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Dharma Punx: A Memoir

by Noah Levine

3.69 · rating details · 1,162 ratings · 207 reviews

Fueled by the music of revolution, anger, fear, and despair, we dyed our hair or shaved our heads ... Eating acid like it was candy and chasing speed with cheap vodka, smoking truckloads of weed, all in a vain attempt to get numb and stay numb.

This is the story of a young man and a generation of angry youths who rebelled against their parents and the unfulfilled promise o

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Paperback, 272 pages

Published May 4th 2004 by HarperSanFrancisco (first published 2003)

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Community Reviews

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Dec 25, 2007

Max rated it

A staggeringly bad book. If you can get past all the spelling mistakes and grammatical errors you will find nothing interesting about this privileged son's journey. Another shithead loser who somehow thinks that people need to hear about his adventures in narcissism.

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Aug 09, 2007

Laura rated it

Shelves: memoir

It's hard to read a memoir when halfway through you decide the author is a dick.

His message is great -- he transformed his life and began to help others after a horrendous road as a Crusty -- on the street, using whatever drugs he could find, immersed in the CA Punk scene. He got sober, got a teacher, and is now himself teaching Buddhism.

But he's still kind of a dick.

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Dec 29, 2007

Socket Klatzker rated it

Shelves: memoir

This book was so obnoxious. I am happy that Noah Levine eventually found his way- but what a pompous ass while doing so. His rendition of Punk rock is devoid of any politics. He comes off at best as a womanizer, at worst a misogynist. Definitely oblivious, not enlightened. I don't buy it at all.

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Dec 20, 2008

Terry rated it

Shelves: non-fiction

A seventh grader once told me this was "the best book I've ever read," and I'm one of those sucker teachers who just can't resist that gambit. So, I spent the weekend with Mr.Levine. The first section passed easily, in the way all descent -into-Hell stories are kind of nice - after all, it isn't the reader who is falling. But the rest of the book lacked any substance or immediacy. Levine never allows the reader to understand his appreciation for punk music, or Buddhism, or his fell...more

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Sep 14, 2008

Crckt rated it

Talk about your disappointments. This book is just barely okay. As a formerly drug-addicted, aging punk rock type with a budding interest in Buddhist practice, I thought this book would appeal to me on a deep level. Instead I found myself reading a memoir of a self-important guru-type. There is way too much emphasis on supernatural nonsense, and Mr. Levine comes of like a guy wjo really thinks quite a bit about himself. I could be wrong, I'd probably sound like a dick if I wrote a memoir to...more

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Mar 31, 2009

Thorin rated it

I gave up on this book last night. I was on page 190. I can't remember the last time that I did that.

The book starts out in the punk scene of Santa Cruz in the 80's; being from there I found that interesting and enjoyable. I also enjoyed and was even slightly inspired by the transformation that he found with his spirituality. . . Until I got to about page 180. At this point the book becomes (pretty much exclusively) a list of countries and retreats that the author visited—dropping n...more

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Jan 15, 2009

Gary rated it

Shelves: memoirs

I noticed that this book gets a lot of one star and a lot of five star reviews. I have read several of these reviews. I decided that the book is very meaningful to someone who can relate to the author and the poor reviews are (seem to be) looking at the book from a literary view. There seems to be a lot of emoting with many of the reviews good and bad. I like this. Divide and conquer, I have read many books that have pissed me off, what power the book must have! When I first started reading this...more

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Aug 26, 2008

Lani rated it

Recommends it for: nobody

I read this book because a lot of the kids I work with have mentioned it as a book they enjoyed reading, especially while in prison. I figured it would be nice to be able to discuss it with them.
Unfortunately, this book is horrible. Noah comes off as vain, and even worse, incredibly boring. He never really goes in depth into much. It reads like a shitty romance novel, total brain candy.
Many things in this book left me seething, the worst of which was his stories of traveling wi...more

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Nov 22, 2008

Miranda rated it

I honestly expected a lot more from this book after hearing a few friends praise it. I found it rather poorly written. It didn't go into much depth and was a pretty weak memoir in my opinion. The only benefit I felt I got from this book was learning a little bit more about eastern religions and meditation.

