Why are Western converts to Eastern Traditions such arrogant, holier-than-thou assholes?
>>1246221
Statistics. Given its prevalence in European cultures, most of those converts were Christians before they converted to whichever eastern tradition we're talking about.
And Christians tend towards arrogant, holier-than-thou assholery, before and after they switch to something else. It comes with the religion.
>>1246226
Is there a source to back that up? Most of them I've met were former atheists or agnostics very critical of Christianity.
Christians are a very arrogant, dogmatic, and holier than thou bunch of people
This attitude pervades all western culture regardless of gnosticism
That's what western converts from Xtianity take with them to other faiths
t. Singh
>>1246246
I don't know about that. Personally I'd prefer your most aggressive Pentacostal to your average Western Hindu or Buddhist.
Christian pomposity is bearable, it comes with the Tradition. But you'd think that converts to traditions that advocate the elimination of the ego would be less self absorbed.
>>1246263
There's like 100 genuine western Buddhists/Hindus tops
Mostly directionless young people who realize that Christianity is wrong but want some sort of spiritual fulfillment
Eastern Religions are pure SJW-tier new age cancer anyway.
Any religion other than Christianity is utter vomit desu.
If you disagree you're a beta nu-male libshit
>>1246285
This post is probably satire, but
> Hinduism
> Built-in caste system and inequality
> SJW
>>1246221
the converted are often the most fervent
>>1246285
U wot m8?
Hinduism & Confucianism are literally based on social inequality
The Buddhists openly resist muslim encroachment
>>1246299
Newbies always have something to prove.
>>1246317
Well, if Orthodoxy is anything like our resident Orthodox tripfaggot, then it's still pompous, arrogant, ignorant, and holier-than-thou, just with a bit of self pity and absolute nonsense thrown into the stew.
>>1246291
You would be surprised how many liberals probably got high one time read a few sutras and thought "Awww, that's do deep!"
Actually that's pretty much been every experience I've ever had with Hindu's.
>>1246317
>I feel like people always talk of Christianity as if it's entirely defined by Protestantism
Well that's the thing, right? Protestant are starved of spirituality because protestantism is so dry. It's like every single protestant turns to something else to fulfill him spiritually. Be it eastern religions, or UFOs, or astrology, etc.
It's funny though
Westerners helped create much of the Buddhist tradition
Everything from the philosophy, to the myths, to the art
>>1246335
I like to think most of the orthodox we see are overzealous converts. The. Catholics were probably raised Catholic but came back and are now like overzealous converts.
>>1246369
Kierkegaard says "Hallo"
>>1246230
It's because they think they've found a Religion that is "spiritual" and therefore true. So they're above both the Atheists who don't have anything and the dumb Christians who just believe in a "Sky Fairy".
The fact that they "found" their Religion for themselves makes them believe they are deeply introspective and better than people who just accept their parent culture or faith.
>>1246317
Catholicism has a lot of mysticism and voodoo shit in it.
>mfw seeing the sort of shit Irish Catholics do like lighting candles at an altar of Mary to bring family members good look
Literally Pagans. But Catholicism is too mainstream for the hippies, they need a Religion which no one else they will meet outside their temple will practice.
>>1246464
They're kinda right though
I have more respect for people who study multiple paths before finding/creating their own, rather than mindlessly believing what their parents do
>>1246476
But the whole point of Religion is creating bonds with your kin and countrymen.
>>1246388
[citation needed]
>>1246482
No
Religion is for man to reconcile the seen with the unseen
Unless you're implying that the Congolese and Irish are "kin and countrymen"
>>1246502
>>1246476
meh
Religion is more about confronting yourself with the Big Other imo, as in sending you to something that is not yourself, whereas pretty much everything in life (especially modern) is an extension of yourself: your choice of friends, of job, of hobbies and so on.
Picking your own custom made religion kinda works against that very purpose.
