Mike Crowley - Secret Drugs of Buddhism: Psychedelic Sacraments and the Origins of the Vajrayana

Mike Crowley has manifested a delightful book on a topic rarely spoken of, and certainly never explored with such depth. With a combination of personal anecdotes, detailed historical research, and a large collection of traditional art, this book will encourage modern-day Buddhist yogis and mind-explorers to see their practice and its roots in a new way.

Rev. Kokyo Henkel, Head Teacher, Santa Cruz Zen Center

Writing clearly, in the fashion of an investigative reporter, Mike Crowley unlocks the mystery of amita, and answers, with previously unseen certainty, the question of whether or not psychedelics were part of historical Buddhist practice.

Allan Badiner, co-editor of Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics

Psychedelic drugs in ancient Buddhism? Believe it. Dont believe it? Read this book.

Clark Heinrich, author of Magic Mushrooms in Religion and Alchemy

Secret Drugs of Buddhism sets out to remedy this blind-spot in the understanding of ancient Buddhist practices, pointing out the importance of amita to the Vajrayna Buddhist tradition and even offers suggestions for the ingredients of the original, psychoactive potion. The book is full of fantastic insights and speculation, such as the proliferation of parasol imagery and multi-armed deities fanning their limbs about in a circle in Buddhist artwork both rather close analogs to the distinctive shapes and anatomy of mushrooms (it seems so obvious once it is pointed out.)

Greg Taylor, Daily Grail

This book is not the product of academic scholarship; it is the remarkable result of one mans private research, curiosity, and intelligence. He is clearly at ease with his subject matter whether it be strange Tibetan gods or exotic flora of one of the remotest regions on Earth and is sharing his own enjoyment of exotic nature with the reader. It may well attract comparisons with Carlos Castanedas well-known canon on the use of plant psychedelics among the Hispanic brujos or sorcerers, but Mikes exposition is different. There is no mythologizing his experience of psychoactive drugs and lamaic initiations.

Bob Rickard, Fortean Times

SECRET DRUGS OF BUDDHISM

SECRET DRUGS OF BUDDHISM

PSYCHEDELIC SACRAMENTS AND THE ORIGINS OF THE VAJRAYNA

SECOND EDITION

Mike Crowley

Foreword by Ann Shulgin

SYNERGETICPRESS

regenerating people and planet

SANTA FE & LONDON

Copyright 2019 by Mike Crowley

Foreword copyright 2019 by Ann Shulgin

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher, except for the quotation of brief passages in reviews. Published by Synergetic Press, 1 Bluebird Court, Santa Fe, NM 87508 & 24 Old Gloucester St. London, WC1N 3AL England

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Crowley, Mike, 1948- author. | Shulgin, Ann, writer of foreword.

Title: Secret drugs of Buddhism : psychedelic sacraments and the origins of the Vajrayna / Mike Crowley ; forword by Ann Shulgin.

Description: Second edition. | Santa Fe : Synergetic Press, [2019] |
Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019030263 (print) | LCCN 2019030264 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780907791744 (paperback) | ISBN 9780907791751 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: DrugsReligious aspectsBuddhism. | Hallucinogenic drugs and religious experience.

Classification: LCC BQ4570.D78 C76 2019 (print) | LCC BQ4570.D78 (ebook) |
DDC 294.3/442dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019030263

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019030264

Cover and book design by Ann Lowe

Editor: Linda Sperling

Cover illustration of Vajrayogin (Artist Unknown)

Printed by Versa Printing, USA

This book was printed on #55 Tradebook Cream, SFI Certified

Typeface: Blanch Condensed and Times

Portions of this book have previously appeared in Fortean Studies, Vol. 3, 1996 and Time and Mind, the Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture, Volume 8, Issue 2, 2015.

In memory of Steve Moore, F.R.A.S.
No finer friend

ONE AFTERNOON in the mid-1980s I received a phone call from a young man who expressed his admiration of my late husband Sashas work and asked if he could take us both to dinner. Instead, I suggested that he come and dine with us at a potluck we had planned for the coming Friday.

That was how we came to know Mike Crowley. Since that dinner party three decades ago, he has been a dear friend. He and Sasha shared a delight in strange words but, for myself, I was fascinated with the depth of his knowledge of Eastern religions. Both Sasha and I found him to be a fount of obscure information, which he is apt to impart in the course of amusing anecdotes. I well remember, for instance, his remarkable account of an elaborate, week-long wedding ritual conducted on the banks of the River Ganges at Benares. I admit that, on the face of it, this does not sound particularly extraordinary, but in this case, the bride and groom were both potted plants!

On numerous occasions, Mike has held our rapt attention as he recounted his travelers tales. These remarkable encounters range from seeing an actual sword fight between Tibetan tribesmen to renting a pair scissors from an ancient recluse on Ilkley Moor, England, for the price of one dead pigeon. He also claims to have met a thousand-year-old Buddhist monk in a Chinese monastery. Im not sure what to think about that one youll have to ask Mike.

Mike Crowley has long been the first person I turn to when I have any question regarding matters of religion, East or West, especially when it comes to obscure religious teachings. Naturally, in our conversations he has revealed bits and pieces of his research on Buddhist drugs but, until he handed me this volume, I had no idea of the depth and scope of his discoveries. You will find that his writing is a sheer joy and (if youre anything like me) his revelations will knock your socks off.

So, what are you waiting for? Start turning pages and read the rest of the book. You wont regret it.

Ann Shulgin
Lafayette, California
November 13th, 2014

______________

The monk was said to be 1,300 years old. Kim Gyo-gak (born 696 CE), a Korean monk, founded the Huachen Temple on Mount Jiuhua, China. In 795, at the age of 99, he entered meditation and has not yet emerged. Still sitting there, his robes are hanging off him in shreds, and apart from some gold leaf applied to his face centuries ago, he looks like a perfectly healthy, middle-aged man. The abbot of Huachen, having treated my friend Steve Aldridge and me to afternoon tea, formally introduced us to the Venerable Kim in October, 1989. - MC

A BOOK SUCH AS THIS is the not only the end result of years of study, but the research is never-ending. Every new book, thesis and journal article with the remotest possible bearing on the subject must be carefully perused with an eye to improving ones understanding of the topic. Naturally, the happiest finds are those which amplify the books existing arguments. This is especially gratifying if there is some detail which confirms as fact that which had previously been mere speculation. Conversely, there are embarrassing occasions when one must emend, or even erase, what one once considered certainties. Both such changes have been wrought upon this book.