How do I start with Buddhism?

[Anonymous No.15373265]

I used to be into Adi Shankara, but after reading some of his work, I realized that I do not particularly resonate with his teachings. So, I am now exploring Buddhism "for the first time". I don't want the modern """Buddhist""" books that straight up alter the original teachings. I don't mind Eastern or Western authors, but it'd be great if they were unbiased or presented Buddhism AS IT IS, with its metaphysics and everything. I feel like most modern books tend to talk about mindfulness meditation rather than Buddhism. I heard that "In the Buddha's Words" by Bhikkhu Bodhi is a good start. What do you guys think?

[Anonymous No.15373283]

>>15373265
Do you want to be a layperson (striving for good rebirth/heaven realm) or a monk (striving for nibbana)?

If 1) follow the five precepts, meditate every once in a while, make good kamma by donating to worthy causes and your local monks.

if 2) Listen to this guy and guys who talk like him. https://www.youtube.com/user/yuttadhammo

[Anonymous No.15373308]

>>15373283
The first option, a layperson. I do not intend to be a monk or go that extreme, but rather I just want to live a more content life.

[Anonymous No.15373352]

Start with Conze's short history of Buddhism, then branch it from there. It's on lib gen.

[Anonymous No.15373445]

I've lived kind of a fucked up life so far, will I be born into a hell realm or fucked up rebirth regardless of if I change my ways?

[Anonymous No.15373457]

>>15373445
There was a psychotic murderer in the Buddha's time that used to go around slaughtering people and carrying their ears on a necklace around his neck. Think he killed 999 people. He later achieved the Deathless in that same life of his.

You'll probably be fine, if you change.

[Anonymous No.15373528]

this

[Anonymous No.15373535]

>>15373528
Thanks, this is exactly what I needed

[Anonymous No.15373540]

>>15373457
imagine a fat ass who ate like shit his whole life and then said what you said.

In short you can't un do the past, buddhism isn't some sort of salvation like christianity is but the sooner you acknowledge you're fuck ups the sooner you'll fix yourself

[Anonymous No.15373548]

>>15373457
Shouldn't the murderer face the accumulative negative Karma first before reaching Nirvana?

[Anonymous No.15373559]

>>15373548
not that person but:

>he killed 999 people.
>He later achieved the Deathless

whatever happened in between this was him facing his karma.
There is also a story of a Bodhisattva who knew about a serial killer on a boat that was planning of killing everyone on the boat. The Bodhisattva intervened and because he killed him he went to a hell realm however because of the people he saved he bounced off the hell realm

[Anonymous No.15373568]

>>15373548
99% of monks don't make it to nirvana. Why would that asshole? It's just another thing you have to agree with because reasons.
There's lots of a wakkadoodle stuff like that in the suttas.
Fortunately, you can just follow the precepts, path, and gem and meditate unless you want to be a monk.

[Anonymous No.15373596]

>>15373540
Frankly the karma doctrine is a lower teaching, meant to get people to behave. But it is Knowledge and Insight that "saves".

What is different between Buddhism and Abrahamic faith is that Buddhism does not subscribe to a moral liberation ontology.
>do bad things and god will punish you for an eternity
vs
>do bad things and bad things will happen to you but if you want to escape it all then you need to penetrate into the nature of reality, not swap the bad things for good things

[Anonymous No.15373616]

Will not everyone accumulate bad karma because of ignorance until someone becomes a little more aware of things? That is, how do children avoid doing bad things and accumulating karma?

[Anonymous No.15373627]

>>15373596
Ugh, why does everyone in this board is borderline illiterate? Repentance saves. That is it. You can rape and murder, but if there is true repentance you will be forgiven.

[Anonymous No.15373691]

>>15373627
Who forgives? I thought buddhists believed in no god?

[Anonymous No.15373746]

>>15373691
Im referring to the retarded idea of “bad actions = eternal punishment regardless whether you repent or not”

[Anonymous No.15373768]

>>15373627
Repentance breaks the law of cause and effect, and as such it can be rejected along with your entire religion.

[Anonymous No.15373813]

>>15373768
Do you have any idea about what youre saying?

[Anonymous No.15373826]

>>15373265
Siddhartha book by Herman Hesse and The PBS documentary on Buddha :p

[Anonymous No.15373884]

>>15373535
That's a very partisan list. Very heavy on Pali and the world of Bhikku Nanananda. No Mahayana except for Nagarjuna. I'd again recommend Conze's short history to get a broader overview.

[Anonymous No.15373926]

>>15373826
Yea I read Siddhartha and it's what got me interested desu
>>15373884
I saw this >>15373352 already and added it to my list

[Anonymous No.15373955]

>>15373265
Was there anyone more enlightened than Jesus? Humanity's only true enemy is death so why worship someone who couldnt even conquer the grave?

[Anonymous No.15374056]

>>15373955
>Humanity's only true enemy is death so why worship someone who couldnt even conquer the grave?
So maybe Seneca

[Anonymous No.15374087]

>>15374056
Explain Seneca I am not familiar and dont want to google

[Anonymous No.15374132]

https://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Miscellaneous/Treatise_on_Golden_Lion.html

[Anonymous No.15374332]

Has anyone read this?

[Anonymous No.15374438]

>>15373265
read MahaPrajnaParamita-Sastra by Nagarjuna

[Anonymous No.15374449]

A succinct no-nonsense introduction I'd recommend is The Buddha's Teachings: An Introduction by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu

https://www.dhammatalks.org/ebook_index.html#BuddhasTeachings

[Anonymous No.15374484]

What the Buddha Taught and In the Buddha's Words. Both are good beginner texts for explaining what the point of Buddhism is.

