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/lit/ - Literature

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Anonymous Fri May 28 00:57:37 2010 No.721099 [Reply] [Original]

I'm starting to get into Theravada Buddhism, but I know just the bare basics. Do you guys have any recommendations on books or readings that might go into more detail on stuff like the Eightfold Path, what's acceptable behavior in modern Theravada Buddhism, meditation techniques, or really anything along the lines of that? It would help if it's fairly easy to get ahold of (specifically in a .pdf or .txt file), but that's not required.

Tanks, anons. :)

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:00:37 2010 No.721106 link here http://lmgtfy.com/?q=books+on+Theravada+Buddhism

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:02:37 2010 No.721113 Don't know about theravada. I like zen because its so stripped down the basics. aaand thats it.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:02:37 2010 No.721118 >>721113 * to the

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:03:37 2010 No.721119 >>721106 Done that already, and I found this through google: http://www.buddhanet.net/ebooks_s.htm There are a couple good books in there, specifically Essentials of Buddhism. But does anyone have any other recommendations?

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:06:37 2010 No.721123 >>721113 Thanks anyway. :) Anyone else have input?

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:12:37 2010 No.721136 File: 34 KB, 600x439, 1274254325480.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] Bump.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:12:37 2010 No.721137 Honestly, religious material of any type is a waste of time. You don't need a cosmic security blanket. Live. Be alive. Worry about what comes after when you're dead.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:15:37 2010 No.721145 >>721137 lrn2buddhism. It has nothing to do with cosmic security, it's a way of living life to the fullest, imo.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:22:37 2010 No.721158 >>721145 lrn/2/ It is still a baby wetnap assuring you something beyond proof...hence, useless.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:23:37 2010 No.721159 >>721145 Hmm...instruction manuals for "how to live life to the fullest". So much for individuality.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:26:37 2010 No.721168 http://www.accesstoinsight.org/

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:27:37 2010 No.721171 >>721099 >I'm starting to get into Theravada Buddhism Take a look at Christianity. Everything Buddhism does, Christianity does better. Seriously.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:28:37 2010 No.721177 >>721171 lol'd. obvious troll is obvious.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:28:37 2010 No.721175 >>721171 So like raping children and having the pope cover it up?

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:30:37 2010 No.721182 >>721171 I didn't realize Christianity involved any sort of meditation.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:32:37 2010 No.721187 http://www.scribd.com/doc/5468722/zen-mind-beginners-mind A nice intro to Zen, not entirely Theravada but very interesting.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:33:37 2010 No.721193 >>721182 >I didn't realize Christianity involved any sort of meditation. It's slightly different in the Christian context, but meditative practice is there. Look into the "Prayer of the Heart".

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:34:37 2010 No.721197 >>721182 Meditation is just focusing the mind on a single thing. Pretty much every religion has something like that.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:36:37 2010 No.721209 >>721177 >obvious troll is obvious. I was really into Buddhism back in the day. I realized that everything I liked about it could be found in Christianity.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:36:37 2010 No.721210 >>721197 Pretty much any grown up does this at work

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:37:37 2010 No.721212 >>721209 I was the same way. But then I realized everything I liked about any religion is absolutely childish.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:38:37 2010 No.721215 >>721193 Huh. Never once heard of that, though wiki says it's common in Orthodox traditions. I suppose that is similar. The idea of meditation just seems so far removed from my experience with Christianity.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:40:37 2010 No.721226 >>721210 >Pretty much any grown up does this at work Yep. When you lose track of time, you are meditating without realizing it. Religion is the place to go if you want to train the ability though.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:44:37 2010 No.721238 >>721226 No it isn't. Its the place to go when you want to get all dressed up and sing songs with complete strangers.

Anonymous Fri May 28 01:44:37 2010 No.721237

>>721215

>The idea of meditation just seems so far removed from my experience with Christianity.

It's pretty much ignored these days unfortunately.

If you think about it though, is doing the rosary really all that different from mantra based meditations?

