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Oct 27, 2009 | ISBN 9780143116011 Buy
Sep 18, 2008 | ISBN 9780670019571 Buy
Sep 18, 2008 | ISBN 9781440662355 Buy
Sep 18, 2008 | 313 Minutes Buy
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Available from:
Oct 27, 2009 | ISBN 9780143116011
Sep 18, 2008 | ISBN 9780670019571
Sep 18, 2008 | ISBN 9781440662355
Sep 18, 2008 | ISBN 9781440613050
313 Minutes
Jack Kerouac?s profound meditations on the Buddha?s life and religionIn the mid-1950s, Jack Kerouac, a lifelong Catholic, became fascinated with Buddhism, an interest that had a significant impact on his ideas of spirituality and later found expression in such books as Mexico City Blues and The Dharma Bums. Originally written in 1955 and now published for the first time in paperback, Wake Up is Kerouac?s retelling of the life of Prince Siddhartha Gotama, who as a young man abandoned his wealthy family and comfortable home for a lifelong search for enlightenment. Distilled from a wide variety of canonical scriptures, Wake Up serves as both a penetrating account of the Buddha?s life and a concise primer on the principal teachings of Buddhism.
Though raised Catholic, in the early 1950s Jack Kerouac became fascinated with Buddhism, an interest that would have a profound impact on his ideas of spirituality and their expression in his writing from Mexico City Blues to The Dharma Bums. Published for the first time in book form, Wake Up is Kerouac’s retelling of the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who as a young man abandoned his wealthy family and comfortable home for a lifelong search for Enlightenment. As a compendium of the teachings of the Buddha, Wake Up is a profound meditation on the nature of life, desire, wisdom, and suffering. Distilled from a wide variety of canonical scriptures, Wake Up serves as both a concise primer on the concepts of Buddhism and as an insightful and deeply personal document of Kerouac’s evolving beliefs. It is the work of a devoted spiritual follower of the Buddha who also happened to be one of the twentieth century’s most influential novelists. Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha will be essential reading for the legions of Jack Kerouac fans and for anyone who is curious about the spiritual principles of one of the world’s great religions.
In the mid-1950s, Jack Kerouac, a lifelong Catholic, became fascinated withBuddhism, an interest that had a profound impact on his ideas of spirituality andlater found expression in books such as Mexico City Blues and The Dharma Bums.Originally written in 1955 and now published for the first time in book form, WakeUp is Kerouac’s retelling of the life of Prince Siddartha Gotama, who as a youngman abandoned his wealthy family and comfortable home for a lifelong searchfor Enlightenment. Distilled from a wide variety of canonical scriptures, Wake Upserves as both a penetrating account of the Buddha’s life and a concise primer onthe principal teachings of Buddhism.
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), the central figure of the Beat Generation, was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1922 and died in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1969. Among his many novels are On the Road, The Dharma Bums, Big Sur, and Visions of Cody.
“[Wake Up] contributes significantly to the fascinating picture of Kerouac’s spirituality.” -Jonah Raskin, The Beat Review
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