>>1246502
Religions are different across borders even if they go by the same name. Anglicans are not like Irish Catholics are not like Greek Orthodox are not like Russian Orthodox. Most Religions develop distinctly cultural aspects that are unique to one or maybe a handful of closely linked nations.
So I still agree with my original statement. The purpose of Religion is unifying people who would otherwise have nothing in common.
>>1246515
Yes
Reconciling the seen with the unseen
>>1246531
False
Religion is about spiritual fulfillment and an explanation for that which we cannot explain
People do not believe for the reasons you listed
>>1246543
People may not believe that they believe in Religion for that reason, but in truth most people do. It's not about "Discovering spiritual fufillment" or any of that shit.
Converts to dumbfuck Eastern Religions obviously don't apply because they are special snowflake retards who probably do "believe" for the reasons you list.
Trust me, I've met quite a few Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims who follow their Religion because they have it instilled in them that it's right for their family and culture to do so, not out of any "spiritual fufillment" or any of that shit.
>>1246561
And they are denied union with the supreme soul
>>1246221
You only hear about the ones who feel the need to masturbate their ideas into other people. The normal people are quiet about philosophy until you get to know them.
>>1246291
>SJWism
>Not a caste system with white males at the bottom
>Come to believe in pantheism through questioning the atheism I was raised in and the Christianity that surrounds me
>Study virtue ethics and conclude that it is the core component to spirituality
>Take psychedelic drugs and experience ego death
>Stop seeing a clear distinction between the self and the world
Eastern philosophy and religion seems to be the continuation of this train of thought, but I don't want to appear to be an arrogant hippie so I can't go to a church or talk to anyone about this. Damnit.
>>1246403
exception that confirms the rule
>>1246246
>Christians are a very arrogant, dogmatic, and holier than thou bunch of people
That's because Christianity is the one true religion, friend. Also dogmatism is a good thing, it keeps our faith tight and unbreakable.
>>1246221
>Why are Western converts to Eastern Traditions such arrogant, holier-than-thou assholes?
Because they're Jewish, for example 1 "Buddhist" out of 4 in the US is a Joo.
>>1246221
Westerners tend to be arrogant assholes by default.
I'll two reasons both are simple and reasonable.
First is something like a new kid on the block syndrome. They're new, they haven't adjusted to their community, they are vocal and more into following the religion down to the core.
Second is the cuck syndrome. Think mulims taking your girl. In this case, its the buddhists taking your country men/women into their ranks. The rest of the capital feel the loss of connection and wants to either get them back or demonize them as the "other".
>>1246483
Diadochi
Eastern religion has codified manuals for self improvement and a robust esoteric side. It's a developmental path that is highly effective and judges you entirely on practice.
What makes them assholes is that assholes are the ones that need that kind of thing the most and in top of that Christians are notoriously unchristian and few atheists hold themselves to any sort of secular humanist conduct. Should they be smug? Hell no. Does being surrounded by the spiritual equivalent of anti-intellectuals beating down what they want for themselves give rise to negative feelings in everyone but an actual saint? Yes it does.
The other side is that it's an ego game and they have fallen into an advanced level of spiritual materialism. They become the evangelicals and the born-agains playing alcoholic.
>>1247610
As a Jew I've got to admit...there's probably a lot of truth to this lol
>>1246291
Funny thing is that the caste system was never as bad as it is now. The inequality and discrimination was thanks to the British who took the caste system and turned it into a reflection of their own rigid class system.
>>1246910
Only poorfag shit tier whites actually believe this which makes up a majority of 4chan users.
>>1247875
No, Buddhism existed long before the time of Alexander. Try again otherwise you're just pulling shit out of your ass.
>>1248109
>>1247875
Buddhism had roughly 200 years before Alexander got to edges of India.
>>1246388
You'll be best to remember that the transmission of ideas/philosophy likely went the opposite direction from what you propose. The art/myth might have went the way you described, but it could very well be bi-directional.
>>1248109
And?
Christianity was around for centuries before the Greco-Roman philosophers touched it
>>1248150
Christianity lacked philosophy. Its a religion looking for gaps.
