I studied and practiced Buddhism (in my usual sloppy way to be sure). The conclusion I arrived at, and I make no claims to speak from a state of enlightenment, but merely to have attempted the journey, was that Buddhism is only for the West to study as history, that is it is a subject for understanding, and yoga can profitably be practiced to that end. But it is not, for the West, an answer, not a solution. We must learn by acting, experiencing, and living; that is, above all, by Love and by Suffering. A man who uses Buddhism or any other instrument to remove love from his being in order to avoid suffering, has committed, in my mind, a sacrilege comparable to castration. You were given the power of love in order to use it, no matter what pain it may cause you.
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Date: 2008-02-25 11:30 am (UTC)William Burroughs