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The Dharma Bums
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Jessaka's review
bookshelves: beat-generation, buddhism, 60s-culture
Mar 22, 2011
bookshelves: beat-generation, buddhism, 60s-culture
Read 2 times. Last read December 1, 2020 to December 2, 2020.
Do No Harm
I read this book 30 years ago. I believed then that his practice of Buddhism was hedonistic. I still believe the same, having read it again.
Kerouac and his new friend Jaffy enjoyed some of the Buddha’s teachings, all but the precepts, which I have been told, by my own Buddhist teacher, to be necessary to follow if you want to reach enlightenment. I no longer believe in enlightenment or even karma or heavens and hells. I only believe in the precepts which come down to this: Do no harm. Perhaps, this is because of all the religions that I had been in, even the New Age teachings, i.e. that of claiming that they do not believe in religion but in spirituality, cause harm. It is just the nature of man to harm, even in the name of religion.
Kerouac loved the flowery part of Buddhism, and its abstract philosophy. I now only like the flowery Zen poetry. That is all I am left with after years in Buddhism, having never given up my believe in a Creator or a soul, but hanging onto no beliefs about either.
When I left Buddhism, I found Han Shan and other Zen poems, and I found some Native American teachings that I love. They are very simple.
And, at least for me, it was nice to realize, that is, after reading “Big Sur,� that Kerouac had once enjoyed his life, and I hope that after his breakdown he had enjoyed it again.
I read this book 30 years ago. I believed then that his practice of Buddhism was hedonistic. I still believe the same, having read it again.
Kerouac and his new friend Jaffy enjoyed some of the Buddha’s teachings, all but the precepts, which I have been told, by my own Buddhist teacher, to be necessary to follow if you want to reach enlightenment. I no longer believe in enlightenment or even karma or heavens and hells. I only believe in the precepts which come down to this: Do no harm. Perhaps, this is because of all the religions that I had been in, even the New Age teachings, i.e. that of claiming that they do not believe in religion but in spirituality, cause harm. It is just the nature of man to harm, even in the name of religion.
Kerouac loved the flowery part of Buddhism, and its abstract philosophy. I now only like the flowery Zen poetry. That is all I am left with after years in Buddhism, having never given up my believe in a Creator or a soul, but hanging onto no beliefs about either.
When I left Buddhism, I found Han Shan and other Zen poems, and I found some Native American teachings that I love. They are very simple.
And, at least for me, it was nice to realize, that is, after reading “Big Sur,� that Kerouac had once enjoyed his life, and I hope that after his breakdown he had enjoyed it again.
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Reading Progress
March 22, 2011
– Shelved
February 16, 2012
– Shelved as:
beat-generation
October 2, 2015
– Shelved as:
buddhism
December 1, 2020
–
Started Reading
December 1, 2020
–
Started Reading
December 1, 2020
– Shelved as:
60s-culture
December 2, 2020
–
Finished Reading
December 2, 2020
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)
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message 1:
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[deleted user]
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Dec 03, 2020 09:04AM
Japhy was Gary Snyder. He translated Han Shan into English in his first book of poetry.
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Thank you for that information Michael. I like jeffy and now I can see why. I read his book on cold mountain I'd like his translation
Nice points, Jessaka. Thanks!
I feel the same way about this book. I loved it when I was younger and now I see it with different eyes. I love moments in it but from my perspective as a woman, I find this book somewhat misogynistic. I still love the prose style, and what it evokes. But yes, the main characters lose sight of doing no harm. I view it now as a reflection of a man in his particular time, reflecting his understanding of buddhism within the confines of his own culture.