If you're interested in Mahayana, the Hear Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and the Platform Sutra are all key literature. The Heart Sutra fits in a 4chan post and is the summary of Buddhist philosophy and thought. It's also super fucking dense with information and meaning. The rest are similarly dense, but much, much longer.

The Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way by Nagarjun is the "Summa Theologica" of Mahayana thought. Theravadans also agree with this text 100%, they just believe Nagarjuna didn't need to write it because the Buddha already said it.

[Anonymous No.15374742]

>>15373691
Your soul reforms with great effort. It's not just saying some words.

[Anonymous No.15374771]

>>15373283
why does yuttadhammo DICKoo get shilled so much around here?

[Anonymous No.15374785]

>>15373265
Read the Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma

[Anonymous No.15374932]

Western Neo-Buddhism is not Buddhism, it is Cultural Marxism with some Buddhist trappings.

[Anonymous No.15374940]

This very ancient Pali text is probably the largest fragment of "primitive" Buddhist philosophy still in existence:
http://www.nippapanca.org/uploads/2/4/5/9/24591864/av_path_press_edition.pdf

[Anonymous No.15376720]

>>15373265
>Buddhism AS IT IS
Idolatry, demon worship, etc.

[Anonymous No.15376998]

>>15373528
Is there any chart like this for Mahayana specifically?

[Anonymous No.15377094]

>>15373955
>Humanity's only true enemy is death
Why is death an enemy? Death makes all things new again, imagine living in the clouds for all eternity, the closer you inspect these ideas that are based on clinging the more ridiculous they become. If you enjoy being, death is your friend because without death existence would be unbearable

[Anonymous No.15377113]

>>15373616
The majority of people accumulate both good and bad karma, it's a Christian idea that people are completely depraved and evil and that jacking off is eternal evil against God, and that touching your peepee is the worst thing a human can commit

[Anonymous No.15377127]

>>15374932
Cultural Marxism is good though

[Anonymous No.15377165]

>>15373616
The Western conception of Karma is influenced by Hindu thought. In Hinduism, God (who "God" is is really complex and varies school to school) tallies up your celestial Good Boy and Bad Boy Points. When you get enough Good Boy Points, you get to reborn next life in a better life; accumulate too much Bad Boy Points, and you get reborn in a worse life next life. Jainism similarly holds that there are "colors" of Karma that stick to the soul. As you go through life, you pick up Karma of various colors, and your "total color" of Karma determines your next life.

In Buddhism, Karma is just Karma. There's no "good" and "bad" karma, or colors of karma, those are just humans conceptions. You can't really "accumulate" Karma. Karma is translated as "action". Your actions will cause a sentient being (in Buddhism this basically translates to "an animal of some kind with some degree of thinky bits") to be reborn, and some ambiguous amount of "you" will carry over to that sentient being (reincarnating as multiple sentient beings is fully supported in Buddhism). How literal this "a sentient being that you are a part of will be born" is to be taken varies; some times it's absolutely literally, like fathering a child.

An important point here, however, is that Karma comes about from INTENTION. A child ignorantly telling a lie is not the same as a grown man telling a lie; the "karmic impact" is different, just as killing a worm is different from killing a person, even if they're both "bad karma". Indeed, that very term "bad karma" itself is misleading, as Humans are uniquely positioned to achieve Nirvana! Lesser things can't do so very easily, nor can higher things! The very idea of "bad karma" in Buddhism is silly, as the karma that would make you reincarnate as a god would put you farther away from nirvana, so wouldn't that be bad? This ties into how Buddhism is a tool; it's not spiritually totalitarian.

[Anonymous No.15377278]

>>15377113
You have a very superficial understanding of what original sin means if your post convey genuinely your thoughts.

>>15377165
I don't understand why my actions cause another being to be reborn. Wouldn't it be its own actions the cause and way of its reincarnation?

>Karma comes about from INTENTION.
So someone grown up in, say, current modern society, who has lived a rather passive life and has nurtured desires and is ignorant by reason of its own passivity and innocence in thinking that what he receives is to be regarded and kept, will have a different ''karmic impact'' from someone who studies buddhist doctrines?

[Anonymous No.15377294]

>>15377278
There are many different interpretations of original sin, the more nuenced view is that it's a discordance and feedback loop in which effects people externally via cultural influences, I find this view consistent with Buddhism in a sense. The more traditional and dogmatic take on original sin is that when babies are born they give Yahweh a rage boner unless a priest sprinkles water on them

[Anonymous No.15377322]

>>15377294
>the more nuenced view is that it's a discordance and feedback loop in which effects people externally via cultural influences
I'm not sure what you mean here but it would be indeed a discordance with our own nature, natural will in opposition to a personal, egoic will. People from birth are ''naturally'' led to will, desire in accordance with their passions, and this is the case for some during all their lifetime.

>The more traditional and dogmatic take on original sin is that when babies are born they give Yahweh a rage boner unless a priest sprinkles water on them.
The more traditional and dogmatic take was more or less what I just posted above. I know it is futile to ask, but you should read the Church Fathers.

[Anonymous No.15377338]

>>15377322
The church fathers weren't all on the same page, that's why you see different beliefs and interpretations of these issues all over the place in the east and west which only was resolved with violence and some dude in a funny hat claiming to be the supreme pontiff which all must submit

[Anonymous No.15377373]

>>15377338
>The church fathers weren't all on the same page
Ground your claim on something solid please. Obviously that Irinaeus for example didn't write about deep christological concerns, however he was undoubtedly a bastion to secure all the rest of the Fathers's writings (supporting and agreeing with latter expositions and securing their teachings treating different subjects of the same dogma and tradition).

>that's why you see different beliefs and interpretations of these issues all over the place in the east and west
The different interpretations is due to people's being ignorant about tradition and dogma, for instance of the Fathers's writings. It is obvious that most people who criticize it have never read anything from them.
Anyway I don't know why you are taking this subject further in this thread.

