A Hitchhiker's Tao; Thumbing Your Way to Enlightenment

a Hitchhiker’s Tao is an exposition of mysticism and spirituality themed on my extensive experience thumbing around America - between 1968 and 1980 I did 60 to 70,000 miles. Probably half of that was done without money. I was on the road for weeks at a time – sometimes in the dead of winter in very cold places; Montana, Wyoming, Colorado – without a penny in my pocket. It was a great test of faith, the first and last mile on the highway to enlightenment. I added another 3000 miles or so in two nostalgia hitches in the mid-twenty-oughts.

Part of my quest, the drive that got me on the road, had to do with finding a commune to live on, where, in the event, I spent nearly five years. Living communally provides insight into the great enlightenment potential inherent in being together as a group. An individual or couple can never match the high one achieves as part of a group vibing as one. It was also a pioneering experiment in living in which we were way ahead of our time. It couldn’t last but left an indelible impression on our lives. Through the internet many of us have remained in contact.

The book also delves into recreational drugs as part of opening one’s mind to higher planes of existence. For many of us pot, peyote and acid served as springboards, if not catapults, into higher consciousness and for sure were a big part of living on a hippie commune.

Seven of the book’s ten chapters are based on specific hitching adventures, the remainder fill out my life story and beliefs. It’s a personal memoir which, in addition to mysticism and the occult, focuses on strong advocacy for the environment and reflects my many years doing hands-on community recycling. The above abetted by the good fortune of living in Oregon where sustainability and healthy living are the goals of many.