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Aug 28, 2011

Bell rated it

Shelves: religion-sprituality-magical

Geesh, I’ve been wanting to read this book for so long. A friend lent it to me and I proceeded to devour it. It helped that Noah Levine writes in an easy prose.

A memoir re: Punk rocker-turned-Buddhist teacher. Noah Levine’s life began with suicidal thoughts at the age of 5 and pot-smoking at the age of 8. He declines into a punk rock show after mega-high depravity. He lives an entire life before the age of 17.

At 17, his famous Buddhist father (Stephen Levine) t...more

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Jul 20, 2011

Nora rated it

Finally read this one after maybe 15 years of meaning to get around to it. While Noah's message is great, it's not very well written, and horribly proofread--I don"t know how they published this thing with so many errors in it. Anyway, because the writing wasn't so great, and because there was a streak of immaturity in this that surfaced from time to time, I couldn't help but think a lot about the power of nepotism at work here (Noah's father is famous Buddhist teacher Stephen Levine, and h...more

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Sep 27, 2010

Reid rated it

Noah Levine is not a professional writer, and that lends a certain charm to this memoir of a man who spent his childhood and early adulthood rebelling against the conventional world, then found that the punk sensibilities he espoused were not truly in conflict with the truth of the teachings of the Buddha.

Levine spares nothing and reveals much of himself here. His honesty and almost naive self-appraisal makes us feel as if we are experiencing his life with a certain immediacy that is...more

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Sep 03, 2010

Steve rated it

I read Dharma Punx by Noah Levine on my kindle. I've listened to a few talks on his website, and thought I'd read the book, which came out in 2003. One friend has gone on retreat with him and to his sangha night in NYC.

The first third of the book is a disturbing teenage angst rebellion drug binge, and the development of the punk aesthetic, love of tattoos and hatred of "hippies". Made me think of Sangharakshita's comment that if he hadn't found the Dharma, he would proba...moreI read Dharma Punx by Noah Levine on my kindle. I've listened to a few talks on his website, and thought I'd read the book, which came out in 2003. One friend has gone on retreat with him and to his sangha night in NYC.

The first third of the book is a disturbing teenage angst rebellion drug binge, and the development of the punk aesthetic, love of tattoos and hatred of "hippies". Made me think of Sangharakshita's comment that if he hadn't found the Dharma, he would probably gone crazy.

I'm older than Levine, but punk was an alluring movement to me when I was in high school. I certainly didn't get as far into it as he did, and have moved on since then to find my musical true love in jazz, though I have to say I love most genera of music. I'm working on a cross post for a friend who has a music blog.

The pain he was inflicting on himself and others comes to a head about a third into the book, and he turns a kind of corner. In some ways I think he would have written a lot more in some place, I was curious for more details, and I wanted to ask him questions. How did he get into sweat lodges? I wanted more flavor of his friendships. I thought of the old adage about writing, show don't tell, though I can see how this book would be a manifesto for some people. It's a triumph of survival.

I like it when he referenced harm reduction, and the 12 step movements, in his efforts to lead a sober kind existence. I liked it when he explained his transition and changes, and what led up to and his journeys to the east.

His father is a spirituality writer, so he had some inside help and hooked up with Kornfield and the Thai Forest Tradition. But when he gets to the monastery in Thailand, he freaks out and leaves quickly. He tried a couple more times to go on retreat, but he ended up realized he just wanted to be with a woman. He was torn by his urge to be a monastic and his inability to be a monastic. He goes back east on another trip.

I liked his use of slang, I didn't know what shoulder tap was before I read this book. I liked the way he discussed his struggles with women. I had a friend who used to sigh and say, "ah, Buddhist men...." I like Noah's drive. I don't so much identify with his anti-authoritarian rationalizations, the tattoos and bands, but it's interesting. I don't really identify with his anger.

