How To Meditate Poem by Jack Kerouac
How To Meditate
-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'
I wonder if Jack ever truly meditated. He describes it well. However I don't believe that he was devout in his meditation. Maybe if he did manage to fall into the practice completely he would have had strength to stray from the bottle. Or maybe he would've ignored the part about moderation. This is making me think pointlessly. He's dead and gone and I will appreciate his work.
I mostly agree. Jack was much more the devout Catholic who had some friends who became and were quite serious in their devotion to Buddhism and sitting meditation (notably Philip Whalen, Gary Snyder and Allen Ginsberg) . So yes, it makes me question the sincerity of this poem.
excel of writing- 'thinking's just like not thinking- So I don't have to think any more' ////// closed eye, closed breath! closed nose, closed ears! silence body on sense free nothing is to move in the dark of hope straight curtain no death; no birth in brain I'm meditated stain.........
Although I am a fan of Kerouac's, there are some serious flaws in his meditative approach. In fact, so serious that the poem should be renamed How Not To Meditate. That being said, he did write a fascinating sacred text on Eastern Mysticism.
This poem is of no great significance. Meditation is a con. The mind is in continual motion conscious and at the subconscious level.
Probably chosen for the sole reason that it was written by Jack Kerouac. Besides 'inauthentic' and 'second rate', as it's been described below, I'd add 'pretentious', as in 'the geezer doesn't know what he's talking about but wants to sound like he's an expert'.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/25/2024 11:06:47 PM # 1.0.0.1119
wow this is amazing, it really speaks to a person. i love it