The Dharma Bums Literary Analysis

Published in 1958, Jack Kerouac’s, The Dharma Bums is a short novel depicting the adventures and newfound buddhist ideals of Kerouac and his friends. Like many of Kerouac’s other novels, The Dharma Bums contains stories of mad partying, immense drinking, and forms of transcendence and escapism. Although, The Dharma Bums differs from Kerouac’s other novels in the way that it goes about finding transcendence. For example, instead of simply letting go of responsibility, inhibition, and social norms, in The Dharma Bums, Kerouac uses buddhism as a vessel to find a more meaningful way of letting go of these ideas. Not only, but in The Dharma Bums Kerouac uses his ideas of buddhism in almost every aspect of the novel, whether it be through his fast-paced

zen-like writing style, his haikus, or his mannerisms. However, as a result of Kerouac’s persistent alcohol abuse and obvious depression, the buddhism that Kerouac encompasses is somewhat contorted and misguided.
To start off, the beginning novel immediately introduces Kerouac’s newfound buddhism with his interaction with the man he called “little bum.” To illustrate, Kerouac proudly offers food to the man as a gesture of charity, something that is largely advocated in the buddhist faith. For instance, Kerouac states, “Practice charity without holding in mind any conceptions about charity for charity after all is just a word” (The Dharma Bums 5). This line not only emphasizes Kerouac’s buddhist ideals, but also makes himself feel validated and purposeful. By directing his attentions toward the “little bum” Kerouac not only escapes his responsibilities but aids toward the well-being of someone else. Furthermore, this simplistic act of altruism is extremely significant because it foreshadows a consistent trait within the book. For example, although Kerouac wrongly uses buddhism as justification for his lack of motivation, his selfless, altruistic acts of charity, as well as a respect for each individual’s own “world” or perception, shows how buddhism correctly and positively impacted his behavior and outlook on life.
Additionally, Kerouac’s ideas of buddhism are challenged and slightly altered when confronted with Gary Snyder. According to the novel, Gary Snyder was an oriental scholar whose actions were highly influenced by the teachings of zen buddhism (The Dharma Bums 10). Snyder also had disdain for materialism and capitalist America, something that Kerouac’s family, and occasionally himself, indulged in. Nevertheless, Kerouac was entranced by Snyder’s personality and way of life and wanted to be just like him. The two became good friends, both obsessed with the idea of being “dharma bums,” a way of life justified and directed through buddhism. Both Kerouac and Snyder, however, looked over certain aspects of buddhism like becoming vegan and abstaining from alcohol. Although, unlike Snyder, Kerouac’s abuse of alcohol was severe and perpetual. Not only, but in some cases, Kerouac actually appears to use buddhism to internally justify and perpetuate his actions. Snyder appears to have more of a realistic idea of buddhism, whereas Kerouac’s is more romanticized and altered to fit his lifestyle.
Although Kerouac mostly likely only took aspects of buddhism that were convenient for him, it seemed as though his misguided buddhist practices were unintentional. For instance, Kerouac truly believed that he was on a genuine path toward enlightenment. This is shown in chapter 15 when Kerouac is left with the task to look after Rosie, Neal Cassidy’s newest lover. According to the novel, Rosie fell into somewhat of a psychotic episode fueled by the belief that the police were out to get her, Kerouac, and Cassidy. As a result, Kerouac briefly explained his ideas of buddhism and how worrying over such matters is entirely trivial given the fact that life is just a “dream.” To explain, Kerouac tells her, “But you're getting these silly convictions and conceptions out of nowhere, don't you realize all this life is just a dream? Why don't you just relax and en-joy God? God is you, you fool!” (The Dharma Bums 111). Rosie however, refuses to listen and instead of keeping close watch, Kerouac gets drunk and goes out for the night, only to find her dead on the sidewalk shortly after. However, Rosie’s death was significant in the way that it shows how badly socially constructed ideals can affect someone’s psyche. Unlike Rosie, Kerouac lived to revolt against such constructs, and through his simplistic, buddhist way of living, was never too caught up in such nonsense. Kerouac’s buddhism was successful with creating a positive way for him to escape the societal norms and constructs of the time, and was also successful with enabling him to reach a level of freedom and enlightenment. As a result, instead of using his ideas of buddhism to directly justify his bad behaviors, Kerouac most likely used buddhism as a way to reject all societal beliefs, which inevitably led to furthering his addictions.
To illustrate, Kerouac succeeded with understanding the main concepts of buddhism, but failed to go through with the advocated practices.

Like stated prior, both Kerouac and Snyder had disdain for materialistic societies, which is something that buddhism was able of helping them escape. Although according to regulations within the buddhist faith, Kerouac would not be considered as a “true” buddhist due to his alcoholism, sexual misconduct, and drug use. For instance, Kerouac consistently violates the basis of buddhist morality, otherwise known as The Five Precepts (“The Five Precepts”). The Five Precepts are a set of rules which prohibit followers from killing living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and abusing alcohol or drugs (“The Five Precepts”). With all that said, throughout the novel, both Snyder and Kerouac indulge in most of the aforementioned prohibitions, which hinder them both from being true followers of

buddhism.
Furthermore, Kerouac’s alcoholism and lack of motivation persists and is shown through chapters 24-29. As a result of Snyder leaving for Japan, he and Kerouac spent a large amount of time at Sean Monahan’s house to celebrate. During this time, Kerouac and Snyder had their usual discussions about poetry, buddhism, and women. However, according to Snyder, Kerouac’s alcoholism devolved into a more serious and noticeable issue. For instance, Kerouac was constantly buying jugs of wine and downing them, “floating” through life in a drunken stupor. Even though Snyder drank regularly, Kerouac’s actions began to disgust him because they were extremely out of place for someone who considered themselves a follower of buddhism. Evidence of this is shown through Snyder’s statement, “How do you expect to become a good Bikku or even a Bodhisattva Mahasattva always getting drunk like that?” (The Dharma Bums 190).
To add, Kerouac’s alcoholism can be attributed to his mindset that was heavily influenced by his problems with depression.

Kerouac, for instance, is obsessed with the “meaningless void” of life, which is a reason for his reckless and careless attitudes and actions. Not only, but through his romanticized ideas of buddhism, Kerouac is able of perpetuating his recklessness without feeling guilty, allowing for him to reach his own misguided realm of transcendence. This is not to say that Kerouac is intentionally using buddhism to his advantage, but rather is simply overlooking the parts that do not directly apply to his life. His actions, however incorrect, can be explained through the zen buddhist koan, “If you meet the Buddha, kill him” (Daily Buddhism). This phrase comes from Zen Master Linji and is a symbolic and paradoxical statement which basically explains that there is no right or wrong path to enlightenment, therefore, once one believes they have reached the ideal path or level of enlightenment, to kill it, and start over (Daily Buddhism). With all that said, although Kerouac did not exactly follow all the rules of buddhism, he did succeed in following his own path to enlightenment since there is no ideal right or wrong way to do

so.
To conclude, Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums, however wrong and misguided, is nevertheless a spiritual journey fueled by buddhism and alcohol. The novel clearly shows that Kerouac was not the best follower of the buddhist faith, but he did succeed in reaching his own levels of enlightenment and transcendence. In other words, although Kerouac regularly disobeyed certain laws within buddhism, he did not seem to do it to directly justify his alcoholism or bad behavior, but rather did it to create his own path of enlightenment and find meaning within life’s “meaningless void.”