/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.3645942]

hello /lit/, I seek your advice

I am hoping to add to an admittedly short list of books I have read recently pertaining to what I consider "westernized eastern philosophy"

I have, for a number of years, studied western philosophy texts (albeit casually), perhaps because I found them to be most resonant with my preconceived notions of what philosophy "should be."

In the past year or so, I have rehashed a love for fiction, and have been most captivated by the interface between philosophical teaching and a damn good story. This has also been the first medium for me that presents Eastern ideas in a highly accessible and intriguing way.

In the next few posts, I will present books I have read recently that pertain to the discussion. It is my hope that you will recommend more for me to pursue. Pic most obviously related.

Many thanks.

[Anonymous No.3645953]

look for Allan Watt's work

And maybe his modern day counter part Eckhart Tolle

[Anonymous No.3645971]

>>3645953
I've read a bit of both, but isn't this generally nonfiction? I am interested in stories that teach about nonfictional ideas, not strictly western philosophical teachers inspired by Eastern thought. Thank you, in any event. Will look more into both.

[Anonymous No.3645975]

>>3645971
Oh! you want some fiction with some easter-westernized undertones.. Hm. Good question actually.

I dont know... Rice without Rain?

[Anonymous No.3645979]

OP here

Huxley does a good job with what I'm asking about, particularly with Island

[Anonymous No.3645988]

>>3645975
Awesome. Will definitely check it out.

[Anonymous No.3645999]

Here's another example of what I'm referring to. I'm most of the way through Maugham's Of Human Bondage, but it doesn't have the same feel at all.

[Alfred J. No.3646019]

>>3645999
Holy shit, was thinking of this book the other night, and why I never see it discussed on lit. I really liked that book. Have you read the moon and six pence? if you're into maugham you'd like that one. But in terms of westernized eastern philosophy, I can't help much, sorry.

[Anonymous No.3646035]

>>3646019
No, I have not read The Moon and Six Pence--Razor's Edge was the first I read by him, and now I'm toiling through Of Human Bondage, which is taking awhile, but I will surely follow your suggestion soon. Thanks!

Who was your favorite character in The Razor's Edge? I think we're supposed to like Larry best, and I probably did, but I couldn't help loving Elliott for the brilliant way Maugham can convey snobbery.

[Anonymous No.3646038]

Check out Dianetics. A great piece of fiction by L. Ron Hubbard that was first featured in an issue of pulp fiction called Astounding Science Fiction

[Anonymous No.3646043]

>>3646038
very clever

[Anonymous No.3646052]

>>3645942
Definitely Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac.

[Anonymous No.3646058]

>>3646052
thanks man.

judging by the era, is this quite similar to Huxley's work?

[Anonymous No.3646059]

>>3646038
Eat it.

[Anonymous No.3646063]

>>3646058
Jack Kerouac was a beatnik and Aldous Huxley was not. Different styles, most of /lit/ talk shit about Kerouac but praise Huxley.

[Anonymous No.3646065]

>>3646059
Eat what? Am I supposed to believe that Hubbard was in any way related to what I'm asking about just because you own his work? I'm honestly asking, I always presumed he was too removed from reality to interest me much.

[Anonymous No.3646069]

>>3646065
I think you misunderstood me. I was making a joke about a joke that someone else made. He suggested that is something, that I assume, is a joke on here and I posted that I actually own it.

[Anonymous No.3646072]

>>3646063
Duly noted

Does that imply that the writing style is less refined? I always enjoyed Huxley's pseudoaristocratic tone

[Anonymous No.3646073]

>>3646069
Gotcha

Well in all seriousness, what do you think of it?

[Anonymous No.3646078]

>>3646073
In all seriousness, I have not read anything in it because I bought a bunch of other books with it that I haven't finished yet.

>>3646072
I don't know about all that, they are just different writers with different ideas. They both advocate psychedelics though, or at least have taken them.

[Anonymous No.3646170]

OP,

Dianetics is the predecessor to Sceintology.
In no way shape or form should it ever be entertained.
It is cancer, it is the book that spawned Anon's arch enemy, Scientology.

Sincerely,
Anon

[Anonymous No.3646185]

>>3646170
>not reading books that clash with your philosophy for a better perspective

Way to be open minded buddy.

[Anonymous No.3646193]

>Crtl F
>Search Schopenhauer
>0/0
>WTF

OP please read The World as Will and Representation...especially since you read Hesse. Schopenhauer is chiefly responsible for the popularity of eastern thought in the west.

[Anonymous No.3646205]

>>3646193
He specifically asked for fiction but it wouldn't hurt to read some nonfiction philosophy. Would I need a background in philosophy to understand this book? I've read some of Will Durrant's The Art of Philosophy but I'm taking my sweet time with it and haven't gotten past Aristotle yet.

[Anonymous No.3646224]

>>3646193
>Schopenhauer is chiefly responsible for the popularity of eastern thought in the west.

...No, he isn't.

[op No.3646221]

>>3645942
A River Sutra is a collection of short fictional stories with shared characters. It is not so much 'westernized eastern philosophy' but I think that it is eastern philosophy coming to terms with modernity.
It might provide a fascinating alternate perspective on the same kind of theme as you're interested in.
Great read! Others can check it out, too.

[Anonymous No.3646228]

>>3646221
Is it related to any real canonical Buddhist sutras?

[Anonymous No.3646236]

>>3645942
>westernized eastern philosophy
>>3645953
>Eckhart Tolle
>>3646170
>Anon
>>3646221
>eastern philosophy coming to terms with modernity

>this entire thread

[Anonymous No.3646240]

>>3646193

>Schopenhauer is chiefly responsible for the popularity of eastern thought in the west.

lol? No he isn't.

[Anonymous No.3646242]

>>3646236
>he didn't quote any of my posts
Thank you, I needed that.

[Anonymous No.3646388]

read the tao of pooh

[Anonymous No.3646415]

>>3645942
read the other stuff Hesse wrote; some of it is less directly/obviously influenced by Eastern thought, but Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game were really interesting.

Steppenwolf- Feel like an old man? Won't admit that you need to change your boring, overly sequestered academic lifestyle? Read this.

Glass Bead Game- Wish you were taken out of school at an early age to undergo serious lifelong study without worrying about supporting yourself by learning a trade? Does the idea of the most competitive game being one that challenges players to understand the subtle relationships between concepts in vastly different fields of inquiry/study? Read this.

[Anonymous No.3646431]

>>3646415
OP here, thanks a lot

>>3646236
and go fuck yourself

[Anonymous No.3646438]

>>3646388
tao of pooh and siddhartha remind me of the high school library. You'd be surprised how much stuffy librarians like that stuff.

[Anonymous No.3646470]

Soul Mountain - Gao Xingjian

[Anonymous No.3646709]

>>3646388
even bettar read the tow of Poo.

[Anonymous No.3646739]

>>3646078

Jack k was more of a booze hound then anything else, and despised kesey and ginsberg. huxley was much more into the psychedelics, everyone knows why the doors are named the doors

[sage No.3646912]

>>3646431
Or what, faggot? You gonna sage you're own thread?

[emmdubya !KsoplebGXo No.3646996]

>>3646170
>being legion