Hey Yea Forums. I don't consider myself a religious man, but I'm interested in learning about other religions. Which books would you recommend for someone who has no knowledge on Buddhism? Something closer to the actual religion, not the bastardized "mindfulness" crap we have in the west.
Buddhism
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>I'm not religious
>I'm interested in learning about other religions
Other than what?
Anyway: thezensite.com
Siddhartha
Doctrine of the Buddha by George Grimm
In the Buddhas Words
What the Buddha Taught
Old Path White Clouds
The Dhammapada
The Law of Dependent Arising
Maybe someone will post the chart for you
diamond sutra
I was raised a catholic, so my entire knowledge of these matters is through the Christian lenses. I know surprisingly little about other religions, except for Ancient Greek, which I've studied as well.
Thank you for the recs everyone, I'll look into these books.
This
Also, the fact that it's a story might help to not get overly intellectual about it
Why would you read Siddhartha if you want to learn about Buddhism?
Navakavada.org
the Dhammapada is extremely accessible, good beginner book
this is a good book on Samurai Zen Buddhism
sacred-texts.com
>94:9.6.Buddhism is a living, growing religion today because it succeeds in conserving many of the highest moral values of its adherents. It promotes calmness and self-control, augments serenity and happiness, and does much to prevent sorrow and mourning. Those who believe this philosophy live better lives than many who do not.
In addition to what others here mentioned, this is a great introduction. I think eventually you will want to start reading selections from the Pali canon, such as the Majjhima Nikaya
ashoka's pillars
Theravada :
- An Introduction to Buddhism, Second Edition: Teachings, History and Practices (Introduction to Religion)
- In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon
- Long Discourses of the Buddha: Translation of the "Digha-Nikaya" (Teachings of the Buddha)
- Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: Majjhima-Nikaya: New Translation (Teachings of the Buddha)
- Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya (Teachings of the Buddha)
- The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Complete Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya (Teachings of the Buddha)
- The Suttanipata: An Ancient Collection of Buddha's Discourses (Teachings of the Buddha)
- The Dhammapada ( by John Ross Carter )
- The Jatakas : Birth Stories of the Bodhisatta (Penguin Classics)
- The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview
- Milindapanha
Mahayana
- The Awakening of Faith : Attributed to Asvaghosha (Translations from the Asian Classics)
- The Lotus Sutra (BDK English Tripitaka)
- The Heart Sutra ( Red Pine )
- The Diamond Sutra ( Red Pine )
- The Sutra of Queen Srimala of the Lion's Roar AND The Vimalakirti Sutra (BDK English Tripitaka Series)
Nagarjuna :
- Nagarjuna's Middle Way: The Mulamadhyamakakarika (Classics of Indian Buddhism)
- Nagarjuna's Seventy Stanzas: A Buddhist Psychology of Emptiness
- The Dispeller of Disputes: Nagarjuna's Vigrahavyavartani
- Crushing the Categories (Vaidalyaprakarana) (Treasury of the Buddhist Sciences)
- Nagarjuna's "Reason Sixty" (Yuktisastika) with Candrakirti's Commentary (Yuktisastikavrrti) (Treasury of the Buddhist Sciences)
- Nagarjuna's Precious Garland: Buddhist Advice for Living and Liberation
- Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way (Textual Studies and Translations in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism)
Chan/Zen
- Lankavatara Sutra
- The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma
- Platform Sutra, The: The ZEN Teaching of Hui-Neng
- The Clouds Should Know Me By Now: Buddhist Poet Monks of China ( Red Pine )
- The Record of Linji: A New Translation Of The Linjilu In The Light Of Ten Japanese Zen Commentaries
- The Mountain Poems of Stonehouse
- The Gateless Gate
- Blue Cliff Record
- Master Dogen's Shobogenzo : Vol. 1
- Master Dogen's Shobogenzo : Vol. 2
- Master Dogen's Shobogenzo : Vol. 3
- Master Dogen's Shobogenzo : Vol. 4
- Complete Poison Blossoms from a Thicket of Thorn: The Zen Records of Hakuin Ekaku
Pure Land
- The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra AND The Surangama Samadhi Sutra (BDK English Tripitaka Series)
- The Three Pure Land Sutras (BDK English Tripitaka Translation Series)
Shingon ( Esoteric Japanese Buddhism )
- Kukai Major Works (Translations from the Asian Classics)
- The Weaving of Mantra: Kûkai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse
Meme shit
- The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation
By the way, you don't need to read all of these obviously, but if that's what you want to do, the possibility is open before you.
Great source for understanding buddhism that actually tries to present it in Buddha's own words.
Don’t bother with Siddhartha if you want to learn about religion. It’s just a story and not a very good one at that.
based and repeated by John Yates all the time
You missed including any Yogachara writings, which often take just as much importance in later Mahayana schools as Madhyamaka
>interested in learning
are you using your brain? serious question
My knowledge is a bit spotty regarding that field. Which texts do you recommend?
>ethos is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology.
>ethos cognates with dharma and norse sedher
Should an authentic western Buddhism use Buddhist metaphysics but with western ethics/morals? The Buddha seems to have taught differently depending on whose his audience was, so would the Buddha have taught for example a different Noble Eightfold Path had he been born in Europe instead?
Specifically one precept that the Buddha or a potential western Buddhism would remake would probably be "Right Action" since this is so obviously influenced by Indian ahimsa culture. And telling people that you shouldn't even kill animals for food would be a sure way of having your new disciples in Europe starve to death within a few weeks(pre-supermarket era)
The Sandhinirmocana Sutra
Lankavatara Sutra (which itself is a yogachara text)
Asanga - Mahayanasamgraha
Asanga - Mahayanasutralamkarakarika
Asanga - Dharmadharmatavibhaga
Asanga - Abhisamayalankara
Asanga - Ratnagotravibhaga
Vasubandhu's numerous commentaries
Vasubandhu - Vimsatikavijnaptimatratasiddhi
Later Indian Yogachara develops into separate sub-schools and the Yogachara that began to develop in Tibet and China developed their own character as well but the two sutras mentioned above and the works of Vasubandhu/Asanga are enough to round out one's understanding of classical Yogachara