[Anonymous No.15377430]

Read this

[https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-1/Content/1]

[Anonymous No.15377469]

>>15374771
naive westerners have a hard time discerning

[Anonymous No.15377487]

>>15374332
It's on my to-read list but I'm still wading through Hinduism so it'll be a while before I get it. I've seen it cited several times as a good introduction.

[Anonymous No.15377709]

>>15374932
Exactly, it's shitty.

[Anonymous No.15377715]

>>15376720
How does it feel to be this retarded?

[Anonymous No.15377746]

I don't want to start a new thread and this one looks somewhat relevant.
What are the books that deal with the whole idea of seppuku being a purgatory act? The whole spiritual background of harkiri.

[Anonymous No.15377911]

>>15377746
Do you happen to come from the Congo?

[Anonymous No.15377976]

>>15376998
just read this: https://www.bdkamerica.org/book/buddha-dharma-way-enlightenment-2e-hardcover (pdf is free)

and then follow whichever path/study whichever sutra most appealing to you

>This is a massive anthology of sections from the Buddhist sutras and commentaries. The text follows the life of the Śakyamuni Buddha and records some of the teachings and discourses that he delivered throughout his nearly forty-five years of enlightening the world. The compiling editors pulled from all relevant sections of the Mahayana canon to create this unique volume.

>I am often asked whether the teachings and techniques of Buddhism continue to be relevant in the present day and age. Like all religions, Buddhism addresses basic human problems. So long as we continue to experience the basic human sufferings of birth, disease, old age, and death, there is no question of whether it is relevant or not. Therefore, I welcome this new English edition of Buddha-Dharma that presents a concise and clear anthology of the Buddha's teachings.” His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

>“This gathering of texts called Buddha-Dharma presents just that, the life and actual teachings of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. The greater part of it covers the years of Sakyamuni' s teachings. The account that emerges is inspiring, in its very humanity that the earnest (and sometimes skeptical) laypeople, Bhikkus, Bhikkunis, were vivid people from all walks of life. The Great Teacher himself is constant, profound, patient, sweet, and occasionally vexed by his complicated followers. This is truly the source-story of Buddhism. It takes us back to the roots, which are perennial and incredibly deep, and all the stronger for their familiar quirkiness. This is our own story, to be lived in and by, in a clear and handy volume.” Gary Snyder

[Anonymous No.15378068]

>>15377911
Nah man. Why?

[Anonymous No.15378219]

>>15377278
>I don't understand why my actions cause another being to be reborn. Wouldn't it be its own actions the cause and way of its reincarnation?
This gets into the big-brain Buddhist stuff about the lack of a Self, so really no, there is no "you" and no "it". I was deliberately not using the second person pronoun there, I apologize. Let me rephrase doing so, but keep in mind that this is an overly simplistic view: your actions will cause you to be reborn, having shedded some ambiguous amount of stuff in the process. What actually carries over is debated throughout Buddhism. A simple, material view is, again, human reproduction. A part of you, say the sperm because I'm assuming you're a dude, becomes a part of another life. Your actions have created another sentient being, and it carries some part of you with it.

And then Buddhism comes in and says that "you" and "the child" are far, far, far more complicated than just the atoms that constitute you ("you" are also made up of your actions, among many other things; I'm including stuff like souls and spirit energy and chakra for simplicity, as those are also debated in Buddhism).

>So someone grown up in, say, current modern society, who has lived a rather passive life and has nurtured desires and is ignorant by reason of its own passivity and innocence in thinking that what he receives is to be regarded and kept, will have a different ''karmic impact'' from someone who studies buddhist doctrines?
To a degree, yes. Knowingly committing a bad act makes it worse than unknowingly doing so; that doesn't mean that ignorance is a perfect excuse, however. You might say "well, how can some thing be bad if I don't know I'm doing it then?", to which I'd say: Buddhism has an autistically detailed philosophy of the mind detailing exactly how this works out, but yes you are in many cases knowingly and willingly doing something bad when you do something bad. This philosophy of the mind is quite different from the lay and philosophical Western understanding of how minds and cognition work.

[Anonymous No.15378254]

>>15377094
Based and Shiva pilled.

[Anonymous No.15378286]

>>15377094
Based and Shiva pilled.

[Anonymous No.15378306]

>>15377976
Based and Great Vehicle pilled

[Anonymous No.15378943]

>>15374332
It's actually a book that goes deep into the details of buddhism. Great if you want to study buddhism, but a bit overkill if you're looking just for an introduction.

[Anonymous No.15378950]

>>15374771
>>15377469
He's an actual monk. Buddhist monasteries are rife with corruption just like any religion.

[Anonymous No.15378989]

>>15378219
>Buddhism has an autistically detailed philosophy of the mind detailing exactly how this works out
Do you know where i can further read about this?

[Anonymous No.15379184]

>>15378219
Superficially it seems there is a weight upon one's actions similar to other religions. As a (heretic) christian I find the practical side of buddhism very interesting, specially concerning compassion and love to all sentient beings. I appreciate if you recommend some texts that deal with this praxis and with what you exposed in your post.

[Anonymous No.15379193]

>>15378068
sounded like someone I know

[Anonymous No.15380360]

bump

[Anonymous No.15380824]

can i start with diamond sutra?

[Anonymous No.15380909]

Great, a Buddhist thread. Now is the chance to spread Dharma!
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.

For more Mahayana oriented persons, I have other material. Will be posting in a sec.

[Anonymous No.15380986]

Now, on to Mahayana of which I am more familiar.
First we have
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!

Namo Amitoufo!

[Anonymous No.15381034]

>>15380986
Now to Tibetan Mahayana,
I am quite unfamiliar with the subject, and can only offer a few sites.

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.

