> Over the 21 years since then, I’ve asked many American Buddhist monks and professors of Buddhist studies how they were first introduced to Buddhism, and sever

> Over the 21 years since then, I’ve asked many American Buddhist monks and professors of Buddhist studies how they were first introduced to Buddhism, and several gave me the same answer: Jack Kerouac. Kerouac lead me too to multiple years of meditation practice. And I learned about On the Road in turn from Jim Morrison. > Both books are about freedom. Both depict a way of living free from 20-year mortgages, nine-to-five jobs, conventional relationships, and family responsibilities. They present the liberating idea that you can do whatever you want with your life—what you want to do, not just what you are supposed to do. This has been somewhat of a guiding principle for me I now realize. After reading On the Road in my late teens I might've spent maybe 25% of my years since doing a 9-5. Other things have influenced me as well obviously, but Kerouac has been a strong one, I've read all of his books I could get a hold of.