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Contemporary Bodhisattvas: Kurt Cobain
mindatrisk
Veteran
This will be a controversial proposal, as I know Kurt Cobain divides a lot of people. Some see him as almost a demigod, whilst others see him as a loser junkie. But that is a comment on the nature of subjective perception, not on the nature of the subject. The Buddha is a false God to some, a demon, even, to others. So, i'll just make my case and see what others think.
First of all, a Bodhisattva incarnates in specific circumstances in a specific way to benefit certain living beings. Most Bodhisattvas do not incarnate as Buddha's, or even as obvious spiritual beings. Instead, a Bodhisattva will incarnate in a form suitable to the needs of the 'target group'.
The target group that Kurt Cobain's Bodhisattva nature intended to help was the youth - the Generation X - of the early nineties. Generation X were known to be disaffected, disillusioned, little hope for the future, and little connection with the world that their parents generation had created. What's more, the eighties culture of greed and materialism had left a generation emotionally and spiritually vacant. The popular bands at the time sang about girls, drinking and partying.
When Kurt Cobain and his band became popular in September 1991 it came from nowhere. There was no expectation for the band to be a success, but from literally being nobodies in September 1991 they were the biggest band in the world by Christmas and knocked Michael Jackson off number one in the following January. Their success was so rapid that Kurt was still living in his car when his band were number one.
Kurt Cobain and his music ushered in a new era of music that emphasised integrity, emotional honesty, and moral values. Their music awoke a whole generation and gave them someone and something to connect with - somebody who represented honest, human qualities. He did not act with ego, he was humble, kind hearted, sensitive, and millions of 'kids' from around the world connected with him in a way that is extremely rare, to the point where when he killed himself there were copycat suicides.
It is difficult to overstate just how much of an impact Kurt Cobain had on millions of kids around the world. He literally changed their lives, and whilst he spoke of no overt spiritual message, he somehow expressed a profound message about life, not so much through his actions, but through his being. He was incredibly charismatic and magnetic. It is something that is hard to describe if you do not belong to that 'target group' that he had such an impact on, but for many millions he was revered as a religious figure, and his legend and continuing impact on our culture is only increasing with time.
There are very, very few human beings who have had the positive impact that Kurt Cobain has had on millions around the world. He made it a positive thing to be a good human being, a caring human being, a socially aware human being, someone of integrity. An overt religious figure could not have achieved this. The Buddha could not have achieved this. Jesus Christ could not have achieved this. Not because they lacked the spiritual power, but because their presentation would not have suited that audience. Kurt Cobain was perfectly shaped to deliver a message about life to a specific audience who desperately needed that message. To me, he was a true Bodhisattva.
A few further things to consider. His band was called 'Nirvana', he addressed his suicide note to his childhood imaginary friend called 'Boddah', he had shown an interest in Buddhism and Jainism, and because of this his ashes were spread in a Buddhist monastery. Again, I think these are significant clues as to his true nature and purpose for being here. I think there are some who might understand what i'm sharing here, but I understand that most will see this as absurd. It all depends on the point of view! The more I see of the cultural impact he has had 20 years after he died then the more I realise that this was a very special being indeed.
First of all, a Bodhisattva incarnates in specific circumstances in a specific way to benefit certain living beings. Most Bodhisattvas do not incarnate as Buddha's, or even as obvious spiritual beings. Instead, a Bodhisattva will incarnate in a form suitable to the needs of the 'target group'.
The target group that Kurt Cobain's Bodhisattva nature intended to help was the youth - the Generation X - of the early nineties. Generation X were known to be disaffected, disillusioned, little hope for the future, and little connection with the world that their parents generation had created. What's more, the eighties culture of greed and materialism had left a generation emotionally and spiritually vacant. The popular bands at the time sang about girls, drinking and partying.
When Kurt Cobain and his band became popular in September 1991 it came from nowhere. There was no expectation for the band to be a success, but from literally being nobodies in September 1991 they were the biggest band in the world by Christmas and knocked Michael Jackson off number one in the following January. Their success was so rapid that Kurt was still living in his car when his band were number one.