Also, kneeling for long periods of time is an ascetic practice just like the Eastern lotus position.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:45:37 2010 No.721242 >>721238 this

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:46:37 2010 No.721246 >>721237 I wasn't raised Catholic. Isn't the rosary just a string of beads? And kneeling isn't even uncomfortable. They have padded rests for your knees.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:47:37 2010 No.721252 >>721238 >Its the place to go when you want to get all dressed up and sing songs with complete strangers. It is that as well. This doesn't mean it can't also train you to focus your mind.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:49:37 2010 No.721259 >>721246 >They have padded rests for your knees. That's not how it was in the old days. >Isn't the rosary just a string of beads? You go through the beads one at a time saying different prayers.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:50:37 2010 No.721266 People in this thread who are objecting to Buddhism because it's a 'stupid religion' are complaining about Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism. OP is talking about Theravada Buddhism. Theravada and Zen aren't dogmatic like most other religions.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:50:37 2010 No.721267 >>721252 Focus your posts somewhere else. Nobody believes you. If there's one thing Christians CANNOT do, it is use their minds.

>>	OP Fri May 28 01:53:37 2010 No.721279 Um... So no more book recommendations?

Anonymous Fri May 28 01:53:37 2010 No.721280

>>721266

>Theravada and Zen aren't dogmatic like most other religions.

Zen is technically Mahayana.

Theravada is quite severe when it comes to certain interpretive issues regarding the pali cannon. It's not a free-for-all. They require that you believe certain doctrines.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:53:37 2010 No.721282 File: 19 KB, 420x367, 3321.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] For those that don't know, this is the Jesus freak mass posting in the thread.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:54:37 2010 No.721283 >>721279 Nope. And good job starting a religion thread in the most God-Soldier board on 4chan. Troll us again sometime.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 01:55:37 2010 No.721287 >>721279 "Mindfulness in plain English" is a very good first book on meditation. Consider getting these at some point down the road http://www.wisdompubs.org/Pages/c_teachings.lasso

>>	OP Fri May 28 01:57:37 2010 No.721291 >>721287 Thank you. >>721283 Where do you suggest I take this to, then, /x/? I don't see a religion board.

Anonymous Fri May 28 02:01:37 2010 No.721301

>>721280
Scholars have classified Zen under the Mahayana umbrella, but it doesn't fit all that well (in my opinion).

As for Theravada doctrines, I think that in general, the stuff that you need to believe in order to claim to be a Theravada Buddhist is no more objectionable than "live and let live" or "dilige et quod vis fac" or most other ethical maxims that pretty much any atheist would be willing to adopt.

>>	OP Fri May 28 02:03:37 2010 No.721305 >>721301 Which is why I'm interested in Theravada Buddhism in the first place. It's a system of morals, not beliefs.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 02:05:37 2010 No.721308 File: 56 KB, 450x600, nietzsche.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>721305 <---This man would disagree

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 02:07:37 2010 No.721311 >>721305 >It's a system of morals, not beliefs. Aren't morals beliefs?

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 02:11:37 2010 No.721320 >>721311 Yes, they are, and Buddhism is full of morals.

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 02:12:37 2010 No.721326 Zen buddhist here. yes, morals are beliefs, but both are beyond existence and lack thereof

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 02:14:37 2010 No.721333 Oyah OP, there´s this theravada tradition asutralian monk on Youtube. just search ¨Buddhist society WA¨

Isabelle Huppert !!IRpnwIFOnYO Fri May 28 02:24:37 2010 No.721360
File: 42 KB, 399x599, 399px-Isabelle_Huppert_66ème_Festival_de_Venise_(Mostra)_2.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]

>>721099

I strongly suggest that you read Stephen Asma's Stumbling Toward Enlightenment in the Land of the Tattered Buddha. It's about Theravada.

>>	Mr. Zsasz Fri May 28 02:35:37 2010 No.721391 >>721333 You mean Ajahn Brahm?

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 02:37:37 2010 No.721396 yea ajahm brahm

>>	Anonymous Fri May 28 02:45:37 2010 No.721417 >>721099 what buddhism tries to do is show you that you dont need buddhism or anything else

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