He writes best about his struggles with himself. I don't think he's such a good travel writer. In a way the book was about friendships and his grief over the loss of so many friends.

Certainly made me interested in his next book that came out in paperback in 2007. His punk and Buddhism synthesis is interesting.

I also want to see the documentary about him called Meditate and Destroy.(less)

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Jun 10, 2010

Andrew Sydlik rated it

Recommends it for: punks, Generation X and Z people into spirituality, young Buddhists

There are many books available about Buddhism, from all the various schools--Theravada, Zen, Nichiren, Vietnamese, Tibetan. There are books about Buddhist ethics, about meditation, about dealing with grief, anger, and depression through Buddhism. But I doubt that there are many books like this, describing the intersection between the rebellious ethos of punk rock and the transformational spiritual practice of Buddhism. There are, as Levine points out, many differences between the two, but they s...more

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Nov 06, 2009

Misercord rated it

Shelves: buddhism

OK, I bought this book for its cover. I mean 'Dharma Punx' tattooed on the edge of 'praying' hands, how can you not be intrigued by that cover? Well the cover delivered an intriguing book. Dharma Punx is the memoirs of Noah Leivine, child of 60's parents. I am not sure who polices whether something is a memoir or autobiography, but either classification of this book would seem applicable to me. It's the story of his drug and alcohol addicted childhood and his slow rise to Buddhism adult t...moreOK, I bought this book for its cover. I mean 'Dharma Punx' tattooed on the edge of 'praying' hands, how can you not be intrigued by that cover? Well the cover delivered an intriguing book. Dharma Punx is the memoirs of Noah Leivine, child of 60's parents. I am not sure who polices whether something is a memoir or autobiography, but either classification of this book would seem applicable to me. It's the story of his drug and alcohol addicted childhood and his slow rise to Buddhism adult teacher. His life seems far from over.

In the first few chapters the phrase 'so we stole their weed' appears enough to be comical. But, for me it became the key to understanding. Leivine never blames anyone, but himself, for his drug and alcohol abuse. He gently points out most adults' failure of character which left an open path to his abuse. The notable adult that doesn't have 'weed to steal' is his father Stephen Leivine. When Leivine hits bottom the one person he reaches out to is his father. Through out the book his father is the go to guy. Slowly, over the course of the book, Leivine find his greatest and single most important teacher in his father.

The book is written in a very flat style. There is little if any simile or metaphor, to describe things and situations. This style brings a certain charm and believability to the book. He describes shooting up heroine and meeting the Dali Lami with about the same enthusiasm. The description of both encounter's aftermath are described with same style the result is dramatic. This style also prevents the book from get preachy. You learn about how Buddhism and meditation lead him away from his abusive nature. Yet, you would be hard press to explain exactly what Buddhism is after reading this book. The book is more about the possibilities of grace, than the details of grace. Another example of this, is the twelve steps of alcoholics anonymous. Leivine discusses working the twelve steps. What the twelve steps are is never discussed. There is description about the accepting a higher power instead of God, step. There is discussion about making amends step. Never, are the steps outlined and checked off. I don't even think alcoholics anonymous is actual ever explicitly mentioned. There is one exception to this, the basic description of how to start meditating is clearly written out. The simple detailed description stands out making it a key message in the book.

Then there is the Punk rock. Leivine relationship with punk is complex and simple. It is at the root of everything. It is at the escape from rules and hypocrisy of his youth. It is the bedrock of his adult purpose. Punk rock even gets endorsed his Buddhist teachers. There are names of dozen of punk bands. There is even a pretty excellent history of punk rock. If you don't get punk rock already maybe after reading this book you might just learn to understand it.