Kurt Cobain and his music ushered in a new era of music that emphasised integrity, emotional honesty, and moral values. Their music awoke a whole generation and gave them someone and something to connect with - somebody who represented honest, human qualities. He did not act with ego, he was humble, kind hearted, sensitive, and millions of 'kids' from around the world connected with him in a way that is extremely rare, to the point where when he killed himself there were copycat suicides.
It is difficult to overstate just how much of an impact Kurt Cobain had on millions of kids around the world. He literally changed their lives, and whilst he spoke of no overt spiritual message, he somehow expressed a profound message about life, not so much through his actions, but through his being. He was incredibly charismatic and magnetic. It is something that is hard to describe if you do not belong to that 'target group' that he had such an impact on, but for many millions he was revered as a religious figure, and his legend and continuing impact on our culture is only increasing with time.
There are very, very few human beings who have had the positive impact that Kurt Cobain has had on millions around the world. He made it a positive thing to be a good human being, a caring human being, a socially aware human being, someone of integrity. An overt religious figure could not have achieved this. The Buddha could not have achieved this. Jesus Christ could not have achieved this. Not because they lacked the spiritual power, but because their presentation would not have suited that audience. Kurt Cobain was perfectly shaped to deliver a message about life to a specific audience who desperately needed that message. To me, he was a true Bodhisattva.
A few further things to consider. His band was called 'Nirvana', he addressed his suicide note to his childhood imaginary friend called 'Boddah', he had shown an interest in Buddhism and Jainism, and because of this his ashes were spread in a Buddhist monastery. Again, I think these are significant clues as to his true nature and purpose for being here. I think there are some who might understand what i'm sharing here, but I understand that most will see this as absurd. It all depends on the point of view! The more I see of the cultural impact he has had 20 years after he died then the more I realise that this was a very special being indeed.
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Comments
As for Boddhisatvas, they're all about moving others to enlightenment, I suppose a person of modest accomplishments could do something to move others towards enlightenment. I'm not so sure Nirvana's music encouraged moving towards enlightenment and they guy's life wasn't much of a model. He is sort of a poster child for samsara though.
The internet says as a celebrity, people couldn't figure out what his religious beliefs were. This contrast with say, Richard Gere.
http://hollowverse.com/kurt-cobain/
"Cobain’s spiritual beliefs are difficult to nail down. He was certainly a tortured soul who turned to drugs and suicide for relief. But he might have turned to these religions for some sort of solace as well. Only those who knew him closely could say."
Courtney Love practices Nichiren. Celebrity endorsement, for better, or worse (Scientology, I'm looking at you), can encourage people to practice one religion or another. HHDL is a celebrity for that matter.
Influence, yes for good or ill but an influence nonetheless.
Tortured soul, yes. Loser, no. Loser is a judgemental word.
also I wonder how skilled we must all be at judging whether someone is a partially enlightened being
Besides, what does it matter?
Kobain certainly touched the hearts of millions.
So has Alice Cooper - the big difference is Cooper didn't kill himself (just pretended to on stage). Cooper isn't a Bodhisattva, is he?
Django Riehart was a guitar player who inspired the music of others long after his death. How about Robert Johnson? Died young by another's hand, but has inspired countless blues players since. Bodhisattvas? Hardly.
I always thought of Kobain as a self-indulgent narcisist, bent of self-distruction as some sort of personal statement.
Now that I think about it, the same could be said about CTR, too.
Also, the fact his band's name was "Nirvana" or he had an imaginary friend named "Boodha" is irrevelant.
I could be wrong about this. The Bodhisattva ideal is a personal choice that one takes as their own path.
It's not like sainthood that is applied to someone after they have died.
If we are electing bodhisattvas my vote is for Bob Dylan.
We were into sex drugs and rock and roll too!
Many Buddhists don't accept the idea of bodhisattvas, or reincarnation either.
So its something for the imagination.
You see, because the world is so mundane and normal to us we expect a blessing to appear like a miracle, and it's only when a blessing appears in some slightly miraculous way that we recognise the blessing and appreciate it. But the truth is that when we look closer we can see that we are being blessed in many varied ways over and over and over, but because these blessings are so skilfully blended into our realities so as to not compromise our experience of the world we overlook them.
