Buddhism and Love

Captured in the discursive context of my Christian educational background, Jack Kerouac’s novel Dharma Bums was somewhat challenging to my personal notion of love. In this brief article, some perspectives shall be explored that facility an approach to the concepts of love and sexuality in terms of Buddhism, whereat particular attention be turned to the yabyum ritual, described in Chapter 5. In this framework, I will deliberately not attempt to outline potential biographical references to the author’s life.

“‘Here’s what yabyum is, Smith,’ said Japhy, and he sat crosslegged on the pillow on the floor and motioned to Princess, who came over and sat down on him facing him with her arms about his neck …” (28).

In fact, this quote supplies a fair description of the actual act which is referred to as ‘yabyum’ in Buddhist tradition. Whether or not this is really “what they do in the temples of Tibet” (ibid.), I could not find out. In the story, however, the act of lovemaking is continued, “and pretty soon he [Japhy] was making Princess happy and then Alvah had a turn …” (29f.). Ray hesitated and justifiably asked: “But what’s she thinking?” (29). This question, in my opinion, actually represents a major key to the concept of love from a Buddhist point of view. Since “one must love others to the same extend that one wishes to be loved by others,” as Prof. Thera states (http://www.metta.lk/english/wwyng2.htm), Buddhist discourse requires the judgment of sexual behavior on the basis—amongst others—of how we would feel if we became subject to a treatment like ours (cf. Trembath, http://www.enabling.org/ia/vipassana/Archive/T/Trembath/buddhismAndHomosexualityTrembath.html). As can consequently be discerned, equality—and hence also mutual consent—appears to represent a central aspect of the conceptualization of love in a sense of Buddhist catechism. Thus Princess’ statement, “Oh this is lovely” (29), reveals to be of notable significance—not only for the negotiation of Ray’s hesitation, but to a certain degree for the on-going of the plot with respect to the East Asian philosophy, too.

Beside equality, or occasionally named as equanimity as well, loving kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy constitute the four ‘qualities’ (often called “Immeasurables”) of love in Buddhist tradition, and the practice of them is known as brahma-vihàra, ‘the Godly way of living’ (cf. Thera). Interestingly, the moneme “vihàra,” meaning ‘living’, expressis verbis reflects the ‘Beatitude’ of living, the philosophy of enjoying and acting in this our life, “not the next world” (Ginsberg 39).

Considering the scene illuminated above, it cannot ultimately be answered here, and therefore shall remain open to further interpretation, if it really depicts a lesson of Japhy for Ray on The Four Immeasurables mentioned. Yet, though strange to our Christian understanding of ‘love,’ the love act of this chapter is, de facto, no violation of Buddha’s precepts.

—Patrick Kuehmstedt

Suggestion for further reading: http://www.kusala.org/udnl2/nl030104.html