I am neither a recovering alcholic nor drug user so I can't honestly endorse the book for help with those issues. I can recommend it for a compelling read for anyone interested in a story about struggling to be a better person.(less)

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Oct 27, 2010

jb. Onze rated it

Another book that needed a better editor. While Levine does well at putting us in the room with him when he's doping and doing crimes, he plays the same scene over and over with different people and different props, and it all kind of goes on bit too long. Then suddenly he's turning his life around. The most dramatic description of this is in the first chapters. After that, it's rehash, rehash, rehash - so to speak. There is no pacing, just recounting, so we don't feel the transformation build s...more

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Nov 20, 2007

Sequoia rated it

This book is special to me because it takes place in my home town. I can literally visualize everywhere he goes, from the detention center up Graham Hill to downtown Santa Cruz, to the Red Room bar. At times, yeah the author gets a little annoying, but that's because he is a real person and people are kinda annoying in real life. ;)
It takes a lot of self discipline to live how he does and I admire that especially when you learn what he grew up in.

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Aug 08, 2011

Josh Bisker rated it

Reading Levine's from-the-gutter-to-the-Gotama memoir may make his instructional tract Against the Stream more engaging, as it is hard not to credence the transformative abilities of the Dharma when voiced by someone who was so radically transformed, but there is a lot to not love about Dharma Punx. "Show, don't tell" problems occur throughout, as does a surprising lack of critical reflection about many some problematic parts of his life story, and there is a frustrating void where act...moreReading Levine's from-the-gutter-to-the-Gotama memoir may make his instructional tract Against the Stream more engaging, as it is hard not to credence the transformative abilities of the Dharma when voiced by someone who was so radically transformed, but there is a lot to not love about Dharma Punx. "Show, don't tell" problems occur throughout, as does a surprising lack of critical reflection about many some problematic parts of his life story, and there is a frustrating void where actual teachings are concerned.

Considering these problems from last to first: although it's powerful to know that a person can be saved, and Noah's story clearly and vividly illustrated this, Dharma Punx is largely silent when it comes to recalling the methods and teachings which led the author to recovery and transformation. The twelve step program and certain kinds of meditation are alluded to, but the only specific teaching he shares occurs in a small post-script with instructions (very good ones!) for breathing meditation. On the whole, his story reveals very little about the activities, lessons, and insights that helped him reform his life. This is a life story told as simply as possible, in which the narrator retells events, peppering them with recollections about his feelings at different times, but doesn't share much about the actual teachings that helped him find a better path.

Secondly, some of the most complex and troubling aspects of the story are just not talked about, like Noah's spiritualist parents' failures to provide safe and stable homes for their children. Yes, forgiveness is a key to compassion, but Noah's lack of any kind of criticism towards his parents' obvious failings is incredibly conspicuous. Is it not a teaching of the Dharma to embrace even the painful things in our lives? Yet in a way that feels frightened and deliberate the narrative refuses to broach this difficult topic: yes, the author's father was a spiritualist teacher with a lot of great wisdom to offer, and his mother was struggling as a single mom with several kids, but none of that mitigates the fact that their child-rearing style was characterized by neglect and instability, that they kept households where drugs were readily accessible to their children (he started smoking pot when he was eight!), and that they prioritized their adult lives well ahead of the support of their children's growth. The narrator's total lack of discussion about his parent's shortcomings seems blind and untrustworthy.

Punk rock, too, presents a minefield of internal conflicts, and these don't get much discussion in the narrative either. The book emphasizes the importance of going "against the stream," and so I find it deeply suspicious that punk rock as a whole is simply taken for granted as being individualistic and counter-culture supportive. True, punk is not (or was not, anyway) mall culture per se, but it was and remains a glaringly conformity-driven scene. Within the Dharma Punx narrative, there's lots of evidence of this and lots of gleeful support for it and indulgence of it by the narrator. Identifying pocket subcultures by their clothes, discerning who's a punk or not a punk by their dress, by their hobbies, by their drugs. The author does recall a brief mini-epiphany about feeling distanced from punk's aggressive language and attitude, but he makes no comment at all on the hypocritical significance placed upon shitkicker boots, plaid miniskirts, and 1-4-5 power chords as sigils of how "against the stream" you are.

