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Following the Sutra? Jack Kerouac and his so-called “Dharma Bums” lived an extremely unconventional lifestyle, to say the least. Many scoff at their eccentric practices, dismissing them as frivolous, slothful and even immoral. “Ray Smith,” “Japhy Rider,” and “Alvah Goldbeck,” among others, did not go about life without striving for some greater end. All professed to be devout Zen Buddhists in search of Enlightenment. It is disputable as to whether or not their carefree means of existence was motivated by desire to “follow the right path.” While I am not convinced that all aspects of the lifestyle served to enhance the Buddhist understanding, I do believe that the Dharma Bums had good intentions and lived the life of the sutra as best as they knew how and in turn, became more spiritually enlightened as a direct result. For the most part, the manner in which the Dharma Bums lived both aided in their search for enlightenment and also allowed the Buddhist way to dictate and form their eccentric lifestyles. Section III of the Diamond Sutra says, “…no Bodhisattva who is a real Bodhissattva cherishes the idea of an ego-entity, a personality, a being, or a separated individuality.” In this principl