Allen Ginsberg on Jack Kerouac’s Mexico City Blues continues from here
7th Chorus
He Who is Free From Arbitrary Conceptions
of Being or Non-Being
The Genius of the Elephant The Destroyer of Elephant-Trainers
by Death
The Destroyer of Death
The Destroyer and Exterminator of Death
Exterminator of Being and Non-Being
Tathagata
The Essence Master’
The Womb
The Manifestor
Man’s Made Essence
Essence’s Made Man
The Maker of Light
The Destroyer of Light
AG: So apparently he started writing random – then he began zeroing in on some kind of persistent theme about suffering and no self. Then the next choruses are different takes on the names of Buddha, or labels
“He Who is Free From Arbitrary Conceptions/ of Being or Non-Being/The Genius of the Elephant/The Destroyer of Elephant-Trainers/ by Death..” (Which is actually a pretty funny line, finally) – ” The Destroyer of Elephant-Trainers/by Death/ The Destroyer of Elephants by Death/The Destroyer of Death/ The Destroyer and Exterminator/of Death/Exterminator of Being and Non-Being/Tathagata/The Essence Master/The Womb/The Manifestor/ Man’s Made Essence/Essence’s Made Man/The Maker of Light/The Destroyer of Light”
So it’s actually a little logical series, just made up of titles for an enlightened soul – for Buddha.
Then he probably thought he was getting hung up or stuck on that, so (8th Chorus) -“Mysterious Red Rivers of the North.. ”
So next is a geographical mystery tour – a “Magical Mystery Tour“ – geography more or less. (well, the whole thing is earth, actually).
to be continued
Audio for the above can be heard here, beginning at approximately nine-and-a-half minutes in and concluding at approximately eleven-and-a-quarter minutes in