Dharma Bums Essay
The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac
Path to Enlightenment Everyone desires to find happiness, which can be found through anywhere: people, an object, an action, or even something as simple as a belief. People turn to religion at times of need to find satisfaction in life. In Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac, the main character, Ray Smith, turns to Buddhism for happiness. During his study of Buddhism philosophy, he meets a younger writer much like himself, Japhy Ryder. While Japhy is close to his spiritual awakening, Ray is barely beginning and has much to learn. Ray encounters complications as he tries to focus on the two main elements of Buddhist philosophy, which are all life is suffering and the suppression of suffering can be achieved. Ray finds difficulty in accomplishing nirvana because it takes time for him to achieve the suppression of suffering. As Japhy and Ray are near the peak of the Matterhorn Mountain, Ray’s paranoia begins to grow and he decides that he will wait for Japhy because of his fear of heights. He tells Japhy that he’s “staying right here! [Because] it’s too high! [Japhy] said nothing and went on. [Ray] saw him collapse and pant and get up and make his run again” (63). Ray decides he has suffered enough and doesn’t want to continue up the mountain; whereas Japhy continues to ascend even when it’s clear that he is almost out of energy, hence his collapsing. Japhy is persistent and doesn’t quit until he has reached the top and even then he continues to climb. Soon after, Ray finds how he can suppress that suffering from climbing the mountain. As Japhy comes down the mountain, practically leaping, Ray finally realizes that “it’s impossible to fall off mountains” (64). When Ray saw Japhy descending from the peak of the mountain, he has his realization and is able to suppress the suffering he felt earlier from climbing the mountain. The mountain is a symbolism for nirvana because reaching the top of the mountain would be mirrored as reaching
Path to Enlightenment Everyone desires to find happiness, which can be found through anywhere: people, an object, an action, or even something as simple as a belief. People turn to religion at times of need to find satisfaction in life. In Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac, the main character, Ray Smith, turns to Buddhism for happiness. During his study of Buddhism philosophy, he meets a younger writer much like himself, Japhy Ryder. While Japhy is close to his spiritual awakening, Ray is barely beginning and has much to learn. Ray encounters complications as he tries to focus on the two main elements of Buddhist philosophy, which are all life is suffering and the suppression of suffering can be achieved. Ray finds difficulty in accomplishing nirvana because it takes time for him to achieve the suppression of suffering. As Japhy and Ray are near the peak of the Matterhorn Mountain, Ray’s paranoia begins to grow and he decides that he will wait for Japhy because of his fear of heights. He tells Japhy that he’s “staying right here! [Because] it’s too high! [Japhy] said nothing and went on. [Ray] saw him collapse and pant and get up and make his run again” (63). Ray decides he has suffered enough and doesn’t want to continue up the mountain; whereas Japhy continues to ascend even when it’s clear that he is almost out of energy, hence his collapsing. Japhy is persistent and doesn’t quit until he has reached the top and even then he continues to climb. Soon after, Ray finds how he can suppress that suffering from climbing the mountain. As Japhy comes down the mountain, practically leaping, Ray finally realizes that “it’s impossible to fall off mountains” (64). When Ray saw Japhy descending from the peak of the mountain, he has his realization and is able to suppress the suffering he felt earlier from climbing the mountain. The mountain is a symbolism for nirvana because reaching the top of the mountain would be mirrored as reaching