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Alan Watts, Jack Kerouac, addiction etc.
chanratt
Veteran
I find it really sad that people like Watts and Keraouc (and many more i'm sure) seemed to have such a strong handle on Buddhism, and (although probably not enlightened beings), had a strong sense of how things really are, yet struggled with alcohol addictions and died relatively young.
Even now, after a few months of practicing, or putting buddhism into practice, i find it hard to imagine i would ever slip into such lack of control as there have been times in my past that that could have happened. How did these seemingly great men fall so hard?
Even now, after a few months of practicing, or putting buddhism into practice, i find it hard to imagine i would ever slip into such lack of control as there have been times in my past that that could have happened. How did these seemingly great men fall so hard?
0
Comments
I think cases like theirs' exemplifies the difference between knowing and practicing... but its really just speculation, they're dead and unavailable for comment at this time, and I am not fully aware myself of the conditions of lives
With warmth,
Matt
The excesses that seemed to annihilate the writers seems an abberation or misinterpretation of the concept of dissolving the ego on their parts. Destructive habits live side by side with disciplined practice - greatness and weakness cohabitate.
We are, after all, only human and thereby subject to ignorance, pride, craving and aversion, misinterpretation and suffering. Addictions (though not recommended) are ways of plumbing the depths of suffering (craving and aversion) on their dark side irrespective of the suppposed pleasure derived. The pleasure must and does turn to pain. Exploring the limits of suffering through addictive behavior can, in some cases, lead to recovery - even enlightenment.
It is fair to say that we are capable of respect and adulation for such writers and teachers despite their so called "fall from grace" through addictions. In my youth my favorite writers were Richard Brautigan and Hunter S. Thompson. They committed suicide with firearms. Talk about disillusionment. As I have aged I have reconsidered my attitudes about judging both the revered and the ordinary people who have succumbed to addictions, disease or despondency. Call it idiot compassion if you will but I empathize with their weakness - I sympathize with their pain.
Actions speak louder than words.
Having said this, there is a story about a "man who took to drink" during the time of the Buddha who at the end of his life realized the fruit of Stream Entry.
I think the quote about "one's own rice bowls" says it best. We should focus primarily on our own thoughts, speech and actions.
Kerouac in particular had a romantic outsidery appreciation of Zen and actually knew very little about Buddhist history, philosophy, or practice.
It was something exotic and interesting to him that was portrayed through some of his best books, ie Desolation Angels and The Dharma Bums.
To paraphrase what he wrote: Ken uses the word energy to relate many concepts. In this case he is using energy to relate the concept of active attention, that 'thing' we develop via mindfulness meditation. He says that as this develops it becomes more and more adept at recognizing reactive emotional patterns and as long as they are not grasped at (held onto) or shoved away (repression) then active attention dissipates those reactive patterns. Each time a reactive pattern is dissipated the energy that was powering it flows into active attention, making it stronger.
A long time practitioner then is one who has used active attention to identify and dissipate many reactive patterns therefore they have much stronger active attention than a newer practitioner.
The downside to having active attention become very powerful (energized) is that the energy flow also works backwards. If the practitioner identifies a reactive pattern, but then represses it rather than sits with it energy flows from active attention into the reactive pattern making it stronger.
This is really no different anytime anyone recognizes a reactive pattern and represses it rather than deals with it except that the amount of energy flowing into the repressed reactive pattern is much greater for those with more developed active attention.
The end result Ken writes is twofold:
1. The reactive pattern becomes stronger due to the energy flow from active attention into the pattern.
2. This higher energy flow also flows into the repression pattern as well.
In other words both the reactive pattern that was repressed gets stronger, but also the tendency to repress rather than deal with things gets stronger.
This, according to Ken frequently results in the following (I am quoting verbatim now) "Typically a person becomes more arrogant and self indulgent, obsessed with power, money, sex, security or other fixations, and acts in ways to control or amass the object of the obsession. Long term practitioners and teachers who protect areas of their lives from practice frequently run into this problem with unfortunate and sometimes tragic results. We run the risk of a similar fate if we protect any area of our lives or personality from the increased awareness that develops in meditation.
To guard against this problem always have at least one person, a teacher, colleague, or friend with whom you discuss all aspects of your practice and life. The person needs to be someone you trust and to whom you will listen regardless of the state of mind you are in or what he or she says. The only way to be sure that your will not protect and area of your habituated personality from the effects of practice is to have such a person in your life."
During this time there was an influx in interest in Buddhism, Some from soldiers that had been exposed to the religion during their time in service and some from musicians who were also searching and experimenting with different philosophies, approaches to music composition and ways of perceiving. (including using narcotics).
Example. Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane etc.
As for Drug addiction,
I believe many of the beats initial exposure to drugs such as morphine were simply experiments in their search for relief from suffering or attempts to experience "bliss" / Ananda. Of which I imagine Morphine delivered a fair deal as strong opiates generally make you feel really good.
When you take this into consideration, it isn't that much of a surprise that people get hooked up on such substances, as all of us like to feel good and to be free of suffering and to sustain the blissed out state that morphine offers. one must constantly keep taking morphine which in itself results in drug addiction.
Unfortunately, due to the method that the drug is usually taken. i.e. via intravenous injection, Morphine is a very dangerous drug to take as overdose is very easy to do and inevitable for long term users.
I would also imagine that the sex aspects of the beats were also experiments in their search for relief from suffering.
Although some of them could have been habitually involved and although were trying to achieve higher states through esoteric spiritual practices, they likely had relapses.
Addiction just happens after prolonged use.
I really liked much that was written by many of the beats. I kind of identified with some of them, even though I was more a child of the Rave generation, I always had a spiritual interest. And many of my ideals were the same. Although, I have to admit, I am personally not interested in homosexual sex, even as an experiment. Not that I hold any thing against those that do.
These days I am also not into drugs and haven't been for over 12 years. :-)
Hi teikkenman, not at all - couldn't be further away from saying anything along those lines ( gee, my ability to explain well isn't improving !! )
I like that:) Thanks for posting that sutta. Iron Rabbit, great post, I find Milarepa quite compelling. "We should focus primarily on our own thoughts, speech and actions" Guy you are correct. My initial post to this was sometime back, If I was a bit hasty or judgemental in my response I ask the Sangha's understanding. In the future I will endeavor to be more skillfull. People, irrespective of their states or condition, have an unbound and vast potential.
With Metta,
Todd
From one of my all time favorite albums. Natalie Merchant's comments are hers, I would have liked the video without the commentary,I just couldn't find better quality. It was this song that prompted to me read Keroac, I started with "On the Road"
With Metta,
Todd
I believe if you met him you would find him alternately kind and thoughtful, mindful and goofy. He was a natural leader and therefore had issues beyond what ordinary men need deal with. His indulgences, well known, do not detract from his accomplishments,also well known. If alcoholism is a disease then anyone can catch it.
Alan Watts, self taught and without college credentials, once presented a list of books he had read as proof he deserved entry into a program which lead to the priesthood. He was accepted on the strength of the list and ordained a few years later. Whether or not enlightened, he was quite a guy.
like many have said in this thread.
Buddhism is not about memorizing stuff and understand the logic, it's about realizations.
The karma stuff do exist, the insights do exist, the bliss do exist, they are not intellectual concepts but real things.
It's like a person who is angry at his/her ex.
If you understand Buddhism philosophy mentally, you know you should not be upset at your ex. But you can't help it.
If you practice, you will eventually be able to dissolve this karma completely, and not a fiber of you will be upset at your ex anymore.
Regardless of weather you understand the philosophy or not.