That is all I have for Tibetan Mahayana unfortunately.
I have a few more sites that offer texts and dharma talks.

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.

That is all I have. Remember to keep the precepts as well as you can!

[Anonymous No.15381046]

>>15380824
I would not, you would need commentaries to fully understand the sutra. Many devote their entire lives to the study of one sutra.

[Anonymous No.15381228]

Can someone explain me what happens after you reach the nirvana and you die?
No more reborns, there is not soul and yet buddhist tell me you still exist somehow, a bliss existence or something like this.
I don't understand

[Anonymous No.15381240]

>>15380824
If you're aware of the basics from other sources? Start with the Heart Sutra. Red Pine's commentary on it is wonderful. It's short, you can fit it in a 4chan post.

>>15378989
>>15379184
To both of you, I recommend Nagarjuna, particularly is Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way. This text goes over Emptiness, which is fundamental to Buddhism (if you get Emptiness you can basically work backwards). This covers the metaphysics necessary to make sense of other stuff.

As for the stuff about the mind, I have had a .pdf on my computer for ages called "Mindfulness of Breathing & Four Elements Meditation", by Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw. It covers stuff on the mind and materiality. Beware, Buddhist philosophy LOVES lists of things. I swear I got it on off of accesstoinsight.org, but the cover says it's from buddhanet.net. The cover has a hand with an e on the palm. It should be noted that this text is from the Burmese (Myanamaran?) Theravada Tradition, which is sometimes considered pseudo-heretical, especially by the Mahayana, for their focus on Abhidharma (tl;dr breaking reality up into discrete dharmas, no relation to The Dharma, the two words are just homophones; they're basically particles, but aren't necessarily purely material, so blueness comes from "blue dharmas"), which is considered "atomism". Nagarjuna's central goal is basically to demonstrate that the Abhidharma guys are wrong because all dharmas are Empty. It's specifically focused on using this stuff in breath meditation, but it's really fucking meaty about breaking things down.

[Anonymous No.15381273]

>>15381228
>I don't understand
To a degree, you can't. Imagine trying to describe sight to a blind man, or 3D to a 2D creature. Nagarjuna goes over this in his Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way, to a degree. The best way I can explain is that you're always Nirvanaing, you're just always Samsaraing at the same time. The Dharma is about learning how to stop Samsaraing, so you're only Nirvanaing. Academically, a lot of ink has been spilled on this subject. In terms of actual meaning? I'm not Enlightened, so I can't really tell you what it's personally like.

[Anonymous No.15381785]

>>15373265
Mahayana gang rise up.

[Anonymous No.15381921]

>I used to be into Adi Shankara, but after reading some of his work

Are you saying you liked him before you read him?
Sounds like you fell for the meme

[Anonymous No.15381931]

>>15374771
he himself does the shilling

[Anonymous No.15382125]

>>15373265
In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon by Bhikkhu Bodhi

^ buy this book it is all you need. Fundamental and ancient buddhist texts accompanied by intros/explanations/history

[Anonymous No.15382402]

>>15377278
In Hinduism Karma means what you do. Its simple as that. Karma is a Sanskrit word which translates into work or what you do.

[Anonymous No.15382414]

>>15377487
https://youtu.be/yhqkRGISQr8
Binge watch this video anon. Original Hinduism doesnt support the theory of paradise or hell. But Hinduism has main many schools from thiesm to athiesm. But that video is a good go to start for beginners.

[Anonymous No.15382423]

>>15377487
https://youtu.be/yhqkRGISQr8
Hinduism has many schools from athiesm to thiesm. I mostly follow Upanisads which doesnt support the theory of gods or hell and heaven. https://youtu.be/yhqkRGISQr8 binge watch this video anon.

[Anonymous No.15382498]

>>15381228
From a mahayana perspective, after complete enlightenment there is non-abiding nirvana, meaning that the enlightened "being" isn't totally stuck in a peaceful nothingness. Instead the three kayas of buddhahood manifest without deliberate intention or limitations for all beings.

[Anonymous No.15382575]

>>15381921
Not him, but it's more pleasant to read about shankara than reading actual shankara.

[Anonymous No.15382700]

>>15381034
Here are the websites of all the teachers I can think of from Tibetan lineages:

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/

All will have videos, audio recordings and written teachings on their websites.

[Anonymous No.15382739]

>>15373265
Buddhism says that buddhism is a meme...

[Anonymous No.15382921]

>>15380909
>>15380986
>>15381034
>>15382700
too much. only MahaPrajnaParamita-Sastra by Nagarjuna is enough

[Anonymous No.15383017]

>>15374771
cuz hes a real nigga who isnt afraid to be politically incorrect and presenting buddhism as the brutal philosophy that it is

[Anonymous No.15383089]

>>15373528
>once you've read a majority of the pali canon and all these orthodox academic literary reductions THEN AND ONLY THEN you will have enough of a solid foundation of sila and right view to join a sangha
my sides. MY SIDES. it's too much.
is this how Theravadins really think?

[Anonymous No.15383096]

>>15383089
Seems like the same basic requirements in any monastic traditions.

[Anonymous No.15383105]

>>15383017
That guy have never been politically incorrect. He have too low testosterone took take positions that are outside the norm.

[Anonymous No.15383121]

>>15383089
These book recommendations are really pretty dry. A talk, ideally in person, is best desu. Youtube has load of good talks as well. Buddhism is an oral tradition, after all.

[Anonymous No.15383125]

>>15376998
just look for books on emptiness. rob burbea pbuh has the best.

[Anonymous No.15383219]

>praying to a demon
>self denial and self destruction nihilism
Why?

[Anonymous No.15383254]

>>15376998
>>15383125
Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche is brilliant.

[Anonymous No.15383343]

>>15383089
>is this how Theravadins really think?
No, just the retard who compiled the list.

