Buddhism

>>2711888
Let me guess: are you a 20-something bourgeoise white manbaby?

Ugh, white people.

Amitaba Buddha>Jesus

Just recognize that 1) there is no self 2) everything is impermanent

That's it. Don't meme yourself into becoming one of those retarded western buddhist

>>2711888
>Is there any reason to convert to Buddhism? Can it actually provide inner peace?

There's no need to convert, meditation has many proven benefits and you don't have to believe anything in particular to practice it.

>>2711916
Or you could just recite the name of the celestial buddha so that you'll reincarnate in the pure land where nothing will distract you from pursuit of Nirvana

Well yeah

The main goal of Buddhism is to lower your expectations below your reality, innit? Of course that would provide peace and happiness if you managed to achieve it, no more need to struggle and want.

I'm only half joking here. If your personal warm fuzzies are your goal, this is probably the easiest way to achieve it.

>>2711888
If you want inner peace you are better off taking narcotics.

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>>2711888
Inner peace comes from within, you retard.
quit looking outside yourself for some system of beliefs that has all the answers and the solutions to your personal problems.
Sort
Yourself
Out

>>2711916
>there is no self
But the absolutely only thing that anyone can be completely sure of is that they exist.

I have found Dzogchen to be a very powerful teaching.
I don't follow the teachings on emptiness, as I believe in a universal substance like Whitehead, but the practice themselves are transformative.
Basically, your natural mind is spacious(sky-like), radiant, blissful, compassionate and expansive.
Once you learn how to meditate (I figured it out using tantra techniques as well, opening heart chakra in unison with crown chakra), you really don't need to take drugs, as you comprehend your awareness and how to expand it using the power of your mind. All drugs do for me now is make me more sensitive(feminine) or creative.

>>2711973
Descartes was not deep enough to get it.

>>2712052

>I don't follow the teachings on emptiness

Dzogchen is basedon emptiness tho, so yr doin it wrong

>>2711888

>Is there any reason to convert to Buddhism?

it's not about converting to anything. it's just about understading reality as it truly is, which the dharma helps do.

>Can it actually provide inner peace?

once you have that understanding you will find inner peace. so yes.

>>2712084
Meh.
It has helped me to realize the natural state of mind.
Believing everything is empty of an eternal nature to produce a constant state of bliss is irrelevant when I am already in a constant state of bliss from focused self-awareness.

I think others have had similar discoveries.

>>2712099
I spend all of my time studying (40 minutes of studying, 20 minutes of shitposting on /lit/) and I'm pretty sure I could replace all of that wasted time with meditation, which, as far as I know, is way more than it is usually required.
How much time would it take to become proficient at meditating, to the point where one can reach inner peace? And how does one learn how to do it?

>>2711888
First you have to recognize all impressions you hold about yourself are lent to you by external sources. Words are an illusion, and enlightenment is not the warm fuzzies. The soul is not an eternal thing because it is part of a greater soul, and wanton generosity is a western misconception.

Buddhism is finding the middle path, not some childish notion of golden virtue, but the recognition that the ugly is as the beautiful.

>>2711973
>>2711916

well technically there is a self, but the point is to recognise that it has no essential or eternal aspect, that it is made of up a bundle of other things (the 5 skandhas), and that these things are subject to change and impermanence just like everything else in the world.

>>2712113

ok but emptiness is really the heart of the dharma, so be wary.

>>2712132

10-20 minutes a day is fine. try listening along to these and just follow the instructions:

http://rodalebooks.s3.amazonaws.com/mindfulness/index.html

try doing the first one once or twice a day.

it's not a panacea for all your problems (if you need help you should seek it), but it will definitely make you feel better if you do it consistently.

>>2711913
Nah Amitabha is just an eastern counterfeit.

>>2712204

i agree, but alan watts has an interesting perspective on it:

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=xQIG9lWkgcUC&lpg=PA99&ots=W-g9BuG3w5&dq=the%20problem%20of%20faith%20and%20works%20in%20buddhism%20alan%20watts&pg=PA97#v=onepage&q&f=false

i don't quite buy it, but it's pretty interesting

>>2712233
Of course. Gnostics made mention of Yeshua, Buddha, Zoroaster, Seth but no mention of Amitabha. It was likely conceived within the deep recesses of the Indo-Dharmic world.

>>2712153
Very profound anon.

>>2711916
>that's it
Nope.

>there is no self
There is no eternal, substantive self. But there is still a impermanent and composite self similar to Humean self or Parfit's self.

>everything is impermanent
Every conditioned thing is impermanent. Keyword, conditioned.

>>2711888
Many things can provide inner peace.

The problem is can it build a fair, decent, and peaceful society. The history tells you no. Buddhist societies are not fair decent or peaceful. If you are talking about what ideal Buddhist society might be I don't think it belongs here.

They should take the humanities off /his/.

>>2712943
You can't build a society with people who's religion preaches them to go extinct

>>2712943
Only normie males care about society

>>2711888
Don't fucking "convert" to anything. Most of it works as a standalone philosophy even if you are an atheist and thinking in labels is the #1 thing which keeps you from achieving any kind of inner peace.

>>2711888
No. It can't provide peace.
What it can provide is an understanding that peace isn't it. Neither is lack of peace.
How will you proceed?

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What are some good books for buddhism? I was thinking of getting the Dhammapada and some stuff about Theravada Buddhism but there's so much shit about the religion it's hard to sift it all