Lastly, although many might argue that the book's ultra-simplistic writing style may allow it to appeal to a broader audience, I felt that it wasn't a simplicity of language but a lack of sophistication in structure and approach that kept the book disappointingly superficial in scope. Noah traces his life from proto bad boy to punk teen to recovering adult to hopeful guru, but the almost stream-of-consciousness, back-to-front ramble could have benefited from more editorial guidance. When we meet a character near the end of the book, for example, a recovering alcoholic who had been a biker gang leader and a kind of street-life mentor during Noah's teen years, the narrative tells us that he felt happy and awed to see how much his life had changed. That's wonderful, but why didn't we meet this character during the book's first chapters? Then we could have experienced this revelation with the narrator, instead of just reading about it. Isn't that writing 101? The short sentences and chapters and the simple language will keep the book accessible to a wide range of readers, but those readers deserve a story that's put together with sophistication and vision.

That all said, Noah's journey is an interesting one, especially if you share his affiliation with the punk rock scene (I cannot call what we have today a 'movement'). I wish he actually wrote about some of the Dharma teachings that he found enlightening; I wish he had had the courage and editorial guidance to more honestly explore the internal conflicts that stand out like cracks in glass as you read the thing; and I wish that the whole thing was just written a bit better. But it was great to read that a life can be redeemed, and encouraging to know that there's a teaching out there with such a potent ability to heal, inspire, and save.
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May 22, 2010

Wollff rated it

This is one of the few books I didn't manage to finish. That means something.

First the good: The author's voice is honest. Whether you like his colloquial style or not is a matter of taste, but he at least his writing is consistent and believable.

The book fails on the side of content. I realize that a this kind of book has certain limits. A person has only lived one life after all. The art of the memoir is to pull out the most interesting and significant bits of it, highl...more

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Apr 12, 2009

Dumpster Baby rated it

It started off well. But then as the story went on it just got weirder and weirder. Though there were some good points to it. I consider myself to be as punk as he is, (hahahaha what a joke term.) And I too struggled with addiction. So this book came to me at the right time when I decided to get clean and attend NA meetings and work the steps. But e spends so much time name-dropping of bands he knows, trying to solidify his coolness, that's trying a little too hard. And then having rich well kno...more

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Dec 21, 2010

Jason Kolowski rated it

I can get past the fact that Noah Levine is a poor (at best) writer who apparently didn't employ an editor at all.
My problem with Dharma Punx is that I found myself waiting for this guy to become "spiritual" in any sense of the word.
I don't believe that he did.
I found him to be very close-minded all the way through, judging other people on ludicrous and materialistic bases.
I also found there to be heavy tones of pride when recounting his former, unsavory behavior pa...more

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Nov 20, 2010

Melanie Hughes rated it

Shelves: buddhism

Although the book was a bit choppy with some TMI and superflous characters introduced, and some poor editing, I enjoyed learning about the early punk scene in Santa Cruz, California and Levine's journey towards peace with Buddhism and mindful mediation. The last few chapters feel more reflective, mature and developed.
I certainly grew up questioning authority (and questioning myself on why I felt so inclined to be a good kid), I didn't get into the drug scene. I knew it was there, but was ...more

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Jul 16, 2011

H.A. rated it

Shelves: buddhism, memoir, ebook

Very interesting memoir from a point of view you don't often get -- a recovering addict punk rocker Buddhist. It's a harcore story by a hardcore guy, but it really kept me interested. He did it all, saw it all, and only found peace in the Dharma. Sadly, many of his friends didn't make it out of the tough street and drug life.

