Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics

Rating:
Summary: web of mind
Review: a beautifully designed and arranged collection of articles that expose the intelligent and creative uses of psychoactive chemicals.

While the "spiritual purists" may balk at the contention that chemicals seriously open up levels of consciousness and awareness, one comes away with deeper appreciation of various traditional methods of enlightenment (with and without chemicals).

This work effectively counteracts the anti-drug propaganda that has shamefully denigrated certainly respectable uses of treasured substances.

Zig Zag Zen does the universe proud.

Rating:
Summary: Slick Glossy Twaddle
Review: Interesting anthology, probably worth putting together, very
little to do with 'Buddhism' per se, though it tries hard to make
some associations, they really arent convincing.
The book leaves an empty taste and slight feeling of nausea after
reading of all the dopeheads parading off to Hawaii, the Amazon,
or Green Gulch, in search of a 'real teacher' who would validate
their drug desires. Trungpa's paradoxical positions on intoxication are described from a few viewpoints which make for interesting reading, and comparison with that of Suzuki Roshi's. If you like the vapid slickness of Tricycle's heavy paper and empty pages, you might like this book.
Otherwise, your time might be better spent cleaning the toilet or doing the laundry, while enduring the ongoing decline and fall of human civilisation, the horror, the horror.