SQUARE ZEN, BEAT ZEN, ZEN

Gary Snyder (1930- ), American poet, Zen Buddhist, mountaineer, environmental activist, deep ecology philosopher, founder member of the Beat Generation. Snyder grew up on small farms in Oregon and Washington, studied at Berkeley and Reed, ran off to Japan to study Zen Buddhism in the early 1950s, translated Zen texts, wrote poetry, helped bring Buddhism to the West. Snyder was the model for "Japhy Ryder" in Jack Kerouac's novel, "The Dharma Bums."

Rolling In At Twilight
Rolling in at twilight -- Newport Oregon --
cool of september ocean air, I
saw Phil Whalen with a load of groceries
walking through a dirt lot full
of logging trucks, cats
and skidders

looking at the ground.

I yelld as the bus wheeld by
but he kept looking down.
ten minutes later with my books and pack
knockt at his door

"Thought you might be on that bus"
      he said, and
showed me all the food.

               Gary Snyder

For audio interview with Gary Snyder, 1991, by Don Swaim, follow link:
http://wiredforbooks.org/garysnyder/