[Anonymous No.15383406]

>>15373528
>Buddhist cosmology
Explain to me why/how this isn’t the work of a yogi writing for his thot fan club and why I should take the chart seriously with that on it

[Anonymous No.15383422]

>>15383105
Which norm? The buddhist norm?

[Anonymous No.15383438]

Any chad Buddhist sect that thinks sila is pretty irrelevant? Or at the very least accept that sila is only conducive to enlightenment and that is it.

Where do I find the Evolian sanghas?

[Anonymous No.15383606]

>>15383438
Silas alone will not get you enlightened, but without merit and reduced emotional obscurations you will not be in a position to practice to get out of samsara. Padmasambhava was a wrathful tantric magician and even he said to watch one's actions very, very closely.

[Anonymous No.15383718]

>>15383219

buddha provides a methology, nobody practicing seriously prays to him

[Anonymous No.15383742]

>>15383219
>>praying to a demon
Buddhists don't pray to the Buddha. Why would they, Buddhists believe that the Buddha is gone. He parinirvana'd out as his final teaching.

>>self denial and self destruction nihilism
Why would Buddhists do that? That's just silly, the Buddha himself and literally every Buddhist think has explicitly denied these two things. Nihilism and Annihilationism are two of the explicitly lambasted against "wrong-views" that the Buddha, and every Buddhist thinker after him, have talked about. They literally go counter to everything the Buddha said, at a metaphysical level.

It seems you haven't done any reading on this subject. What the Buddha Taught is a good starting book.

[Anonymous No.15383746]

>>15383219
>praying to a demon
based
>self denial and self destruction nihilism
based and redpilled

[Anonymous No.15383755]

>>15383718
bullshit

[Anonymous No.15383765]

>>15383219
Obviously it's to escape the grips of the demiurge

[Anonymous No.15383770]

>>15383718
what about when praying to him is the practice

[Anonymous No.15383781]

>>15383606
Lets put it this way, which sect should I join if I not only want to reach the Deathless but also save Evropa?

[Anonymous No.15383782]

Why do people have the idea that Buddhism is life-denying/nihilistic/et al.?

Is it because it runs counter to Western religion that relies on a deity?

[Anonymous No.15383799]

>>15383782
They're trying to find eternal fulfillment in things and pleasures, Buddhism isn't denying these things but the dharma offers a path to escape the cycle and wake up from this convoluted dream. Laypeople can still aim towards a better rebirth if they're not ready to give up the material world

[Anonymous No.15383807]

>>15383782
Ironically, the common Western view of Buddhism is a pretty fucking spot on description of Jainism, so I almost have to wonder if some Hindu tried explaining this shit to a boomer off hand and they just completely fucking misunderstood.

I'd wager that, yeah, as you said, it runs contrary to this background assumption of Divine Command Theory that Westerners have. Even atheists sort of accept this idea as being the case, they just caveat that while if there were a deity or deities then Divine Command Theory would obviously be the way to go, but there isn't a deity or deities so we don't have to do that. There's also probably a lingering Protestant chauvinism here because of the ascetic and mystic nature of Buddhism (especially when you get into monasticism). I see similar criticisms from Muslims who are similarly distasteful of asceticism and mysticism, but almost never from Catholics and the Orthodox, both of whom are far more accepting of asceticism and mysticism.

[Anonymous No.15383825]

>>15383755

buddha idols exist, praying to buddha idols will not provide enlightenment

>>15383770

repeating a mantra is a form of object meditation, not prayer. the point of the mantra is to orient your mind towards the ideal of the buddha, and the actual reciting of the mantra concentrates the mind and burns out the senses. subtle difference, but if you can't see it then it doesn't matter

>>15383782

they read nietzche once, and because he didn't understand buddhism they don't understand it either

[Anonymous No.15383838]

>>15383782
>Why do people have the idea that Buddhism is life-denying/nihilistic/et al.?
How the fuck is it not?

You're welcome to look through some videos of the guy that was posted first in this thread
>https://www.youtube.com/user/yuttadhammo
The guy would be better off just killing himself. According to him you shouldn't even ride horses because it is bad karma. Which ofc is hilarious in a way because he obviously have never been around horses if he thinks they do not like being ridden.

[Anonymous No.15383870]

>>15383838
What do you have in your life that's so much better than what he has in his life?

[Anonymous No.15383893]

>>15383838
chad yuttadhammo vs virgin horse anon

[Anonymous No.15383910]

>>15383838
your mom likes being ridden

[Anonymous No.15383967]

>>15383870
I went fishing yesterday with my dad and afterwards I did some .22 shooting. He sat around wishing he was dead, hoping that someone would feed him today instead of just going to the local river and getting himself a pike like an actual chad livin' off the land ascetic because that would send him to hell for eons, and he also kept his eyes down whenever he passed someone to make sure he didn't give off any masculine energy that would cause someone to bully him since he would have to bend the knee and take it all from behind like this person's mom >>15383910

[Anonymous No.15383982]

>>15383967
Sounds like repressed homosexuality to me. I'm not sure what that monk is into, but he's clearly come to grips with his sexuality, unlike you.

[Anonymous No.15384335]

>>15383781
Maybe Kalachakra. This involves BTFOing Muslims in a global magical battle to save the world and usher in a dharma paradise.

[Anonymous No.15384405]

>>15383781
You cannot reach Nibbana and save Europe at the same time, anon.

[Anonymous No.15384416]

>>15383781
you are still plagued by that which is not needed, how can you save Europe? Europe is but an abstract.

[Anonymous No.15384423]

>>15383781
Nothing temporary can be saved

[Anonymous No.15384435]

>>15384335
Okay sounds based.
>>15384405
Then I'll settle with saving Evropa and a good rebirth.
>>15384416
>evropa
>not needed
Anon... If the Dhamma is needed then Evropa is too. One can not exist without the other.

