Kerouac was instrumental in opening the youthful mind of the 40's, 50's and 60's; open to "free thinking" and change, literature, music and art - by living the exploratory, inquisitive and open/experimental life himself, then writing about it in his classic novels and poetry. His own life itself and the "beat" movement he helped to create (which helped make the famous "hippie" movement possible) was quite controversial -- delving into sex, drugs, meditation, Buddhism, homosexuality (for Kerouac, indirectly), left leaning political views, etc.
For me, Kerouac had a writing style which could be easily understood -- words and word-pictures, whimsical free thought streams, humor and irony, surprise and a sense of darkness -- interupted by joyous explosions of light and wonder. Really inspiring.
The piece below offers all of this. As one who has never been successful at the art of meditation, perhaps I should listen to his advice, it seems pretty simple. Entire books have been written, tapes and recordings produced, TV shows and seminars presented about meditiation. Maybe we should just follow Kerouac's simple poem?
Enjoy.
How to Meditate
By Jack Kerouac
-lights out-
fall, hands a-clasped, into instantaneous
ecstasy like a shot of heroin or morphine,
the gland inside of my brain discharging
the good glad fluid (Holy Fluid) as
i hap-down and hold all my body parts
down to a deadstop trance-Healing
all my sicknesses-erasing all-not
even the shred of a 'I-hope-you' or a
Loony Balloon left in it, but the mind
blank, serene, thoughtless. When a thought
comes a-springing from afar with its held-
forth figure of image, you spoof it out,
you spuff it off, you fake it, and
it fades, and thought never comes-and
with joy you realize for the first time
'thinking's just like not thinking-
So I don't have to think
any
more'
fall, hands a-clasped, into instantaneous
ecstasy like a shot of heroin or morphine,
the gland inside of my brain discharging
the good glad fluid (Holy Fluid) as
i hap-down and hold all my body parts
down to a deadstop trance-Healing
all my sicknesses-erasing all-not
even the shred of a 'I-hope-you' or a
Loony Balloon left in it, but the mind
blank, serene, thoughtless. When a thought
comes a-springing from afar with its held-
forth figure of image, you spoof it out,
you spuff it off, you fake it, and
it fades, and thought never comes-and
with joy you realize for the first time
'thinking's just like not thinking-
So I don't have to think
any
more'
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