By Rev. Ed Churchman
Y’know, I got to thinking this morning, when my special lady, upon seeing me leafing through the Dudespaper, inquired whether she could be a Dude, even though she’s studying to be an accountant. Which I think is a very valid philosophical question regarding the world in general when talking about Dudes. I mean, after all, the world would be a better place if everyone was like us Dudes, right? But how much like us? Everyone can be a dude, but we can’t all be Dudeciples; that’d usher in a very un-cool ending to a pretty alright world.
Now, before you all jump of your sofas and your recliners, let me explain, no one’s talking trash here, not to you, not to The Dude and not even to any stranger. No one here is disputing The Dude is a great man, just as no one here disputes Jesus or The Buddha were great men. But not all of us can afford to give up on the carpentry, or abandon the kingdom, man. Who’s gonna build the coffee tables, and keep the national shit in order? It takes a special kind of man to step to the side and lead not by achievement, but by example.
These three wise dudes I’ve just mentioned shuffled down their own life paths to the place they wanted to be, and in blazing that trail, helped lead the way for many a man stumbling blindly in the dark, tripping over make-shift door stops on his way from a shitty day at the office. And each of them had his Dudeciples.
Firstly, let’s take a look at the Buddhist model. Siddhartha Gautama goes out and stumbles into his own enlightenment. Off the back of that, people who meet him are inspired to be better people, and try to find their own roads to enlightenment, taking his teachings and his very way of being as a great jumping-off point. Buddhist monks don’t go out and put in twelve hours in a factory and collect a paycheck, they’re out there begging for food with nothing but a bowl, a sheet and a needle to their names. These are the Buddhist Dudeciples, spreading the transcendent attitude of Big Sid to those who’ll listen and repay them kindly with a generous donation of rice.
Secondly, let’s look at The Dude himself. Lazy? Sure, he’d been called that. I mean, he doesn’t go out there and deliver the mail every morning, he’s got something more important to do, like, going to a man’s dance recital and making him feel better about himself where not everyone might have (and let’s face it, probably wouldn’t have). This was the path of The Dude, and the path of his Dudeciples.
But, is every Dudeist a Dudeciple? Of course not, the same way not every Buddhist shaves his head, and not every Jew abstains from rolling on the Sabbath. Every man should follow his own path, and dig his own style, but we want everyone to chill, right? Wouldn’t it be a better world if the man in charge could be laid-back about everything? War? Hell no. Political divides? No way, man. Corruption? Are you kidding me? And that’s what we all want here, right? Fuckin’ A it is. So now we need to set apart the Dudeciple from any other member of the Pan-Dudeian Nation, that country-within-all-countries, its lines in the sand drawn around the easy ambience of its dudeizens.
The Dudeciple is a true follower of The Dude. He’s (and I substitute he for he/she to make it easier on the eyes of the reader, but I make no move towards a gender divide amongst us Dudes) the one going out there and spreading the message in the truest way possible, and that’s what he contributes to mankind, the well-being and ultimate coolness he exudes. He’s a rock to the community (albeit a lightweight and somewhat unpolished rock), out there setting a good example of how-to-be, 24/7. He’s the one that’ll always shoot you a smile and remind you that life’s good. And that even if no one else around you abides, or digs your style, he does. The Dudeciple is the foot soldier of the far-out, the poster boy of beatitude and right-reverend of relaxation.
So, who’s left besides these Dudeciple guys then? Every other Dude in the world, man, the casual laymen of the Pan-Dudeian Nation, that’s who. Every other Dude who’s out there milking cows and brewing up vodka, who’s stitching together bathrobes and greasing the gears of the pin-setting machine. We’re here to celebrate life and the value of chilling throughout, and the great Dudes and Dudeciples in history have helped us in our ways, but some of us simply choose to carry on in the world, getting things done. Does that make us any less of a Dude? If you say yes, man, you’ll disappoint me.
Surely, what we’re looking for here is for everyone to contribute to the running of the world, but at a more laid-back pace. Cut out the extraneous crap that people do for money and spread out that free time between everyone. And hey, if you’re laid off of work for a few weeks, or years… or decades, looks like you might be a blossoming Dudeciple for the duration, man. I myself have just come out of an eighteen-month slump in my previously unimpeachable career chain, and I’d like to think I’ve learnt a few things in my time as a Dudeciple. But I need to get back there, and do my thing. Without roadies, the Metallica tour ends here.
