The Dharma Bums

Read from Tuesday, July 5th to Wednesday, July 6th.

The Dharma Bums, by Jack Kerouac.  It's been years since I last read On the Road, one of my favorites, and I have owned Dharma Bums for a long time now, and finally have got around to reading it.  It is a simple book consisting mostly of experiences living as one of these Dharma Bums in the early 1950's, mostly out west.  The characters are based on real people Kerouac knew, and the story takes place in the years before On the Road.

Ray Smith is the narrator, and he is a bum, but one of the old time romantic bums.  He is young, he catches trains, and he sleeps out under the stars.  He crashes at friend's houses, writes poetry, and also practices buddhism.  The story begins when Ray meets Japhy Ryder, another bum similar to Ray.  Japhy teaches Ray about the wonders of the outdoors, and the spiritual Zen of mountain climbing.  Together, along with one other friend, they climb the Matterhorn peak in California, spending nights sleeping outside, and days running and having fun along the trail, and meditating.  Dharma Bums is the name of the group that forms around these hikes and practices.  They also experience 'yab-yum,' a kind of Buddhist free love orgy. 

Ray hitchhikes home to North Carolina for the winter where he can sleep on his family's enclosed porch.  He still spends days meditating under a tree in the woods, surrounded by local dogs.  The family doesn't approve completely, and thinks he is a strange, black sheep, but they love him anyways.  In the spring, Ray hitchhikes back west to meet up with Japhy, and they spend the spring living together in a shack, throwing mad parties with lots of wine and poetry and jazz.  Finally, Japhy has to leave for a long trip to Japan to learn more about Buddhism, and they throw a three day massive party in his honor.  Towards the end of the party, Japhy and Ray grow tired of it all, and go for a long hike in the woods.  Once Japhy left, Ray hitchhiked up north to Washington State, where he had a job lined up to be a fire-watcher in a lonely, desolate cabin up on top of a mountain.  He spent the rest of the summer meditating by himself, finally at peace.

It is an interesting story, mainly because there is no conflict, just experiences pieced together.  Ray Smith is Jack Kerouac, and Japhy another of his poet friends.  Beautifully written, it is similar to OTR, but there is a definite contrast in the city life and the car, versus the nature and trail of Dharma Bums.  However, the spirituality of the road and trail and the vast, awesomeness of America is the same.  Of course, it makes me want to travel and hike and explore.  Three and a half out of five stars.