Dharma Punx: A Book Review

The book Dharma Punx was written by Noah Levine, the son of bestselling occasion and Buddhisticic t severallyer Stephen Levine. As a writer, he uses a raw(a), conversational and empathic voice to narrate his fiction in order to master turn out to otherwises who induct g champion through the same ordeal as he did.This book, which was written in a in truth thorough record serves more or less as his autobiography, focusing primarily on what would probably the most turbulent moments of this demeanor when drifted from virtuoso attainment to another, from punk rocker rock to drugs and inebriant which nearly sent his life crashing d avouch to the demo of self-destruction or suicide which he attempted several times, indeed the title of the first of all chapter is Suicide Solution (Levine, 2003, p. 1).The starting point of Levines story was at the detention facility where he was confined and at the time, he was going through withdrawal symptoms as the adverse effects of drugs and alcohol were being flushed out of his system. It was at this point that he would go more or less to retell his tale on how he got into that situation. Born in 1971, his p arnts hailed from the hipsters generation of the 1960s where they revolted against the establishment at the height of the Vietnam War and one of their mantras was nominate Love, Not War as well as the overflowe independence of expression of their generation that besides indulged in free drugs and sexual promiscuousness as well, on that pointby making the term psychedelic an understatement for their generation that glowering to drugs as a focal point to escape a harsh, brutal and misanthropic reality they wanted to repudiate. They were trying to create their testify brand of utopia provided somehow, this would not be perfect as well, and this would be reflected in Levines own family.In his childhood years in the late 1970s and early 80s, Levine love to skateboard but partly out of curiosity and inf luence, he got qualified into punk rock and often watched punk-rock concerts as well as looking for the part of a punk rocker by the time he was in his teens. Punk rock was to his generation what the psychadelic hipster movement was to his parents. Levine state that the situation of his generation do them turn to this fad like him, the youth of his generation had to cope with problems like broken homes, irresponsible parents who were either downpour or drug dependents there was no responsible adult who could bunk them.His parents had divorced by then and he would spend time with each of them, shuttling between their homes in California and New Mexico. Both his parents remarried but his mothers routine marriage was fraught with trouble and the irony of that was she met her second husband in a meditation retreat while his father was sufficient to move on and remarry a woman whom he truly love and gave him a happier marriage (Levine, 2003, p. 5). However, without his enlighte ned father around to guide him, the new-fashioned Levine was susceptible to the temptations of the materialistic world.By the time he was six years old, he already began smoking marijuana and was also trying out other banned substances as well like cocaine. This also came hand in hand in partaking of alcohol which would stay with him for most of his youth. He was so addicted into drugs and alcohol that by the time he was in utmost instruct, he had become very violent, often getting into trouble ranging from brawls to vandalism that he was arrested several times for such behavior, someaffair he appeared to have welcomed, owing to his punk rock influence, his own way of defying motiveity.He eventually dropped out of civilize and lived like a vagrant, often stealing to support his habit (Levine, 2003, pp. 21-24). In his recent detention in 1988, the point where he was at his very low that his road to enlightenment would begin. When his father visited him, he was the one who had instal him on the path by encouraging him to try meditation (Levine, 2003, pp. 3-4). At first, Levine regarded Buddhist teachings as bullshit but the moment he made an effort to try it, he underwent a profound transformation.He began the 12-step program and started care meditation sessions. He was eventually released and he started on a raw path in life. Over the next few years, Levine worked hard on his spiritual growth, even practicing celibacy and taking a pilgrimage to the distant East in search of enlightenment and even meeting and skill from the Dalai Lama himself He would eventually finish his studies by getting a college degree but he did not stop there.He went further and obtained a graduate degree in counseling psychology as well. He followed in his fathers footsteps by also becoming a Buddhist instructor and of all the places where he would like to teach, he chose to be at the very same detention facility where he used to be remanded. Although he is a totally reforme d and transformed person, there is one liaison from Levines prehistoric that he has not repudiated, his passion for punk rock. He belt up listens to punk rock, and still acts, looks and dresses the part.He still sports tattoos but the difference now is that his tattoos are Buddhist-inspired such as the lotus flower and Sanskrit inscriptions, making Levine a figure of speech of Hollywood actor Vin Diesel famous for his role as ingredient XXX where he would also sport tattoos. One of the things Levine discovered about Buddhism is that it is very open-minded into tolerating anything that would compliment it. Buddhist teachings, particularly the Zen school of thought, say that if an individual pot be one with that particular subject, that is also Buddhism.Levine himself leave alone attest that punk rock, contrary to what conservative thinkers may think, is not anathema to society at all. This is, of course, looking at it from a Buddhist perspective. Other people tend to view pun k rock as wild, violent and to a certain extent, corrosive. As Levine would also admit, he moody to punk rock as a way of defying the status quo of his generation, very overmuch like his parents were part of the hippie movement as an expression of defiance of the status quo of their own generation as well (Levine, 2003, p.34). The nice thing about Buddhism is that it has a way of channeling the excess energy away from the destructive path. If there was one other thing that Levine learned from his enlightenment, it is that death is not the answer to his problems when he was attempting to commit suicide. For most people, to take ones life is the way of the loser, notwithstanding the samurai concept of suicide where they would take their own lives to erase the blot of the shame. It does not apply here and this can be interpreted in several ways.From the Hindu/Buddhist perspective, there is the concept of karma and reincarnation where ones postulate in the present life would have an influence on what will become of them in the next. While these beliefs recognize death (as a natural occurrence), it does not encourage people to commit suicide. Based on karma, the one who commits suicide might find himself or herself reincarnated in a much lower life form because of this and surely, no one would like to be reborn as an animal or a microscopic existenceIn most beliefs, death is not the end, but rather the get-go of the next phase, provided it would be allowed to take its natural course. Committing suicide would disrupt the golden design for the individual in the universe. One notable aspect of Buddhist Dharma is the direction ones path will be, depending on the choices made. Levines somewhat troubled past serve as the basis of his writings and teachings. We all sort of have a different doorway to dharma or spiritual practice. Suffering is a doorway.For me it was the suffering of addiction, violence and crime which opened me at a young age, 17 years old. I was incarcerated, looking at the rest of my life in prison and thought, Maybe I will try dads hippie meditation bullshit. Suffering opened me to the possibility of trying meditation. (Levine, 2003, p. 246) All in all, Dharma Punx is not only an autobiography, it is a spiritual journey of one individual who has endured probably the worst life can throw at him, project him on the wrong direction but through corrective enlightenment, was able to bounce back and become spiritually whole again.And if the spirit is whole, the tangible body will follow as well. Noah Levine went through hell and came out of it intact. If this were to be applied in international relations, one thing Buddhism can teach is violence and hatred is not the answer to the problems in the world. Buddhist teachings teach compassion and empathy and if nations would like to establish close relations with one another, they have to begin by establishing a spiritual connection which is first done by letting go of ones se lf.Buddhism teaches that the reason why there is so much suffering in this world is due to bored desires. In international relations, the struggle for power often puts nations at betting odds with one another and this often leads to wars. Buddhism teaches the opposite, in letting go of these desires and to empathize. In doing do, not only are friendly relations established, but ones own interests will be met by others and one need not mystify about it anymore.Finally, Dharma Punx is a very enlightening book which is highly recommended to anyone, not necessarily to those who went through the same ordeal as the author went. The author had been there and had done that yet he would not encourage anyone to go through it. Nevertheless, the book is very helpful for anyone who needs to be steered to the even out direction of real happiness which is something no worldly goods can provide.