I mean, what I’m trying to say here is that you don’t need to be THE Dude to be a Dude. If my special lady wants to become an accountant, they hell yeah, that can only be a good thing. We need more Dudes out there in the world, in all corners, spreading the good word in deed. The more Dudes that disseminate among the un-chilled masses the better, I say. A Dudeciple can do a world of good from where he is, but he’s not everywhere. He can touch the hearts of all men, over time, but he’s not, like, omnipresent or anything. Chances are you’ll meet him in the supermarket, or at a bowling alley, but if there’s a Dude in your office every day, that’d make things fucking interesting, man.
The way of the Dude is the road to peace and harmony in this world, of that there can be no doubt. It’s been doing us all a heap of good for thousands of years now and it can only lead to a better future as it spreads itself throughout the peoples of his Pan-Dudeian Nation. But let us not forget, that we can’t all be so chilled as to take it as easy as the 
Dude. We’ve all got a choice, man, and that means different things to different guys. Some want to follow the example of the Dude, and that’s the way of the Dudeciple, and to you guys, I salute you. But, others want to be Dudes in their own right and to carry on sawing wood and ruling parts of India, and studying to be pretty cool accountants.
Let no one look upon the Church of the Latter-Day Dude and say we’re all bums on a lazy-ass road to ruin, and let no one say a workingman is not a true Dude. Wake up and smell the coffee-liqueur, man, we’re all Dudes, and we carve out our own style, be it at home, on the lane or in the office. Better a Dude of any colour than a fucking fascist, a real reactionary, or a bunch of assholes. Don’t you abide?
Fucking A-men, Rev. Churchman. We’re all called to our own unique experience of authentic dudeness.
This groovy post IS what Dudeism means to me, man.
Far out, Rev. Churchman, far out!
Rev. as usual you throw rocks with your articles, and I would say this is a pretty good strike. Far out man. Far out.
Thanks fellow Revs, glad you can abide. Although personally I think I did better on editing that Dudeciples picture than the article. Can you spot the bowling ball, the oat soda, the walkman, the two white russians and the two Js? :)
Good effort with the details in the Dudeciples picture, man.
Oh, and I read the article and I’m right with you. Like, what if Hugh Hefner didn’t make the effort to work hard and publish Playboy? And then put in a bunch of articles in between the special ladies? Some even slamming Nixon, man.
What I’m, saying is that I like reading the articles, and then stopping to admire the pics, and then reading some more. Yeah. That’s what I like. What was I commenting about?
Nice piece of work. But you forgot the ringer :) Which cannot look empty.
Right on Rev. Ed, very timely piece, what with the god damn economic plane crashing into the mountain and so many bright flowering young men lying face down in the economic muck at Detroit, at Las Vegas, at Hill 364.
Dudeism, like Tao, Yoga, Bokonism etc. is a path, a practice, an ethos. The Seeker, (the Duder), should endeavor to incorporate this ethos into all aspects of his life at all times. Getting things done in a righteous Zen like manner is very Dude. Getting things done in a phony, human paraquat manner like the Big Lebowski, Big Brother or the Banksters is very Un-Dude.
I myself dabble in the Zen of Swimming Pool maintenance. Self employed in the tradition of pool guys like Coach Buttermaker and Kato Kalin. I may be a bum, I may have “Fuck It” tattooed on my forehead, but I get things done like a swiss fucking watch.
Let’s look to the Holy Port Huron Scriptures for guidance:
“…work should involve incentives worthier than money or survival. It should be educative, not stultifying; creative, not mechanical; self direct, not manipulated, encouraging independence; a respect for others, a sense of dignity and a willingness to accept social responsibility, since it is this experience that has crucial influence on habits, perceptions and individual ethics.”
So I say be a Duder accountant, build a righteous coffee table. Just remember to stay on the righteous path. Don’t be manipulated. Take any rug in the house.Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out. Take the red pill. Don’t vote. Don’t consume. In the event of terrorist attack, don’t go to the mall. Blow up the TV. Throw away the paper. Eat a lot of Peaches. Fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let… lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may. I say… ABIDE.
Sorry, lost my train of thought there.
To Paraphrase George Orwell in1984;
“If there is hope, wrote Winston, it lies in the Dudes.”
Fuck it Rev. Ed, Let’s go bowling.
Far out guys.
I was wondering about this issue the other day. Being a practicing dude, and a devout metalhead at the same time, I figured it’s a little strange to be not only diligent, professional and intense musically as well as taking every chance I can to bring a measure of harmony to an often reactionary and uncaring world.
We all gotta feed the monkey, man.
It’s just sometimes a monkey obsessed with pointy instruments and vikings, you know.
Peace Dudes
Rev. Java, right on man. Even The Heff had to put the eff in to get things done!
Rev. AF, no one choses to carry a ringer for luxury, it’s one bummer of a duty… unless you’ve got your business papers within (certainly not Walter’s whites)!
