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bioniclib 's review for:
The Dharma Bums
by Jack Kerouac
I'm torn by this book. At times the unexpected turns of phrase reminded me of Raymond Chandler. A reminder that became more firmly rooted as the undeniable white male privilege made itself known. But more on that in a bit.
This book a large reason why Buddhism gain popularity in The West. Without which, I would not have a spirituality that fit. Though some aspects are either mistranslated or slathered with poetic liberty. For instance, Om mani padme hum is translated as "Amen, the Thunderbolt in the Dark Void" not what I've learned it to be "Praise the jewel in the lotus." There's also a great quote about karma: "...my karma was to be born in America where nobody has any fun or believes in anything, especially freedom." (p. 22-3). There's a stress on being nakid and Yabyum, which I'd never heard about. An oversimplification of it is sex. To quote Britannica:
"The pose is generally understood to represent the mystical union of the active force, or method (upaya, conceived of as masculine), with wisdom (prajna, conceived of as feminine)—a fusion necessary to overcome the false duality of the world of appearances in the striving toward spiritual Enlightenment."
The main characters play fast and loose with the sacredness of many aspects of Buddhism. Which I'm ok with. But the book treats women, on those rare occasions they appear, none-too-kindly.
But perhaps the most uncomfortable part of this book was the hitchhiking. That time honored tradition that seemed to be a rite-of-passage for men in the 50s and 60s. I've come across this wandering from coast to coast in many a book and movie. And until I started really looking into the history of America, the one they don't dare put in textbooks, I was ok with that. Not for me but, hey, I'm a timid bookworm!
This book changed that because of when I'm reading it; in the middle of some serious antiracism work. Hitchhiking is a white privilege thing. Do you think for a moment that if Kerouac was black he'd been able to do the country-wide wandering that he based this book on? Or if he was picked up, do you think he would have lived? I do not.
A good book, yes, but I'm all set with his works. I would have given it two stars but it was such a powerful influence on society that I have to take that into account when rating it. The Buddhist in me is glad I read it and not the more famous, On The Road.
This book a large reason why Buddhism gain popularity in The West. Without which, I would not have a spirituality that fit. Though some aspects are either mistranslated or slathered with poetic liberty. For instance, Om mani padme hum is translated as "Amen, the Thunderbolt in the Dark Void" not what I've learned it to be "Praise the jewel in the lotus." There's also a great quote about karma: "...my karma was to be born in America where nobody has any fun or believes in anything, especially freedom." (p. 22-3). There's a stress on being nakid and Yabyum, which I'd never heard about. An oversimplification of it is sex. To quote Britannica:
"The pose is generally understood to represent the mystical union of the active force, or method (upaya, conceived of as masculine), with wisdom (prajna, conceived of as feminine)—a fusion necessary to overcome the false duality of the world of appearances in the striving toward spiritual Enlightenment."
The main characters play fast and loose with the sacredness of many aspects of Buddhism. Which I'm ok with. But the book treats women, on those rare occasions they appear, none-too-kindly.
But perhaps the most uncomfortable part of this book was the hitchhiking. That time honored tradition that seemed to be a rite-of-passage for men in the 50s and 60s. I've come across this wandering from coast to coast in many a book and movie. And until I started really looking into the history of America, the one they don't dare put in textbooks, I was ok with that. Not for me but, hey, I'm a timid bookworm!
This book changed that because of when I'm reading it; in the middle of some serious antiracism work. Hitchhiking is a white privilege thing. Do you think for a moment that if Kerouac was black he'd been able to do the country-wide wandering that he based this book on? Or if he was picked up, do you think he would have lived? I do not.
A good book, yes, but I'm all set with his works. I would have given it two stars but it was such a powerful influence on society that I have to take that into account when rating it. The Buddhist in me is glad I read it and not the more famous, On The Road.