Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea. Blog, Internet resources, online reading groups, articles and interviews, Illuminatus! info.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Wilson and Buddhism

I've been interested in Buddhism for many years, and I mention this because RAW also was very interested in Buddhism, peppering his writings with references to it.

Many examples could be offered. For example, Wilson said that COSMIC TRIGGER 2: DOWN TO EARTH was a Buddhist book that gives different sides to his personality (citation, the chapter "Books by Robert Anton Wilson" in AN INSIDER'S GUIDE TO ROBERT ANTON WILSON by Eric Wagner).

The last chapter of CT 2 discusses Shinran Buddhism and explains that Wilson's marriage to his wife, Arlen, was performed in 1959 in Brooklyn in a Shinryan Buddhist ceremony.

Buddhists in all traditions often recite a vow in which they express their allegiance to the Buddha, in the Dharma (i.e., the Buddhist teachings) and the Sangha (a word that means "community." In Asian countries, the Sangha usually means Buddhist monks. In the more lay-oriented U.S., it sometimes means the community of believers).

Wilson's marriage ceremony asked his wife and himself to place their trust in these three pillars of Buddhism. Wilson knew who the Buddha was and the Dharma, but he admits that the couple asked each other later afterward, "What the hell is the Sangha?" He later learned.

3 comments:

michael said...

RAW also linked what he saw as the ontological ideals of Buddhism with General Semantics, Deconstruction, and Discordianism. See, for example, p. 109 of Cosmic Trigger III, revised edition.

ETC...

Eric Wagner said...

The number 109 resonates for me. Bob suggested readers spend two years studying page 109 of _email to the universe_. 109 also makes me think of Beethoven's late piano sonata Opus 109.

Unknown said...

Jual obat herbal de nature asli untuk berbagai penyakit kelamin dan sebagainya Cara Mengobati Wasir Stadium 4 Cara Mengobati Wasir Stadium 4 Tanpa Operasi Cara Mengatasi Wasir Stadium 4 Cara Penyembuhan Wasir Stadium 4 Cara Mengobati Ambeien Stadium 4 Secara Alami Cara Pengobatan Wasir Stadium 4 Cara Pengobatan Ambeien Stadium 4 Cara Mengobati Wasir Stadium 3 Dan 4 Cara Mengobati Wasir Stadium 3 Cara Mengobati Wasir Stadium 3 Secara Alami Cara Mengobati Wasir Stadium 3 Dan 4 Cara Mengatasi Wasir Stadium 3 Cara Mengobati Ambeien Stadium 3 Tanpa Operasi Cara Menyembuhkan Wasir Stadium 3 Cara Mengatasi Ambeien Stadium 3 Cara Alami Mengobati Wasir Stadium 3 Cara Mengobati Ambeien Stadium 3 Secara Alami Obat wasir luar stadium 4 Obat tradisional ambeien stadium 4 Obat herbal untuk wasir stadium 4 Obat untuk ambeien stadium 4 Obat alami ambeien stadium 4 Cara pengobatan wasir stadium 4 Obat ampuh ambeien stadium 4 Obat untuk wasir stadium 4 Obat wasir stadium 4 Obat wasir stadium 4 tanpa operasi Obat tradisional wasir stadium 4 Obat herbal wasir stadium 4 Obat alami wasir stadium 4