Dharma Bums: The Counter-Culture

I could not help but notice the peaceful resistance Kerouac is transmitting to the reader through his main character Ray Smith. The isolation from institutions and contemporary modes of life, illustrate the concepts of Buddhism. Buddhist theologies are significant to Ray Smith, and how he uses this structure of beliefs to challenge contemporary society provides his path to peaceful resistance.

Ray's travels from the West coast to the East coast illustrate to the reader how well the character can isolate himself from what American society would consider "proper housing", sleeping and eating in the outdoors. He breaks the law by camping out under a bridge one night and must avoid the police. His desire to transcend contemporary boundaries is marred by the construction of law and order. Boundary personnel search his bags in hope to discover some drugs, and find nothing. Ray Smith's attitude on Buddhist theory is transfixed on the concept of "nothingness." Ray meditates and prefers being alone in order to confirm and practice the mental state of "nothing" is really in existence. In order for Ray to completely immerse himself in Buddhist forms of thought he must separate his mind from the repetitive sociological forces of American culture, which are considered real structures, and focus on the "nothingness" of isolation and meditation.

This counter-cultural perspective also reminds me of the reading in "Reclaiming San Francisco" from Nancy J. Peters, and her perspective on the counter-cultural movement of the beat generation. She understood the counter-culture of the beats to be changing the ideals of youth culture. She knew that Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder are all contributors to confronting the "normal", and establishing other modes of thinking which destabilize the American literature status quo. These writers attempt to isolate themselves from society in order to discover something challenging and new to American culture.

Dharma Bums are mind seekers. Every thing that motivates Ray Smith, comes from the motivation to enlighten his mind. Abstinence and lack of material desire are Ray's methods of ridding himself from what he considers "odious" and "unreal" so he can focus on the development and expansion of his mind. This Buddhist mentality of separation from worldly desire is counter-intuitive to the concept of American capitalism and consumerism. In order for Ray,and Japhy, to be considered Dharma Bums they must not delve into American society, for their minds will be influenced by the social aspirations of contemporary Americans.