The Spirit As Cinema

"One of my spiritual influences was J.  Krishnamurti, who rejected any opportunities to become a guru.  I once saw him speak at Carnegie Hall to three thousand of his nondisciples.  Somebody asked him why there was evil in the world, and he answered, 'To thicken the plot.'  That inspired me to perceive reality through a theatrical filter, and now I just admire how skillfully everybody plays themselves, including evil people.  On the other hand, another influence, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, told me, 'There are no evil people; there are only victims.'"

    -Paul Krassner