Prem Rawat live event speaking in Bologna

This is a YouTube broadcast of Prem speaking to public yesterday in Bologna, he starts speaking about half way through, some questions and answers and music at the end: will be available to watch for about two weeks

 

Al Zeeman

Alzee was a name given to me in 1971 ("Hey Alzee Man!") and many have known me by that name or vaiations since then - Alsee, Alsy, Alsey - my birth name Alun Buffry, I have never hidden my identity and most of my books were written under that name - for this one I decided to make a change.

Kindle Version
Paperback

 

Al Zeeman first consumed cannabis in 1970 whilst at University, firstly in the form of “Coffee Bhangs” and hash cakes, then smoking mixed with tobacco or pure in pipes. After graduating, he travelled across Europe to India and back, stopping off in several places such as Kabul to sample the hasheesh.

Upon returning from India, he started following the teaching and practices of Prem Rawat, then known as “Guru Maharaji”, a fifteen year old from India.

A few years later, Al started smoking cannabis again and continued to so for almost 50 years, including his time in several UK prisons. He continued to follow Prem Rawat which he still does today.

But during the time since 1970, Al Zeeman travelled widely throughout Europe, also visiting Morocco, India, Nepal, Kashmir and Egypt, meeting many people and smoking hos weed (and theirs) and was so often "stoned again”.

The author also participated in “Legalise Cannabis Campaigns” for over thirty years, even standing for Parliament under the banner of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) on the single issue, in 2001.

This is his account of his experiences, the places he saw and some of the friends he made.

This book, along with many amusing anecdotes, recalls his encounters and near misses with the forces of law in the UK. Also the book contains a wealth of information on the uses of cannabis / hemp, the types and sources, smoking utensils, some political opinions and a chronology of cannabis.

Zeeman pays tribute to the cannabis campaigners and enthusiasts that he met along the way, many of whom have now passed on, including Howard Marks, Chris Baldwin, Don Barnard, Winston Matthews, Mark and Lezley Gibson, Clara O’Donnell, Jack and Tina Girling, Lee Harris, Steve Pank, Jooep Oomen and “Granny” Pat Tabram.

At the end of the book, Zeeman gives his birth name, Alun Buffry, stating that he has never made any attempt to hide his identity.

Table of Contents:

NICOLAS CULPEPER, CANNABIS LAWS – PROHIBITION, COFFEE-BHANGS AND HASH CAKES, THE DEALER’S HAT, FIRST CHILLUM, A BRUSH OR TWO WITH THE LAW,FRANKFURT, MUNICH, BELGRADE, ISTANBUL, AFYON /AFYONKARAISHAR, THE FISHERMAN ON THE BEACH, HEADING EAST, AFGHANISTAN, KABUL, HELMUT, KHYBER PASS AND ONWARDS TO INDIA, INDIA: HARIDWAR AND THE GANGES, NORFOLK, THE WRECKING CREW, BUSTED, WICKLEWOOD, MR NICE, JACK AND LILY, STANLEY ATKINS, JOE HARDY-SHARP,POLISH CHRIS – CHRIS LAUSCH, MONTY, LESLEY JAMES, THE “BIG MONEY GANG”,CAMPAIGN TO LEGALISE CANNABIS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION 1992, BANGED UP, HOWARD MARKS, MR NICE 1997,THE LEGALISE CANNABIS ALLIANCE (LCA) 1999, TRAVELLING HIGH, NOL VAN SHAIK’S SPANISH COMPLEX, CAMPAIGN GROUPS DURING AND AFTER THE LCA, METHODS OF CONSUMPTION, TYPES AND SOURCES OF CANNABIS, RECREATIONAL OR MEDICAL, CANNABIS ABROAD, HOLLAND AND THE NETHERLANDS, SPAIN, PORTUGAL, IRELAND, GERMANY, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, GREECE, ITALY: SICILY, MOROCCO, INDIA, OTHER COUNTRIES, THE BAD STUFF, GROW YOUR OWN, CANNABIS PROTESTS, HEADSHOPS, SMOKEY BEARS PICNICS, RALLIES AND MARCHES, COFFEESHOPS, BYE BYE, A CHRONOLOGY OF CANNABIS.