Buddhism was a philosophical system, that lacked artistic/mythological elements.
If the christians lacked philosophy and took philosophy. Then the buddhists who lacked the art/myth foundation took the myths/art.
Buddhism was never lacking philosophical elements from its earliest writings.
>>1248189
Buddhism had art, but nothing like the naturalistic Greek statues of the Buddha
And most carried over native hindu/animist gods
But the Greeks introduced figures like Hercules and Zeus
Jesus christ you tards
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhism
>>1246388
>Everything from the philosophy, to the myths, to the art
Nope.jpg.
Well maybe the initial art, but since most California Hipsters follow the chinkified buddhist version, you're mostly guzzling Chinkshit.
It also helps that the largest Buddhist interpretation is also the Sinic one. Like Chan/Seon/Zen/whatever.
As for Mythology, its mostly fucking Hindu. Does "Lokapala" sound Greek to you?
>He's going to post that HERCULEZ = DEMON GUY picture again.
It's a western thing to have pride in categorizing yourself into a certain religion. Buddhism is perceived as mystical and exotic so it makes them feel like special snowflakes. Although I have met Atheists, Buddhists, and Christians who would only tell you their thoughts on religion if you asked
>>1246246
/thread
>>1246279
>>1246221
People often get the wrong impressions because unlike most other religions Buddhism is relatively unique in that if you take it seriously and you study you realize that that bringing up it in conversations for frivolous reasons or to impress people is wrong and goes against Buddhist tenets, because of this the only experience most people have with Buddhists is people bringing it up who want to appear sophisticated by speaking about it and that causes an inaccurate stereotype to form that takes the idea of the immature people talking about it to impress others and applies that stereotype to all Buddhists.
>>1247875
Buddhism was already established as a single and complete system of thought/teaching at that point. Greeks and other westerners in the Indo-Greek kingdoms ended up having a major influence on Asian Buddhist art but they didn't effect the teachings themselves that much.
Some scholars believe that some of the centers of Buddhist learning in the Indo-Greek Kingdoms ended up contributing to the development of what would eventually become Mahayana Buddhism but even if that was the case they had no effect on the early formation and spread of Buddhist doctrine that had already been happening for ~200 years.
I do agree that the "Buddhism = Eastern" meme is stupid though.
>>1246482
Thats a ridiculous statement, nobody should predicate their beliefs about the universe just on whatever the people of the country they happen to have been born in believe.
>>1247404
Don't let your worries about peoples perceptions stop you from getting interested in it. If you read about and study it you will be able to speak about it in an informed manner that won't cause people to think you are stupid.
>>1246482
Wrong, it is to subjugate the infidel by the sword.
Don't know if this applies but I am a western convert to Orthodoxy Christianity and the only thing that's changed about me is I am in better control of my desires. Fasting and prayer really helps, not sure why.
All I got from my protestant upbringing is ridicule, and a lack of really any spiritual practice. I don't know if that's the norm, but it was in my case.
>>1246388
>this is what christcucks believe.
>>1248292
I was talking of white Buddhists in the western world. One half follow the Chinese-influenced one, the other the Indian one. Both are cancerous.
Yes I know who the Greco-Buddhists are, congratulations, but as far as I am concerned their only influence in Buddhism is fucking sculpture. That is pretty much it.
But its not as if Indians and Chinese are dumbasses in sculpture anyway, as many Indian temples show. So maybe the Greek influence is minimal.
But hey, we wuz harder if it helps you sleep at night.
>>1248258
>But the Greeks introduced figures like Hercules and Zeus
This is false belief. Hercules and Zeus was not introduced to Buddhism. The main reason people keep bringing is because of "similarities." I say similarities, because Hercules as a god of strength and Zeus as god of sky was already present in Indian culture. Due to the similarities of the role between the Greek gods and the Indian gods, the art carried over.
You're right, Buddhists had art, but they were primitive. Artistic depictions of Buddhism comes from the Gandharan greeco-buddhism civilization.
