Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism And Psychedelics

by Badiner, Allan Hunt; Grey, Alex; Batchelor, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780811832861
• ISBN10: 0811832864
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-03-01
• Publisher: Chronicle Books Llc

Summary

Buddhism and psychedelic experimentation share a common concern: the liberation of the mind. Zig Zag Zen launches the first serious inquiry into the moral, ethical, doctrinal, and transcendental considerations created by the intersection of Buddhism and psychedelics. With a foreword by renowned Buddhist scholar Stephen Batchelor and a preface by historian of religion Huston Smith, along with numerous essays and interviews, Zig Zag Zen is a provocative and thoughtful exploration of altered states of consciousness and the potential for transformation. Accompanying each essay is a work of visionary art selected by artist Alex Grey, such as a vividly graphic work by Robert Venosa, a contemporary thangka painting by Robert Beer, and an exercise in emptiness in the form of an enso by a 17th-century Zen abbot. Packed with enlightening entries and art that lie outside the scope of mainstream anthologies, Zig Zag Zen offers eye-opening insights into alternate methods of inner exploration.

Author Biography

Huston Smith is an internationally recognized philosopher of religion, whose book The World s Religions has been a classic for nearly 50 years. He is also the author of the recent book Cleansing the Doors of Perception .

Stephen Batchelor is a an acclaimed Buddhist scholar and teacher, and the author of numerous books, including Buddhism without Beliefs and Alone with Others .

Allan Hunt Badiner is a student of Buddhism and a contributing editor at Tricycle: The Buddhist Review . He lives in Big Sur, California.

Alex Grey s paintings have been exhibited throughout the world and are collected in the book Sacred Mirrors: The Visionary Art of Alex Grey .

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 9
Preface	p. 13
Introduction	p. 15
The Plant Medicine Sutra	p. 23
Mysticism: Contemplative and Chemical	p. 25
A High History of Buddhism in America	p. 33
Psychedelic Experience and Spiritual Practice. A Buddhist Perspective: An Interview with Jack Kornfield	p. 51
Dissolving the Roots of Suffering	p. 61
Buddhism, Skamanism, and Thangka Paintings	p. 69
A Buddhist-Psychedelic History of Esalen Institute: An Interview with Founder Michael Murphy and President George Leonard	p. 77
Shadow Paths	p. 85
A Survey of the Entheogens	p. 89
Vajravision	p. 99
DMT Dharma	p. 105
Psychoactivism	p. 115
Leaning Into Rawness	p. 125
Relative Truth	p. 129
Yage and the Yanas	p. 135
A Trip not Taken	p. 143
The Paisley Gate	p. 151
Psychedelics on the Path: Help or Hindrance?	p. 167
Liberty and LSD	p. 175
The Zen Commandments	p. 179
Buddhism and the Psychedelic Society: An Interview with Terence McKenna	p. 189
On the Front Lines: An Interview with Michele Mcdonald-Smith	p. 195
Do we Still Need Psychedelics?	p. 201
A Roundtable with Ram Dass, Robert Aitken Roshi, Richard Baker Roshi, and Joan Halifax Roshi	p. 211
Contributors	p. 226
Artwork Credits	p. 235
Bibliography	p. 237
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