Song (AI) The River of Life by Alun Buffry

 AI produced version of a song from my poem "The River of Life"  

I would welcome any human being that can produce a better version of these words to music

River of Life!

Whether we laugh, or whether we cry,

the river of life goes rushing by,

down the hills and mountain sides,

into valleys, long and wide,

towards the ocean that is its goal,

it's journey travelled by our soul.

When I was but a little boy,

the river rippled and dashed with joy,

and as I grew and longed to learn,

the river for the ocean yearned.

As young man travelled round the world,

the river twisted, turned and twirled,

eager to find it's resting place,

eager to travel in time and space.

And as the seeking man grew older,

the river found the bigger boulders,

but on it travelled without care,

it knew it's destiny's not there.

The rushing water's now quite slow,

the river old has nothing to show,

it's happiness is calm and deep,

as old man takes his final sleep.

The ocean that is never ending,

is to the sky it's waters lending,

to rain again on mountain top,

to make sure life's rivers never stop.

The rivers message lies in this

Ocean of Mercy, Peace and Bliss

The River Aru in Kashmir, where I wrote these words in 1981

More Poems

A UK Cannabis Activism Retrospective: A Simpa Life Broadcast interview with Winston Matthews and Alun Buffry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO47qGQU9lo

A slight problem with quality at start but stick with it.

RIP Winston Matthews

Kashmir 1981 and 1985 - video

 

From Dot to Cleopatra book reached Nigeria

 I am pleased that through Books2Africa some of the last copies of my book "From Dot to Cleopatra" original paperback edition have reached happy readers in Nigeria.

This has encouraged me to release a new paperback edition and a hardcover edition both available on Amazon along with the Kindle edition. 

 

Alun Buffry - ai music and voice to poems

 ai has put two of my poems to music - which I did because as yet nobody has doen so - well I am pleased

I CAN SEE YOU

THE RIVER OF LIFE; Whether we laugh or whether we cry  

I hope you enjoy them

As the Mind flies so the Bird walks to the mountain, OR Zen and the Art of Being Lazy

 

As the Mind flies so the Bird walks to the mountain, 

OR 

Zen and the Art of Being Lazy

(a postcard from Pokhara)

by Alun Buffry

Today, outside, the weather is hazy.

Stayed in all day, feeling quite lazy.

Where to go now, we often talk,

Then decide it's too far to walk.

Two hours there and two hours back,

"Let's stay here, and have a snack".

Just fifteen minutes up to Baba's.

and we know that there, food's better by far,

but here we eat, for our stomachs sake,

whatever's available as it's no effort to make.

"Well", I say, "I guess that's what

a holiday's for on a day that's hot."

"We're free, we don't have to do anything.

We can fly like a bird with a broken wing."

"How can that be, such a bird can't fly?"

"We can't do much either and here is why-

Cos - cor it's hot outside today,

and wherever we go we have to pay",

or "My leg's aching, stiff and weak,

and there's nothing in the bazaar we seek."

"Stomach queasy, or head aching?

Let's be another chillum a-making."

Then, "Let's go in a boat!"

"No, don't want to row!"

Or, "Let's climb that mountain, look at the snow!"

Oh, if only we could get up there and back,

Without having to walk on that mountain track.

If you close your eyes and lay on your bed,

you can go anywhere inside your head.

If you know how to master the Traveller's Trick,

You'll be there in an instant and come back so quick.

My Piece of Peace - my story towards the gift

 

Available through Amazon and on Kindle throughout most of the world or order through on street or on line booksshops - visit the page and see the comments in the featured post - please share the page = all commissions go to good causes such as feeding hungry people

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083367275975 

http://www.buffry.org.uk/abefreepublishing.html 

Palermo, Sicily, April 2012