Dharma Punx | 
enlarge | Author: Noah Levine Publisher: HarperOne Category: Book
List Price: $13.95 Buy New: $7.89 You Save: $6.06 (43%)
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Avg. Customer Rating: 25 reviews Sales Rank: 31770
Media: Paperback Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 272 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5 Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.7
ISBN: 0060008954 Dewey Decimal Number: 920 EAN: 9780060008956 ASIN: 0060008954
Publication Date: May 1, 2004 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Shipping: International shipping available Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20081006210455T
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Product Description
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 of the sixties. As with many self-destructive kids, Noah Levine's search for meaning led him first to punk rock, drugs, drinking, and dissatisfaction. But the search didn't end there. Having clearly seen the uselessness of drugs and violence, Noah looked for positive ways to channel his rebellion against what he saw as the lies of society. Fueled by his anger at so much injustice and suffering, Levine now uses that energy and the practice of Buddhism to awaken his natural wisdom and compassion. While Levine comes to embrace the same spiritual tradition as his father, bestselling author Stephen Levine, he finds his most authentic expression in connecting the seemingly opposed worlds of punk and Buddhism. As Noah Levine delved deeper into Buddhism, he chose not to reject the punk scene, instead integrating the two worlds as a catalyst for transformation. Ultimately, this is an inspiring story about maturing, and how a hostile and lost generation is finally finding its footing. This provocative report takes us deep inside the punk scene and moves from anger, rebellion, and self-destruction, to health, service to others, and genuine spiritual growth.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
A great read September 22, 2008 This review based on the print version of the book:
I wish I could give this book 5 stars, but I can't. It's a great read, and I recommended it to a lot of my friends, but something is missing.
It's a very well written story of someone who should, by his own account, be dead by now, who pretty much hit rock bottom, and was saved by the Dharma. That may sound strange, but it's not a simple "I found X, and now I'm saved" book. The author found a better way to live, a quieter way to live, and to appreciate life. He could still do the (legal) things he enjoyed, and probably even enjoyed them more. Great story, great life lesson.
But I would have preferred if he would have put as much detail into his "awakening" as he did in his juvenile life. A minor knock to be sure, but something that stuck with me after I was done.
Real and Riveting August 16, 2008 I could not put this book down. From page 1 Noah grips us with the real struggles in his life, struggles that resonate. His inspired passion and fortunate intelligence allowed him to see doors as they opened. While he may not have taken advantage of his intuitive knowledge instantly (how human!) the reader is pleased to journey into calmer waters with the author as he documents his path, rough and rocky as it may have been. I applaud anyone who can know themselves and define their own truth. I'd recommend this read to anyone who has ever lived with their own dark side, had a day of angst, a moment of doubt or an instant of inspiration.
Theraputic, entertaining and insightful May 27, 2008 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Dharma Punx is a raw, first-hand memoir which I am convinced is authentic, unlike certain other "memoirs" recently exposed as made-up fiction.
This book finally lets me into the mindset of the street punks I routinely encountered growing up in Berkeley - peers of mine who seemingly chose to be homeless. This book also provides excellent references to Buddhist resources (retreats, scholars, temples, ashrams, monasteries) around the globe.
Finally, this book explores mediation and realization/manifestation of one's life work, through the lens of a hardcore punk rocker, from a broken family in the Gen X era, an addict committed to recovery. This story has not been told like this ever before. It's a testament to Mr. Levine's allowing of his inner core of strength to lead his way, through the clouds of doubt and pain and the resulting self-destructive behavior which could have taken his life many times - and many of his very good friends indeed lost their lives.
This book is, to me, a successful manifestation of that commitment to live from a place of peace, self-forgiveness, compassion and the desire to serve. (Again, the author's personal identity is as a punk rocker, dedicated to sobriety, so the book does focus on his efforts to synthesize the punk aesthetic and politic with the 12 steps and the Buddhist/meditative life approach - which will not apply to every reader). NOT an easy life to choose, when so many of us just get into the rat race and keep up with the Joneses until we die.
So, for those of us who are trying to resolve our pain, our doubt, and trying to base our life choices upon our passions, rather than our fears, and trying to develop a true faith from which to live more fully, this book is a major support. Although it's not a how-to book, I gained tools for living my purpose.
Thank you May 18, 2008 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I love this book. My husband is in rehab and I brought a second copy for him. He is enjoying the book. Noah shares that there is peace after the storm. He shows that hurting your self is not the way to go against the norm. His book really impacted my life and others.
All ego. Poorly written. December 19, 2007 3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Was there even an editor on this book? I kept running into spelling errors and just poorly written passages.
I had high hopes for this book, myself being a "punk buddhist", but I found this was just a story about Noah Levine. All he does is talk about himself over and over. I was so bored. I couldn't even finish it, half-way through I had to put it down.
If you want to read an amazing book on punk and dharma, then you NEED to read Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen. I read this after my failed attempt at Dharma Punx and was blown away. Hardcore Zen is such an amazing book, it's on my top 5 list of most favorite books of all time.
Sorry Noah.
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