It's definitely an inspiring story, and I think important in that it demonstrates not all American Buddhists are crunchy yuppies wearing $100 crystal mala beads...more

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Nov 29, 2009

Mary rated it

Random pick from the library. This was an interesting story but the roll call of Asian countries, ashrams, temples, monasteries, meditation retreats and spiritual teachers visited started to get sort of tiring. The description of punk culture was fascinating; he describes it as concerned with the problems of society but not necessarily successful in coping with them other than to live fast and die young (enter mindfulness meditation as a nice complement and corrective to this lifestyle), perh...more

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Dec 21, 2009

Megamark Saxon rated it

This was rather a fast read for me, a book about punk rocker Noah Levine turned Buddhist, this is really a spiritual rags to richs story. Noah a teenage punk kid into all kinds of trouble mostly including fighting, drugs and crime is in need of serious help and guidance, I have to admit he reminded me a lot of the kids that I knew growing up attitude wise,I felt he was speaking my language. After hitting rock bottom in prison Noah decides to change his life around, with the help of his father ...more

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Jul 14, 2010

Maol Mhuire O'Duinnin rated it

Shelves: memoir-autobiography, non-fiction

There's not too much I can say here that my friend Andrew Sydlik hasn't said in his review of Noah Levine's "Dharma Punx"; it's very thorough and I believe a fair and balanced critique while also being informative. I would recommend reading Andrew's review prior to reading the book and/or my review.

I agree with Andrew that the book is principally a memoir that does not explore the subjects of 80s punk culture and Buddhism beyond their relation to Noah's life. While punk a...moreThere's not too much I can say here that my friend Andrew Sydlik hasn't said in his review of Noah Levine's "Dharma Punx"; it's very thorough and I believe a fair and balanced critique while also being informative. I would recommend reading Andrew's review prior to reading the book and/or my review.

I agree with Andrew that the book is principally a memoir that does not explore the subjects of 80s punk culture and Buddhism beyond their relation to Noah's life. While punk and Buddhism and their intersection are very important to Noah and his experiences, like Andrew says, he doesn't really explain what Buddhism is. Andrew already has some basic understanding of the elements of Buddhism whereas I do not, and i did find myself at times getting bored with the reading in the second half of the book and my unfamiliarity with Buddhism is one reason why.

However, one hook that saved me from putting the book down in the second half was Noah's decision to participate in the "A Year to Live" project, inspired by his father's (Stephen Levine) experience of having already completed the same project. As you might imagine, Noah prepared to live his life for a year as if he would die at the end of that year. At this point in his Buddhist and meditation practice, he was pretty self-disciplined and self-motivated, so though it wasn't easy to embark on this project, Noah seemed to take it very seriously and he did complete it with profound results. This part of the book definitely motivated me to check out Stephen Levine's book, "A Year to Live," which is about his own experience at the age of 58.

I think too, after exploring Noah's websites, that his latest book, "Meditate and Destroy" (2007), may answer some of the questions about what Buddhism is and more information on how he and other punks experience their practice. I'm also inspired to read "Meditate and Destroy" and learn more about Buddhism, meditation, service, Noah's life, and his father Stephen's life and works.

One reason for my continued interest in Buddhism and meditation beyond this book is Noah's emphasis that it is a way in which to deal with life's struggles and suffering in a way that can't promise happiness or contentment at all times, but that can allow someone connection to life's adversity without escaping or running away. Escaping and running away was how Noah now framed his involvement with booze, drugs, violence, and promiscuity as a youth, starting before the age of ten. His goal in the face of the pain and suffering he experienced as a young person, he recounts, was to become as numb as possible. Punk culture gave Noah an avenue in which to express himself and his disagreement with the values touted by mainstream society in 1980s America. But the misery he experienced led him away from his punk values and to a point where all he was doing was living for his next crack high or speed ball (crack combined with heroine).