Werve, you’re darned right. All things need to be done, but they’d be much better handled like a true Dude. I think the next US president you guys vote in over there should be a Dude. Limber-minded thinking on the econemy, laid-back foreign policy “hey come on over to our place, bring a bottle, we’ve got snacks”.
I’ve met a few good Dudes in various jobs in my time, but now is the time to replace all those fatcat bankers with a few financially-savvy brother shamuses (shami?). No multi-million mullah bonuses scheme, just an oat soda at the end of each day of success, and the bail-out cash will come back into the public fund in no time. Last thing we needed in the UK was a cut in all govermental budgets (apart from Defense, maybe).
My personal biggest regret of the last six months is that I didn’t get that job at the bowling alley. Still, hope springs eternal (although as I always say, hope is a four-letter word), I may get to be a pin-monkey yet in my day.
Dream on working dudes.
Ffian, man, cultivating an ego and a personality is one of the main thigs that sets us apart from Buddhists. It’s one thing that always got me about the religion was letting go of the self. We all need to dig our own styles, and maybe metal’s not generally considered a Dudeist sort of music/lifestyle, but if that’s how you roll, and you find your inner calm, fuckin’ A. The Dude comes in many forms, but each of them has the same spirit; calm and reasoned, open and humane.
We are one, even through the rich tapestry of diversity.
Thanks Churchman, your words are appreciated dude.
By the way, It’s pretty cool to see there’s other Dudes on this side of the pond.
You’re welcome man, although Chruchman ain’t no title, it’s my name. Teach me to be so damned formal, I guess. A good lesson in keeping it simple, I’ve renamed my handle in a more steamlined fashion ;)
As for Dudeism in the UK, you’d be surprised at the following it has. Check out the Dude-map http://tinyurl.com/dudemap started by Meekon (my neighbour, so it turned out!), add yourself, be part of the face of the Pan-Dudian Nation (aka, Earth).
As for the growth of our little religion in GB, I’m working on a project for the future called Dudearchy in the UK, exploring the ins and outs and whathaveyous of Britain with regards to Dudeist views and great Dudes. Would certainly be a lot more valid if we had a few more Brits contribute into the pot when the time comes.
Awesome Dude,
Once you have more an idea of where you wanna roll with your venture, I’d be more than happy to give a hand if I can. It’d be pretty cool to see how it relates to something closer to home, you know?
Timely and dudely reflection, man. There are times when I gotta flow with the working tide but use it as a chance to spread the word and keep the faith so that others can…uh, well, so they can do something or other. It’s all good.
Another Brit over here, boyos!
Although I live in France for the mo’.
Looking forward to the Dudearchy in the UK, Rev Ed C.
Would be happy to contribute.
Let me know & ABIDE!
Well, business papers, some spare tobacco, a couple of oat sodas just in case your mind gets un-limber, a copy of the Dude De Ching… Fabulous stuff dude. :)
Right on man, a great read. We all do what we have to do to get by, but in the end, it’s all about takin’ er easy. I don’t push my whole world view on people, but I use the opportunities I come across to subtly further the cause of Dudeism, and as long as that’s what it’s all about, its all good.
Catch you out on that road, Revs.
Right on Rev. Smalls! Non-preachiness can spread like melting ice across a table a 1 degree C, but eventually it soaks everything in it’s path. Your way is the true way of the Dude indeed.
As for people interested in contributing to a future project, Dudearchy in the UK, I’ll be putting something up on the Forum in the in future to outline what I’m trying to put together, what I’ve got so far, and where people can brainstorm and get involved. So, watch the forum, Dudes!
Dudearchy in the UK…Far out, man. Mark it, dudes.
Fuckin’ A man.
Well said. And a good and thorough point made.
I have periods of being a Dudeciple…and periods of being Dude in other ways. Nothing is fucked here , Dude.
and I get more attention for my bumper stickers than anything else. Ppl really seem to dig my style, and ask me about Dudeism. Far out! (it’s a good way to spread the Dudely word)
For those interested in the Dudearchy in the UK project, I’ve now started a thread on the forum so we can start brainstorming.
Come on down and contributes, Dudes!
http://dudeism.com/smf/index.php?topic=1201.0
Well put and well written. I continue to find my way through the mire of abiding and aspire to someday being a dudeciple. Until that appropriate time, I recognize one when I read it.
You’re too kind, Rev Bill. I wouldn’t say I was a true Dudeciple, I’m more putting in the lot of the average Dude. I’ve got a long way to go, but slow and steady wins the… err… tranquility of mind.
Amen.
Awesome article.
I also think that if a Dude is going to work it needs to be something enjoyable. No stress from 9 to 5, man. Sure we got to feed the monkey, but we don’t have to work our pinky toes off. But that’s just, you know, like my opinion, man.