A Study On The Features Of Jack Kerouac's Buddhist Thoughts During The 1950s

The Beat Generation is a social cultural movement and a school of literature which occurs in the 1950 s of America. This group of young poets and writers object to traditional and mainstream culture, materialism and industrial machinery culture. They wear bizarre dress, enjoy jazz music, indulge in sensual desires, become addicted to alcohol, and wander so as to challenge the tradition and pursue absolute freedom and transcendence. As the representative of Beat Generation who put forward the word “beat”, Jack Kerouac became keenly interested in Buddhism in 1950 s. He absorbs Buddhist thoughts selectively to qualify his “beat” life and fights with the traditional culture. In addition, he combines Buddhism with Beat ethics, hence his Buddhist thoughts have significant influences on the Beat Generation and Americanization of Buddhism.This thesis firstly explores influences on Kerouac's Buddhist thoughts from the viewpoints of Hinayana, Mahayana, and Catholicism. Then this thesis elaborates Kerouac's selective absorption of Buddhist teachings, his qualification of spontaneous writing by Surangama Sutra and his imitation of Zen Lunatic to prove the selectivity of Kerouac's Buddhist thoughts. In addition, the thesis argues the inconsistency of Kerouac's Buddhism not only between his Buddhist thoughts but also between the thoughts and practices. The last part of this thesis illustrates how Kerouac subtly fuses different sects of Buddhism and his deep-rooted Catholicism as well as beat ethics together.In conclusion, under the influences of Hinayana, Mahayana and Catholicism, Kerouac's Buddhist thoughts are full of selectivity, inconsistency and fusion. At the same time, his Buddhism is a kind of self-taught, self-centered and diffuse Buddhism. However, his great influences on Beat Generation and the Americanization of Buddhism could not be ignored.