[Anonymous No.15384464]

>>15384435
>Anon... If the Dhamma is needed then Evropa is too. One can not exist without the other.
I have no hope for Europe, nor for the West in general.

[Anonymous No.15384476]

>>15384435
>Then I'll settle with saving Evropa and a good rebirth.
Go for it, anon, dharma is forever, Europe's future is to be saved now.

[Anonymous No.15384550]

>>15384476
>>15384464
>>15384435
Will white people disappear any time soon? Probably not, and it's not even worth worrying about. Europe however is unsaveable as it's root foundations have rotted away. All of this worrying about European culture is silly, the death of the west is healthy and necessary. Asia will also go through changes, but it has a better foundation where the west will rebuild itself from scratch. I think that there might be a very real Eurasian future.

[Anonymous No.15384572]

>>15384435
>Okay sounds based.
It is. The Dalai Lama's also (in)famously gone on record saying Europe should be for Europeans. In general the Kalachakra is an amazing set of teachings - absolutely huge is scope and profundity.

[Anonymous No.15384602]

>>15384550

don't make any more half breed elliot rodgers dude

[Anonymous No.15384616]

>>15384602
Why not?

[Anonymous No.15384645]

>>15384550
I fear so. Europe has grown weak, has been brainwashed and subverted, and is infiltrated by barbarians. Probably a total collapse will indeed be the best thing to happen.

[Anonymous No.15384646]

>>15383807
Vow of poverty, monastic way of life have become less common in christianity. What I appreciate in buddhism is its asceticism and mendicancy, which were ubiquitous in christian monasticism in antiquity and in the medieval age.

[Anonymous No.15384655]

>>15384645
What we understand as the west was built upon the Catholic church, the foundation has been pulled under the rugs, but this is the opportunity for a new rebirth for many people. It calls for celebration and optimism, rather than brooding and lashing out like a cornered dog

[Anonymous No.15384718]

>>15384655
>What we understand as the west was built upon the Catholic church

And the church was built upon pagan roads, pagan trade routes, pagan ethics & philosophy, and countless locale superstitions. A new thing will come, twisted once more upon the remnants of the old. We'll call it something different and forget the origins even further.

[Anonymous No.15384735]

>>15384655
Christianity is what made Europe have such weak foundations.

[Anonymous No.15384738]

>>15384718
The old pagan cosmology can be combined with Buddhism, it's not incompatible. Traditional Christianity is pretty much a dead end, but the perennial gnostic truths will prevail

[Anonymous No.15384757]

>>15384735
It was because of human greed, the papacy which is the root of western Christianity was built upon greed and dark occultism, it was meant to keep the sheep in line while simultaneously leeching off the loosh of the people, it can't sustain itself in the information age

[Anonymous No.15384785]

>>15384735
oh yeah nothing to do with renaissance and enlightenment revolutions cutting off metaphysical and moral pillars

[Anonymous No.15384799]

>>15384785
>renaissance and enlightenment revolutions cutting off metaphysical and moral pillars
You mean realising that Europe deserves better than having a semitic culture plastered ontop of it's spiritual heritage.

[Anonymous No.15384800]

>>15373265
I listened to a couple lectures Alan Watts gave in the '60s. Not sure how well-regarded he is in Buddhist circles but he managed to get the general idea across to this biker degenerate.

[Anonymous No.15384835]

>>15384800
His book The Way of Zen is actually a really good introduction, people just hate on him because they're contrarian and elitist

[Anonymous No.15384922]

>>15374484
Best answer so far, no reason to be going through this for now >>15373528
read a few essential books, discources, and sutras and then get to practicing. Not saying to get rid of these books but if you shouldn't go through all these texts to start practicing if you want to be a buddhist. If you decide you wanna be a theravadan monk you will most likely read the entire pali canon if you live long.

[Anonymous No.15385012]

>>15384785
>>15384799

christianity is indeed a civilizing force, however as it loses its grip human nature returns to a less supressed state. ellul talks about this well. this shouldn't be in a thread about buddhism though, you idiots looking for a new religion to save your society are just lost

[Anonymous No.15385019]

>>15384799
>deserves better
>complains about the current state of evropa
hahahahahahahahahahahha

[Anonymous No.15385040]

>>15385012
what book from him? also, i dont look for anything new, i agree with that pure land buddhist who said something about the final age being a degenerate age. christianity will lose its force but christians will never disappear

[Anonymous No.15385128]

>>15384550
>Will white people disappear any time soon?
Yes.
>it's not even worth worrying about.
A person that does not care about his posterity is a person that have completely malfunctioned, not much different from a cancer cell. This holds true for both the Materialists and the Idealists alike. You're a bug in the system and as such nothing you say should be trusted.
>the death of the west is healthy and necessary
There is no such thing as death, only synthesis'.

[Anonymous No.15385159]

Which sect of buddhism is the best? Or at least, what are the main differences?

[Anonymous No.15385211]

>>15385159
Theravadan is based off the pali canon. Which is three sets of texts: one is a set of rules for monasticism, one is the discourses of the Buddha, the last is their interpretation of his teachings. There is really no lay practice and you should become a monk if you want to practice Theravadan Buddhism. Also its focused on your own enlightenment.

Mahayana has
Chan/Zen, which simplifies the two main modes of buddhist meditation into one, but it is still quite difficult. Its focused on the bodhisattva path of Mahayana. Main sutras are the heart sutra, platform sutra, and lankavatara sutra. You can be a lay practicioner but if you want to get serious about zazen you should seek a teacher.