As Andrew remarks, Noah finally gets to a place where he can see that if his own behavior doesn't change, nothing in his life will change either. He does take his father's advice and begins to meditate. Each time he does so, he takes another step toward his own freedom from dangerous habits and addiction. At first, I had a problem with Noah's seemingly non-chalant descriptions of how he progressed from the depths of savage addiction to being able to regularly meditate. It seemed like he just woke up and became a Buddhist by some of the descriptions, but since I'm taking that as his experience, it doesn't bother me so much. However, I'm worried that other folks reading it may have had a much more difficult time getting from addiction to a healthier place, or may still be struggling; I feel they could benefit from a more in-depth description of dealing with the challenges of coming out of the depths of addiction.

As Andrew describes, Noah starts off with a scene where he is in a rubber room after a suicide attempt at 17 and in the depths of his drug addiction and self-hatred. Another sucker-punch comes directly after with an intense experience where Noah is hiding under the front porch at five years old with a knife he stole from the kitchen, fantasizing about cutting his stomach open while his mother and stepfather fight inside. It wasn't hard for me to dive into the book and read about these intense and heavy experiences. But the second half was harder for me to speed through, although more of what I took away from that than boredom or lack of understanding was an inspiration to learn more and an appreciation for Noah's dedication to stay on his path of meditation, practice and service to other folks dealing with addiction.(less)

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May 11, 2011

Christopher rated it

Shelves: dharma

The people who rate this book a 1 because of stylistic quirks are missing the point of the memoir. If you aren't moved by this book, you weren't a punk in the 80s. Those who rate it a 1 with comments about a priveleged kid have more of a point. However, you are missing the larger point that material wealth does not bring happiness. Levine had many more opportunities than many, but those didn't save him. Far from being a perfect book, Dharma Punx speaks to many people who may otherwise channel di...more

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Feb 03, 2012

Angela Gray rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 14, 2011

Kurt Gielen rated it

Although I gave this book 4 stars, I would like to warn people. If you have no interest in punk or Buddhism, stay away from this book. Because a great writer Noah is not. The story is very simple, just a series of anecdotes, most lacking depth and engagement with a story that overall feels very random. Not once does he describes a punk concert or a meditation retreat with truly deep emotions.
So why then 4 stars? Simply because I am a Buddhist punk myself and this story (withouth the parts i...more

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Jun 21, 2009

Beldon rated it

As an admirer of Buddhist philosophy, I know expectations are almost as bad as attachments. I don't know what I expected this book to be, but it really wasn't that. I expected to see someone who hit a really low low, bounced back, and discovered Buddhism on the way to-- if not enlightenment-- at least a greater appreciation of the intense contrasts in life.

Instead, what I found was less of a memoir (as the book's subtitle reads) and more of a travelogue. The author's descent takes...moreAs an admirer of Buddhist philosophy, I know expectations are almost as bad as attachments. I don't know what I expected this book to be, but it really wasn't that. I expected to see someone who hit a really low low, bounced back, and discovered Buddhism on the way to-- if not enlightenment-- at least a greater appreciation of the intense contrasts in life.

Instead, what I found was less of a memoir (as the book's subtitle reads) and more of a travelogue. The author's descent takes only the first couple chapters of the book and wasn't that far down. I don't mean to minimize the turmoil this man went through, nor his turning it to positive ends. But the subtle deceptions used in telling his story diminish what is already a fairly unremarkable life.

We begin with our narrator/author being admitted to a padded cell to prevent him from harming himself. He describes his wrists as sore, and we are left to infer that he has tried to commit suicide. Only later do we find out that he tried to "cut" himself with a plastic hair comb.

What follows the attempt to "comb himself to death" (as the author himself describes it) is a long a tedious parade of friend who died, friends who recovered, deceptions by supposed gurus, twisted relationships, and...well, pretty much nothing else. This supposed "street kid" somehow has the bread to go on a spiritual quest in India, Sri Lanka, and who really cares where else?

The only possible thing remarkable about the author-- his Buddhism-- turns out not to be so extraordinary after all when it is revealed that his father is a Buddhist, and a fairly well-known author. What the book ends up becoming is a fairly reasonable account of one man's troubled adolescence and ultimate acquiescence to his father's religion.

