ken albertsen

Plot overview: The text is in four sections, the first and third sections comprise dialogue between the three men mentioned in the title: Buddha, Jesus and the hippie. The setting is upstate New York, 1969. More precisely, the story takes place on Yasgur's farm, about a mile from the outdoor stage of the Woodstock Music Festival while it's in full swing. The second quarter of the text revolves around the Buddha and Jesus characters, as they split to explore the outlying region on their own. The hippie stays on the hill, alone. Jesus and Buddha have both decided to be silent, so as to not create a stir among people they encounter. They don't want to be identified, and prefer to be incognito observers.

Soon after setting off toward the festival, the two become separated from each other. Ensuing pages articulate their disparate experiences as they interact with various people and scenarios, while maintaining their vows of silence. The Third quarter of the text has the three men meeting up again while continuing to discuss philosophy, do-wop, dakinis, mantras, biology, and several other topics with the hippie. The closing quarter of the text showcases the author's philosophy. In several ways, it furthers the discussions of the three philosophers on the hill while comparing religious leanings with ideas of non-deist beliefs. One recurrent theme is the concept that atheism is not 'belief in nothing,' but rather is; 'belief in science and nature,' which can be every bit as fascinating as beliefs in God.