Pure Land which is more of a lay school. You recite the Nembutsu. "Namo Amitoufo" or "Namu Amida Butsu" which is the mantra given by Amitabha Buddha so that we may receive rebirth in the Pure Land. There we receive a Sambhogokaya Body and we attain Enlightenment because we are in a degenerate age and becoming an enlightened bodhisattva is just going to become harder and harder till eventually Maitreya will spin the wheel of dharma.

Now the ones I dont know enough about...
Nichiren - focus on reciting the Lotus Sutra
Tendai - esoteric practice
Shingon - Japanese vajrayana

someone else could talk about Tibetan and tantra because I know nothing of those schools.

[Anonymous No.15385239]

>>15374742
>Your soul

[Anonymous No.15385255]

>>15385211
also forgot to mention schools of thought
>Madhayamika
emptiness school or middle way
it was founded by Nagarujna, and focuses on the doctrine of emptiness. the main sutras are the prajnaparamita sutras

>Yogacara
This school expands on Nagarujnas school and is focused on the Mind Only doctrine. It expands on the levels of consciousness
The main texts are the Lankavatara Sutra, Abhidharmasamuccaya, and Mahāyānasaṃgraha.

>Tathagatagarbha
This school is mainly focused on buddha-nature. It is a foundation of all mahayana practice. The texts here would be the Mahaparanirvana Sutra, Tathagatagarbha Sutra, and Lankavatara Sutra.

I've already touched on Pureland.

[Anonymous No.15385336]

>>15385128
I'm a genetically impure mutt so you would probably consider me and "my" posterity as an opposing cancer cell. I don't believe in violence or see reality through that lens, the world is moving beyond these barbaric and egoic binaries towards more a state of greater complexity and peace. From you perspective it's the end, but from another angle it's a new beginning. The rotting corpse will provide nutrients for the soil, out of which will flowers will grow.

[Anonymous No.15385367]

>>15373265
People like to make things more complicated than they need to be. Start with meditation, maybe find a teacher you like, shop around. Let yourself feel the truth before you read about it. That way, you can better distinguish what is and isn't true, based off your experience and not just the words of others. If you do just want something to read, I'd start with the the earliest stuff you can get. That's my rule for any religion really, and also my biggest issue with many modern views of Buddhism. I'm no master of the subject, but I think the oldest surviving texts we have are all 100-200 years after Shakyamuni. After that much time, it's hard for me to be confident that those are THE words of The Buddha, but then again, it doesn't really matter. I really like reading Zen and Tibetan stuff myself. Take it all with a grain of salt. The path you want to walk is very personal and solitary.

[Anonymous No.15385368]

>>15385159
There is no best sect. There are many dharma doors, and one should not admonish or praise any one particular as better or worse, that is Wrong View and Wrong Speech.
>>15385211
>There is really no lay practice
This is untrue friend. There are a number of stories in the Pali Canon of highly realized lay followers who did not need to become monks to obtain the first three fruits of awakening. It's only becoming an Arahant that demands you either die or become a monk in seven days after achievement.

On a side note, I don't think Buddhism should be mixed with white nationalism, as hate has no place in the Way.

[Anonymous No.15385382]

Does anyone know of any commentaries on the Sutra of Visualization of the Buddha of Infinite Life? I cannot find any in English.

[Anonymous No.15385416]

>>15385368
based

>>15385382
Huiyuan's commentary has been translated into English

[Anonymous No.15385464]

>>15385368
>This is untrue friend
Thank you for correcting me. I agree with you about the dharma doors and the last comment. What is your practice? Chan/Zen I assume? because of the bodhidharma pic.

Currently practice chan/zen with nembutsu recitation. I'm fairly new (8ish months).

[Anonymous No.15385472]

Thoughts on pic related?

[Anonymous No.15385488]

>>15385464
I practice the Dual Cultivation of Chan and Pure Land teachings, although my Chan practice is limited as I have yet to decide to use huatou or Silent Illumination. I too am new to the practice, but have studied Buddhism to a certain degree for a few years now.

[Anonymous No.15385511]

>>15385472
i began reading this before moving onto Nan Huai-Chin's commentary on the Diamond Sutra instead, can't say one is better than the other, but I personally got a lot more out of the latter

[Anonymous No.15385575]

>>15385488
Yeah, after reading stuff over Pure Land as well as having conversations with a Jodo Shu Buddhist, I've been practicing Dual Cultivation. I'd say silent illumination is probably best if you don't have a master. I'm currently practicing breath awareness (shamatha) before I step into siletn illumination.

[Anonymous No.15385598]

>>15385575
It is good you are starting with breath meditation, as it builds a foundation for the rest of the practice. Usually I will focus on the breath for at least five to ten minutes before starting nianfo. Do you also do sutra or mantra recitation? I am trying to start the practice of reciting the Shurangama mantra every morning, as well as reciting the Amitabha Sutra every few days.

[Anonymous No.15385683]

>>15385598
I recite the heart sutra mantra and recite the sutra about twice a week. What is the Shurangama mantra, I know its associated with Hsuan Hua but thats it.

[Anonymous No.15385713]

>>15385683
speaking of which I need to look more into Hsuan Hua. I've mainly read Sheng Yen, Guo Gu, Shunryu Suzuki, and Kapleau for Chan practice

[Anonymous No.15385749]

>>15385683
The Shurangama mantra is part of the larger Shurangama Sutra, which is a key Chan/Zen text that is introduced early on for study by monastics and lay followers alike. Consider it a primer for Chan practice. The mantra itself is recited in East Asian countries for it's purifying properties and ability to calm the mind into a state of samadhi. Quite a few Chinese sanghas recite it daily as part of morning practice.
>>15385713
Master Hua is certainly worth looking into. If you want an overview of his life and teachings, there is a podcast called Chan Chronicles by Reverend Hung Sure that goes over that. The site City of Ten Thousand Buddhas has a large number of his sutra commentaries and dharma talks.

