Doors of perception.

[Guest guest]

The Buddhist and psychedelic paths share some certain commonalities in

the expansion of consciousness in both theory and practice. Both

philosophies can serve to make one a more compassionate, sentient

being. Practice in Buddhism's mindfulness, as do well-planned and

intentioned sessions with psychedelics give people the power to

overcome habitual behaviors and attachments. Both provide means,

method and historical research into worldviews and the nature of

reality, relating to the self and universe. Do the theories and

practices of both paths simply run parallel? Do they converge? Do they

enhance one another? Is it possible for one to stand in for the other?

Can Buddhism be the Modern World's soma?

 

A dynamic relationship between psychedelics and Eastern spirituality

has existed since the nineteenth century, documented in esoteric and

occult writings by likes of infamous folks like Crowley and Gurdieff.

In the last century Buddhists and Hindu texts inspired aristocratic

British exiles like the writers Gerald Heard, Humphry Osmond, Aldous

Huxley and Alan Watts to pry open the dark doors of perception and

seek experiential illumination through psychedelic hallucinogens. This

inspired American academicians like Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert

(Ram Dass) to investigate Eastern texts and practices. No one really

remembers the seventies (must have been the cannabis, huh?), but the

eighties gave rise to the popular use of MDMA (Ecstasy) originally (

and legally-shortlived as it was) psychotherapy practice and more

recently in the underground rave culture and club scene.

 

Not truly a psychedelic hallucinogen, controversial chemical MDMA is

perhaps best been described as an empathogen. The heart-centered

serenity feeling from what is sometimes referred to as the

" Buddha-drug " loosens the bondage of individual ego and clears the

pathway to an unusually high level of honesty, intimacy and

communication. If psychedelics do correspond with esoteric Buddhism,

then arguably MDMA could be seen as the recommended bodhisattva's

pharmaceutical. In my own research, I've encountered many folks that

have included the substance on their personal practice of loving-kindness.

 

Of course, the Buddhist practitioner may just say (k)no(w), and spend

meditation time in dark retreat to produce such a fantastic visual

voyage. While entertaining entheogenic eye candy is exciting, and

dancing dakinis in the sky with diamonds really do get one's

attention, the real goal of the Mahayana and Vajrayana sects is to

become a bodhisattva. Vajrayana techniques are reputed to enable the

enlightenment of Buddhahood in an accelerated pace, perhaps as short

as a single lifetime.

 

Crash courses are not without their crashes, however. The fact that

the fast track to enlightenment can produce spiritual casualties in

crisis may be the fifth noble truth.

 

How do modern Buddhists feel about the use of such substances? I

remembered an old Tricycle magazine interview written by Robert Forte

I'd read some time ago, which recently resurfaced in Alan Hunt

Badiner's book, Zig Zag Zen, with psychedelic

shaman/researcher/Buddhist Jack Kornfield:

 

" It is important to say that there is no Buddhist point of view on

psychedelics. They are rarely found in the Buddhist tradition, if at

all, and generally would be lumped in the precepts under 'intoxicants.' "

 

Kornfield feels officially that there is no common traditional point

of view about the use of psychedelics in Buddhism itself, as there is

very little written about them. Forte reminds Kornfield of story of

someone asking the Dalai Lama if one could use drugs to attain

enlightenment. His Holiness joked, " I sure hope so " . The basic

training precepts in Buddhism tell the practitioner not to kill, not

to steal, not to lie or engage in sexual misconduct, and lastly, to

refrain from using intoxicants to the loss of mindfulness or loss of

awareness. Using attorney or teenager logic, one could interpret that

as not saying not to use them.

 

Yes, without question psychedelic usage, like crossing the street, can

be dangerous.

 

I however, agree with Dr. Charles Tart; not using them can also be

dangerous.

 

Psychedelics are dangerous, not only because they alter the senses,

but because they challenge the notion of authoritative control. They

promote a worldview from a much different vantage point than so-called

" normal " western society, but so does Buddhism. The left-hand path can

be full of disappointment, disassociation, and delusion. When not kept

in check, kleshas can ruin anyone's long strange trip. Wacky things

happen to the most substance-free meditative mind when isolated. Not

to mention, many psychoactives are illegal. And many are not. To be

fair, however, Buddhism has had its' share of legal and political strife.

 

It seems we are wired for such states in our neurophysiologic makeup.

In fact, the very first I ever heard of researcher Terence McKenna was

from a musical rave romp by British electronica band The Shamen, a

song where they build a composition around Mckenna's speech about us

all carrying a Schedule One substance in our human brains: DMT.

 

Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a major constituent of Amazonian ayahuasca,

is a powerful entheogenic substance that exists naturally in the

mammalian brain. If it exists within us naturally, is really an

intoxicant to be avoided? Dr. Rick Strassman doesn't think so. He

believes that endogenous DMT in humans play a significant role in the

production of spontaneous or induced altered states of consciousness.

DMT is a close analogue of the neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine,

also known as serotonin. Strassman hypothesizes that DMT stimulates

the pineal gland to create such spontaneous psychedelic states as

near-death experiences.

