing things

>>2145907

I don't think Zizek cares. He's a psychoanalyst. His job is to reduce everything to drives, neurosis and libido. Psychoanalysts don't care about reasoned debate and truth.

Brotip: any spiritual path that doesn't require its followers to make significant, difficult lifestyle changes and devote the bulk (or at least a significant amount) of their time to spiritual conditioning under the tutelage of a qualified mentor is worthless hipster garbage and will never induce "enlightenment." That isn't to say that this necessarily applies to all forms of Buddhism.

>>2145917

This. Traditional spiritual paths are hard work. With Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Shaivism, Bhakti and Vaishnavism, you can never get something for nothing. It requires total obedience and discipline. And psychoanalysts think the whole thing is a complex repression con game.

>>2145907

that's actually his entire point. it enables the buddhist to detach himself from the hysteria of controlling a company and make decisions free from the constraints of conscience or morality, because he knows that none of it is real or matters and he can retreat into his metaphysical space where things really do have meaning.

it's a kind of disavowal through spirituality which allowed warriors to fight battles without fear of death, or suicide bombers to disregard the moral consequences and blow themselves up.

>>2145922

Amendment: If anybody thinks they can be a Buddhist without studying Buddhist scriptures, accepting Karma and Reincarnation and adopting certain manners of behavior, they're wrong. There's a reason why the Dalai Lama tells people to stay with the religion they were born.. it's his nice way of saying "We don't need disillusioned sheep joining Buddhism. It's only for the serious-minded."

>>2145925

No it's not - its his way of saying that all religions are the same.

Tangentially related, if I was the Dalai Lama, I'd make like a Jehovah's Witness and go out doorstepping people.

>Hello, me an my friend were just talking about god, and we were wondering if you'd ever thought of converting to the one true way of spiritual harmony and freedom.

>Actually, I'd be VERY interested

>Well, you bloody can't. Bugger off, whitey. lololololol

I suppose there's a reason I've never been entrusted with the spiritual well-being of millions of people...

>>2145923
>it enables the buddhist to detach himself from the hysteria of controlling a company and make decisions free from the constraints of conscience or morality
>conscience
>morality

and this is the conscience and morality of confucian-buddhist-daoist thought of coursse and not just cookie cutter marxist projecting and lacanian bourgeoisification of and onto the object of criticism yes

>>2145956
forgot mah treep

>>2145957
>>2145956

>>2145967
suck meh deeck XD

>>2145971

>>2145980
suck meh deeck XD

>>2145957

>faggot posts without trip habitually
>supports his own posts
>never leaves /lit/
>herp&derp could be any of you
>OH GOD it's everywhere

someone needs to find a way to kill it

>>2145982
Done anything else, yet, today, Deep&Edgy?

>>2145982

>>2145986
suck meh deeck XD

>>2145988

>>2145988
Sounds kind of gay. No thanks.

>>2145989
suck meh deeck XD

>>2145995

>>2145995

>>2145957

D&E confirmed for habitual samefagger.

Always knew the drunken Irish fuck had no courage.

>>2145995
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgDHEgnA3zg

>>2146002
Naturally. He can't pretend to have that rewarding and developed social life if he's posting under a trip 18 hours a day, now, can he?

Gotta drop it for a few hours.

>>2145998
suck meh deeck XD

>>2146002
>>2146008

You know, I used to think D&E was just one more overeducated imbecile who thinks he's the coming of Nietzsche's übermensch, but the more they guy posts, the more I actually feel sorry for him.

Get help, bro. You'll feel better, I promise you.

>>2146010

>>2146017
i thought he was a shut in who educated himself with the internet

>>2146017

I think you have a point - it's gone beyond internet aspergers now and I get the image that he's sitting in his own filth, in the same clothes he's been wearing for six days, one step away from being one of those people you hear about that no-one knows they've died until the neighbours complain about the stench and the droning of the corpseflies.

I hear he's like forty years old or something?

>>2146025
Stop being overly dramatic, guys. It's really irrational.

D&E is just a graduate student in college who comes here when he's not in class. He's too proud to admit he doesn't socialise with anyone at Uni, and arguing semantics with people on here for hours is a pasttime he actively seeks out.

That's the realistic probability.

>>2146018
suck meh deeck XD

>>2146030

>>2146052

suck meh deeck XD

>>2146086

>>2146052
suck meh deeck XD

are there any rastafarian buddhists

ITT: D&E collapses in on himself

Does the salad black dude reading himself in that pic have a name so i can google him and get all his stock images.

he's the best.

serious question turns out into a D&E thread, thanks

>>2146158
rather have d&e thread than a fucking buddhism thread. d&e has more to do with /lit/.

>>2146156
>Ainsley Harriot

WEEEE SPIRITUALISM