Kudos to Nathan Levine for working with street youth of the suburbs, but his story is about as engaging as a court-ordered 12-step meeting of angry suburban white kids. Interesting in spots, tragic in some others, but in the end nothing more than word soup. In the words of a famous punk rcker, "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?"
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About Noah Levine

American Buddhist teacher, author and counselor known for his philosophical alignment with Buddhism and punk ideology. Identifies his Buddhist beliefs and practices with both Theravadan and Mahayanan traditions. Holds a masters degree in counseling psychology from CIIS. He has helped found several groups and projects including the Mind Body Awareness Project], a non-profit organization that serves...moreAmerican Buddhist teacher, author and counselor known for his philosophical alignment with Buddhism and punk ideology. Identifies his Buddhist beliefs and practices with both Theravadan and Mahayanan traditions. Holds a masters degree in counseling psychology from CIIS. He has helped found several groups and projects including the Mind Body Awareness Project], a non-profit organization that serves incarcerated youths.

Son of American Buddhist author Stephen Levine. Trained by Jack Kornfield of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA. He also lists as teachers His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ram Dass, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Norman Fischer, and Sylvia Boorstein.

He is the founder of the Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, with two centers in Los Angeles and over twenty affiliated groups in North America and Europe. (www.againstthestream.org) Noah leads Dharma and vipassana meditation retreats and workshops across the United States and Europe. An important aspect of his work is with inmates in juvenile and adult prisons where he combines meditation techniques with psychotherapy—“exploring how they can have a deeper understanding of what has happened and what they need to do in order to be free, on many levels—free from prison, free from the trauma of the past.” Noah Levine is a member of the Prison Dharma Network.

Levine’s work with inmates is fueled by his own past; as a youth he had several periods of incarceration. His first book, Dharma Punx, in large part details Levine’s teenage years filled with drugs, violence, and multiple suicide attempts - choices fueled by a rebellious nature and identification with punk rock and culture. His substance abuse started early in life - at age 6 he began smoking marijuana - and finally ended in a padded detoxification cell in juvenile prison 11 years later. It was in this cell where he hit “an emotional rock bottom” and began his vipassana practice “out of a place of extreme drug addiction and violence” While incarcerated, he saw for the first time how the practice his father taught him gave him the tools to relieve the fear and uncertainty that pervaded his life.

One notable aspect of Buddhist Dharma is the path of our choices, the actions past and present and the intention for future action – (ref. Buddhist Law of Karma). Levine’s past – addiction, incarceration, violence, initial rejection of Buddhism and meditation – are all defining characteristics of his writings and teachings. “We all sort of have a different doorway to dharma or spiritual practice. Suffering is a doorway. For me it was the suffering of addiction, violence and crime which opened me at a young age, 17 years old. I was incarcerated, looking at the rest of my life in prison and thought, ‘Maybe I will try dad’s hippie meditation bullshit.’ Suffering opened me to the possibility of trying meditation.”

In Levine’s second book, Against the Stream, released in April 2007, "he presents what he has learned about and through Buddhism". Readers will find it written in a style consistent with the "disarming, frank tone" from his first book and, also, free from the typical "Buddhist-speak" found in comparable works; Levine "clearly returns to such central ideas as impermanence and suffering, giving his thinking simplicity and consistency". The author claims that this work is for '"true spiritual revolutionaries" who are looking for both "inner and outer spiritual rebellion"'.(less)

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Books by Noah Levine

Against the Stream: A Buddhist Manual for Spiritual Revolutionaries

The Heart of the Revolution: The Buddha's Radical Teachings on Forgiveness, Compassion, and Kindness

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Quotes from Dharma Punx: A Memoir

“It's easy to hate and point out everything that is wrong with the world; it is the hardest and most important work in one's life to free oneself from the bonds of fear and attachment.” — 23 people liked it

“The truth is, going against the internal stream of ignorance is way more rebellious than trying to start some sort of cultural revolution.” — 12 people liked it

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Dharma Punx: A Memoir

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