 

But what is really going on in these transcendental experiences,

regardless of meditative or chemical cause? From the materialist's

viewpoint, mystical experiences are the simply a result of

pathological and delusional brain dysfunction. Recent

neuro-psychological evidence supports the hypothesis that the human

brain's temporal lobe plays a key role in producing mystical states of

consciousness. Strassman also recognized that certain brain centers

and neural transmitters are mobilized in altered states of

consciousness and spiritual awareness, regardless is they are induced

by the ingestion of substances or by a control of the will. A report

in an April 2001 New Scientist described scientific experiments which

demonstrated Tibetan Buddhist's meditation experience as the

dissolution of distinction between self and other, as there was

associated shutdown in the region of the brain responsible for the

sensation, the parietal lobe.

 

The Tibetan culture's early indigenous shamanic practice Bon Po,

embraced a shamanism focused on divination, magic, spiritual guidance

regarding death, and the attainment of altered states of consciousness

through which the shaman could affect change in the Material realm. In

a similar manner, meditation techniques within modern Buddhism too can

provide a colorful altered state experience, psychedelic in nature,

through which the practitioner can affect change in his or her

Spiritual realm, resulting too in material changes. By-passing the

normal boundaries of the body, both the Buddhist and Psychedelic

seeker have transcendent, transformational experiences in altered

states of consciousness.

 

While spending time with McKenna in Mexico, Terence stated the Bon

used plant based substances like datura and hashish to compliment

their practice. Researcher Dr. Christian Raetsch and wife Claudia

Mueller have spent decades studying the shamanic practices and use of

Amanita Muscaria in the Himalayan shamanic traditions. Indian Tantrism

too has added to this entheogenic recipe, concocting a shamanistic

brew by adding its' own secret ingredients of initiations and involved

texts that have evolved into the complex rituals, tankhas and mandalas

we associate with modern Buddhist monks.

 

The Tantric influence was a cornerstone in the development of Tibet's

" third vehicle " of Buddhism, Vajrayana. The Sanskrit Vajra (similar to

the Tibetan Djore') refers to the thunderbolt of Indra, made from an

indestructible substance, which could pierce any obstacle. " vajra "

also refers to this substance, and is also translated as " adamantine "

or " diamond " . This diamond vehicle provides a fast path to

enlightenment, which sounds much like the soul piercing power of

psychoactive psychedelic agents, such as LSD, mescaline, and

psilocybin. In his writing and lectures, visionary artist Alex Grey

often talks about Vajravsion - the visual resonance that psychedelic

substances impart upon our mind's eye. He says that it was only after

the ingestion of LSD that the pattern flames and multi-limbed deities

of tankha paintings made sense to him.

 

Two things we shall all truly encounter said to be death and taxes.

While I am not sure what firm the of Rinpoche and Rinpoche will do

about my 1099s, a deeply significant contribution Buddhism offers this

modern world is creating a context for Death. The psychedelic path

also can open this doorway. Buddhism, especially the Tibetans have

explored and written a cornucopia of literature dealing with

consciousness and the dying. For centuries Tibet has engaged in the

systematic study and analysis of the human death process as a cautious

and practical preparation for this inevitable event. Many western

psychedelic psychonauts, from Leary to random folks I meet on the

dusty playa at Burning Man have turned to the wisdom of Tibetan Book

of the Dead and other writings for understanding of mysteries death

and ego-death that science and medicine have failed to answer, let

alone, address.

 

To become one with this Self, one must become free of all attachments

and bondage.

 

Mind training and mind expansion is the road to quiescence. While

walking the psychedelic path is a powerful tool for accelerating this

process, it is not for everyone.

 

Western intellectuals often dismiss the Eastern ontology as " occult "

and " mystical " , Labelling psychedelics as " dangerous " and " illegal " .

Whether Eastern or Western based in thought, our task, regardless of

chemical of spiritual causation, is to create a worldview large enough

to incorporate the ancient and recent findings of the energy sciences

into a revised reality.

 

Buddhism offers the modern world much available evidence and data,

dating back for thousands of years, that readily adapt to the most

recent discoveries of modern science including nuclear physics,

biochemistry, genetics, and astronomy. While some may argue modern

psychonauts only draw academic reference of psychedelics from only the

past century or so, no one can deny the pre-historic shamanic

tradition that our modern practice is built upon. From the viewpoint

of practitioners that have walked both paths, yes these roads to

transformation are often parallel, but often intersect, cross over and

merge. However many western researchers agree that psychedelics

provide a car pool lane to get one there faster. One is not a complete

substitute for the other, but each can compliment the other, in an

integrated practice. And if you want to score a really natural high,

go east, in thought and practice.

 

As the science of investigating consciousness changes, studying

methods as meditation, yoga, monastic retreat, and sensory

deprivation, perhaps it will become self-evident that Buddhism is the

pure and natural psychoactive Dharma drug.

 

For the record i am NOT recommending anyone indulge in any practice of

an illegal nature- even tho nature used to legal !