[Anonymous No.15385765]

>>15385255
>>15385211
As far as I'm aware, Madhayamika isn't really a "school" as basically everyone, even the Theravada, accept that Nagarjuna was right, and consider him foundational.

Anyways, Nichiren can basically be thought of as a specific denomination of Pure Land. Whereas most schools of thought in Buddhism say "yeah, you can get to Nirvana through other schools, but ours is the best :^)" Nichiren just flat out says no, you can only get Nirvana through Nichiren. It's also the "Blackest" of Buddhist denominations, as the Sokka Gakkai International in the US (these guys are pretty cultish, and are borderline heretical outside of Nichiren) is like 20% Blacks.

Shingon is not Vajrayana, at least initially. It's Esoteric Japanese Buddhism, and draws its sources from the same wells that Vajrayana drew from, but not directly from Vajrayana. I BELIEVE they focus mainly on visualization as an esoteric technique, whereas Vajrayana has a few others; the point being, they have a more limited repertoire, at least initially because from what I can tell everyone loves to crib bits and pieces from Vajrayana (which is sort of the "point" of Vajrayana, as I understand it).

[Anonymous No.15385797]

>>15385749
I forgot to mention, if you are curious about reciting mantras and dharanis, City of Ten Thousand Buddhas has a great pdf of all the recitations they do in Mandarin. Here it is:
http://www.buddhisttexts.org/ebook---daily-recitation-handbook.html

[Anonymous No.15385821]

Test

[Anonymous No.15385836]

>>15385749
Right on I'll have to read up on the Shurangama Sutra. I was actually going to read over his commentary on the Diamond Sutra. Yeah he seems the best to look into if your practing Pure Land Chan. Sheng Yen goes over it sometimes but not that much.

[Anonymous No.15386125]

>>15381034
>https://zenstudiespodcast.com/
Great resources anon thank you.

[Anonymous No.15387489]

Anybody give me a quick rundown of the various mahayana schools? I know about zen, tibetan and pure land, but I don't know what they're really about

[Anonymous No.15387596]

>>15387489
Well to begin, there's Pure Land, Chan/Zen/Seon/Tien, Tendai, Tiantai, Nichiren, Tibetan Mahayana, Shingon, and other schools.
>Pure Land
The goal of this lineage is to recite the Buddha Amitabha's name or visualize him in his Western Pure Land until one reaches a state of samadhi and is reborn in the Pure Land at death. The Pure Land is not heaven, but rather a Bodhisattva training ground where Buddhas are made. In the Chinese form, it is often combined with Chan. In Japan, it is a separate school from Zen that relies more on Other Power than Self-Power.
>Chan/Zen/Seon/Ti'en
This is a meditation based school that focuses on using either Huatou (Koan based) or Mozhao/Shikantaza (Samatha and vipassana based meditation) to achieve insight into reality and experience the phenomena of emptiness. Enlightenment can be sudden or gradual in this tradition.
>Tibetan Mahayana
This is composed of several schools that are mostly in exile from Tibet, and they base their practices on exposure to a Guru and initiation into higher levels of meditation and visualization. Note that there are esoteric schools outside of Tibet that do not focus on Tibetan deities. Also popular in Mongolia and Nepal.
>Shingon
This school focuses on esoteric practices as well as rituals involving fire and purification practices. I'm largely ignorant on them, but their founder was Kukai.

[Anonymous No.15387628]

>>15387489
Also, even if all dharma paths are valid, should I consider mahayana? I was always looking towards theravada, but the great vehicle also seems interesting.

Anyone historically known to have reached some form of enlightenement (4 stages)

Finally, and most importantly, I've gone in and out of buddhism for the past 2-3 years, but I've never stuck to meditation or reading, even if all of the precepts of buddhism make a lot of sense to me and appeal to me. How do I solve this? Should I try different meditating practices? I've tried breathing awareness, metta and mantra. Do I just need more self-discipline? Should I get back into reading before getting back into meditation?

[Anonymous No.15387632]

>>15387596
>Tiantai
School that reveres the Lotus Sutra as the highest teaching available, and usually goes for daily recitations of segments of the sutra. Believes all beings will achieve Buddhahood at some point.
>Nichiren
Very cult like order that focuses on the Lotus Sutra
>Tendai
Esoteric Buddhist school that also sees the Lotus Sutra as the highest sutra. Known for doing walking meditation around an entire mountain that usually takes two years to complete.

[Anonymous No.15387686]

>>15387628
>Should I consider Mahayana
Maybe, it depends if it clicks with you or not.
>>15380986
>>15381034
These links will provide some help if you want to learn more about Mahayana. If you aren't really into meditation, the Pure Land school might be right up your ally, as most in the school don't meditate nearly as much as they do Buddha Name Recitation. But if you feel like you need to meditate, then by all means do so. I'd say pick a meditation practice you feel you will go far with, and STICK with it. Never let go of the practice. As far as reading goes, that is part of the practice, as you can do sutra recitation to generate merit and samadhi. The most important thing is to keep the Five Precepts as best you can, and then focus on meditation.

[Anonymous No.15388336]

>>15383825
>buddha idols exist, praying to buddha idols will not provide enlightenment
But it will provide merit, as will circling around a stupa, prostrating oneself to the Buddha a set amount of times, etc. Maybe in your wishy-washy Westernized sangha (if you even have one, which you probably don't) they hide those facts, but everywhere else, Buddhism pretty much involves prayer to the Buddha, at least for the laypeople.

[Anonymous No.15388526]

>>15387632
Why is the Lotus Sutra so important?

[Anonymous No.15388682]

>>15382700
>https://kagyuoffice.org/

Please update this with the real Karmapa, not the Chinese government employee larping as Karmapa
https://www.karmapa.org/