I grew up in an overly religious setting, very strict, and of course rebelled at the first chance I could and was arrested twice for minor offenses (drinking under age, a hit and run where, thankfully, no one was hurt) before the age of 22. I was more young and dumb than big and bad and that is it for my street cred because by and large I’m a complete law abiding citizen these days.
More than that, I’m sometimes ethical and honest to a fault, I hate violence and liars and could never be a drunkard or druggie because I like control too much. I also tend to fight for the underdog and will stand up to bullies (real or imagined, threatening to me or a complete stranger, a person or a corporation) no matter the odds. I always thought I’d probably die taking up for someone else and getting in over my head.
It’s clear I owe at least some of my good qualities to my religious upbringing.
There are times I listen to punk music and I feel on a higher spiritual plane. When I travel in particular, I’m very astute to my senses and notice things I wouldn’t normally observe. I’ve sometimes written about the relationship I observe between indigenous cultures and the punk lifestyle. Isn’t punk really about being very primitive? Giving in to our animal instincts for a short period of time?
What if giving in to animal wants and desires is what causes our problems in the first place? “Always running towards pleasure and away from pain, causing more pain in the process”
I was recently emailed by the producers of this documentary about a punk Buddhist called MEDIATE AND DESTROY and it got my attention. Of all the religious beliefs out there, Buddhism to me really seems to encapsulate how I feel and wish to live my life. But I need to learn and study more.
Can you really be a hardcore punk and follow Buddhism at the same time?
Check out the trailer below. Looks like the doc could be pretty cool to me.
What do you think?