Forget whether you agree or disagree about Kurt Cobain. That doesn't matter. What matters is seeing the blessings of the world. The internet is a perfect example. If there are Bodhisattvas then the internet is such an obvious manifestation. The benefits that it has brought humanity are astonishing, but do you feel blessed? Do you feel like some incredible karma has ripened for you as you message me from wherever you are to wherever I am? Probably not... but it has! You and I are incredibly blessed to have the internet. It has transformed the world... even more than Kurt Cobain!
What other manifestations of Bodhisattvas do you see?
Yes. It does look like a grind for some people.
With the greatest humility I have to admit that I don't know if Kurt was a boddhisattva
But I struggle that someone attained the title, took these vows, or something similar
Beings are numberless;
I vow to free them.
Delusions are inexhaustible;
I vow to end them.
Dharma gates are boundless;
I vow to enter them.
The Awakened Way is unsurpassable;
I vow to embody it.
And then blew his brains out. This is not the work of an awakened mind.
I am sorry but I really don't see it @mindatrisk. Apart from the name of his group Nirvana - which a boddhisattva vows not to enter until they have helped liberate every other being from samsara, there is nothing to lend weight to your argument. I am happy to stand corrected.
I offer this image of manjushri (the wisdom boddhisattva) to you all:
May it enable you to refocus your attention on the work of the true boddhisattvas that are working for all of us, past, present and future.
Also I agree with @Robot: Why do you see the world as so mundane and normal? it's bloody awesome!
Mettha
Imagine, if you will, the countless people who he has influenced in his career. Generations of young people.
One doesn't need to make a big splash or splat to make a difference.
Kurt was like a medicine. He was designed to heal a certain ailment, and he did that... and that is what matters. When you have an illness you don't care what the content of the medicine is, you simply care whether it is effective. Likewise, with Kurt, it doesn't matter what he seemed to be made up of, only that what he was made up of was effective. Kurt didn't work for older generations because they didn't suffer the ailment that the youth did.
That Kurt was a drug user, depressed, etc. are not bad things, because those conditions were what allowed him to connect with and help so many kids. It's just like how some medicines have a poison in them - toxic normally, but when used to remedy an ailment they become helpful. See my reply to Robot above.
But: you said: "I don't think that Kurt had an awakened mind. I think the being 'Kurt' was very messed up. BUT, I think it was by design. I think this character 'Kurt' was manifested by a Bodhisattva to accomplish certain aims. The main one being to awaken and mobilise a generation of 'lost' youth."
Youth today are fairly numbed by the images that abound of violence and violent death , sex, and suicide. Another celebrity killing themselves - just 1 more on the tally chart.
There is a flaw in your argument - for a boddhisattva to rebirth as Kurt and then kill himself in this way would require great awakening and attainment - and as such would have more skilful means at his disposal to achieve the goal. I don't see an awakened and mobilised youth out there, I see kids and adults alike immersed in virtual worlds blowing virtual brains out.
@mindatrisk, you could side-step a lot of controversy here by leaving out the mystery of whether "Kurt was a Boddhisatva" or not.
Instead you could say that Kurt was a cultural icon and a tortured musical genius. Through that he touched and moved many teenagers. But that's no different to any musical genius or such icon throughout history. You could say the same as Jim Morrison of The Doors. Go back further, and there are thousands of descriptions of composers moving audiences to tears in classical concerts.
Why go beyond that? Why go conjuring up very debatable descriptions of reality which, from the above, are not agreed by everyone.
I think most people would agree though that Kurt was a cultural icon. That's not really controversial.
btw I never thought much of his music and he is right in my generation, I was about 13 when they came out and boy they were huge. I preferred listening to music about girls, parties and cars myself. Go Beach Boys!
Trying to make a druggie/suicide into a Buddhist icon is crapola. I'm not saying he was a worthless person or anything close to that. But a Buddhist icon. Pure BS, IMHO.
But I'll quote another entertainer. Another just a man who once said, "Hell, it's just singin'."
One thing that I see every once in a while here is an attempt to see Buddhism in something the individual likes. Generally speaking, a movie is just a movie. A novel is just a novel. A rock star is just a rock star. A television show is just a television show.
Even entertainers who are gifted, are almost always just entertainers.
And to try to compare Kurt Cobain to Buddha and Christ...it's just plain offensive.